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A Tribe Called Quest Says A Posthumous Phife Dawg Album Is Coming In 2021

Getty Image The Queens collective gives fans something to look forward to. …

Pioneering Queens hip-hop collective A Tribe Called Quest just gave fans something to look forward to in the new year. Despite being officially disbanded following the death of group founding member Phife Dawg in 2016 and the group’s final outing that same year, Tribe’s social media has remained active, giving updates on merch and special announcements. Today, it offered up both in the form of a tweet honoring Phife’s 50th birthday.

“To honor and celebrate his life and legacy, the estate on behalf of his family just released limited-edition ‘Phife Forever’ tees,” the tweet announced before following up with the real kicker. “Also know that early next year you will all get to hear a new Phife album.” That’s truly impressive news considering his last full-length release came out over 20 years ago in 2000. Ventilation: Da LP received mixed reviews at the time — mainly, I think — because it was not the Tribe reunion album fans hankered for. It reached 175 on the Billboard 200 (by way of comparison, Q-Tip’s solo album Amplified from the year before debuted at No. 28 and spawned the Hot 100 hits “Breathe And Stop” and “Vivrant Thing”).

Interestingly, Phife’s widow Desha Head Taylor had previously teased the album to drop in 2017, but with no new announcements since, it seemed we’d heard the last of Phife Dawg on the Tribe farewell album We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service. Now, it looks like we can expect a new collection soon.

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Artist Spotlight

KENTON journeys through family, identity and healing in “Sweetmouth (Sugar Free)” (EP)

KENTON

“Sweetmouth (Sugar Free)” is an extremely reflective acoustic EP that guides you through its six tracks as it explores memory, identity, and emotional reconciliation. Created at a moment of deep discovery, the project reveals KENTON’s process of forgiving others, of realizing who he is within himself, and of internally processing what he experienced as a queer Asian American child growing up in the United States.

The EP opens with “I’m Breaking My Father’s Heart – Acoustic,” a gentle track about the disconnection between what parents desire and what you believe is true. “Never Born – Acoustic” is inward-looking, exploring the existential uncertainty of financial suffering at home and prayers that hang in the air, unanswered.

“Let Light In – Live” is a release that captures emotional awakening, where letting go of past pain is the first step toward recovery. “Without You – Acoustic” is one of the most affecting moments on the EP, which recounts a tough relationship with a sick father. “Wannabe American – Acoustic” laments the falseness of the American Dream and how it commodifies the Asian identity.

On the final song, “The Times – Acoustic,” KENTON directs strength toward a message of survival, hope, and endurance in an emotionally suffocating world. “Sweetmouth (Sugar Free)” is also the voice of the collective, and it’s a gift to immigrant and queer youth searching for belonging in spaces that often do not welcome them.

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Photo credit: Ricky Chavez

Connect with KENTON on Website | Spotify | Instagram | TikTok

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Artist Spotlight

Terrell Journey rewinds emotion and identity in cinematic EP “Retrograde”

Terrell Journey

The new reflective R&B EP, “Retrograde” by Terrell Journey, transports us back to the emotional origins of his Journey Digital Supercharged universe. It’s a cinematic prequel defined by tension, clarity, and artistic reinvention. 

As a prequel to the famed Journey Digital Supercharged collection, it builds on Terrell Journey’s vision of a musical universe with separate but connected story worlds beneath that umbrella in the Journey Digital Saga. This project is a shift in point of view, and “Retrograde” examines the moments before acceleration, the tension and clarity that happens before everything moves forward.

The EP’s opening track, “Me vs Me,” invites introspection and sets the stage for the project. “Tit 4 Tat” sharpens the tension, while “We Listen and Don’t Judge” creates a space cleared by honesty and emotional control. “Run A Boston” feels fast and intentional, harnessing the force of movement before the EP enters what is its most personal closing stretch.

“Steal Your Heart” is a melodic peak that combines emotional tug with elegant R&B textures. “Love” closes the EP on a warm, resonant note that sounds resolved and open-ended. “Retrograde” expands Terrell Journey’s kaleidoscopic world by making introspection a narrative, and it serves as a crucial link between reflection and the forward momentum of Journey Digital Saga.

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The EP challenges you to consider themes of internal conflict, emotional honesty, and change. This continues to cement Terrell Journey’s track record for creating in-universe sets of R&B storytelling narratives.

Connect with Terrell Journey on Website | Spotify | Instagram | X | TikTok

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