When the nominations for the 60th Annual Grammy Awards were unveiled last year, A Tribe Called Quest was noticeably absent from the list. Subsequently, ATCQ’s de facto leader Q-Tip went on an epic Instagram rant blasting the Recording Academy for what he deemed a massive oversight.
On Tuesday (March 13), founding ATCQ member Ali Shaheed Muhammad and longtime collaborator Consequence stopped by Sway In The Morning, where they talked about the snub heard around the Hip Hop world.
In particular, the tenured artists responded to comments made by Grammys Chair Emeritus Jimmy Jam, who suggested ATCQ’s performance at the Grammys last year was “just as relevant” as getting an actual nomination.
“I respect [Jimmy Jam] so much for what he’s done for music but to default to say that the group performed and that should be your consolation prize I think is very disrespectful to the art you put forward,” Ali says.
Consequence adds “I respect the OG, but let’s put this into perspective – Malik Phife Dawg Mutty Ranks Don Juice Taylor – that was his last effort on Earth. I want you to understand the magnitude of that. It’s easy for someone to minimalize something, and I don’t take it as I don’t like him for saying that, but it’s easy to minimalize and categorize.”
From there, Consequence didn’t hold back.
“That’s the same reason why Craig Mack is just now getting his roses,” he said. “What happens so many times with black people is that we come up with notions why other brothers and sisters shouldn’t be celebrated. Ain’t no notion for that shit, they fucked up. Anybody come back 18 years after a hiatus and perform the year before – naturally, you’d assume, ‘Aye, I should have something on my mantle in 12 months.’”
Elsewhere in the interview, Cons and Ali touched on the new Billionaire Boys Club collab with Pharrell and “The Space Program” video, which serves as the last visual from 2016’s We got it from Here … Thank You 4 Your service. The group shared a teaser of the video on Tuesday (March 13), however, there is no official release date as of yet.
Watch “The Space Program” clip below.
Blame Q-Tip. He should have reassembled TCQ whole Phife was here but his pride gotbin the way. He didn’t want to share the credit plain and simple.
Tribe reassembled in secret before Phife passed away…his best friend Jarobi confirmed this. Get your facts right.
Where the hell do you people get your facts from? Did you even listen to the album? Tribe was reunited and had almost finished the album when Phife died. Stop making up shit. Damn!
They did a performance @ Fallon’s show (if I’m not wrong) the same day as the Bataclan attack in Paris. Both were factors in them deciding to get back together and make an album. That was Nov ’15.
Phife died 22nd of March ’16, so that left him havin 4 months only in the recording sessions. They had to finish the album without his presence. But all was fine before. Nothing here about not wanting to share No credit. Check interviews & do the math or shut up.
They still complaining??? I’ve lost a lot of respect for them for this ridiculous behaviour.
Read thoroughly. They responding to Jimmy Jam saying their performance at the Grammy’s last year was just as valuable as an actual nomination. Which most probably was asked about by Sway in his show. So it’s only right they react upon it. What’s so ridiculous about that?
Read the article. And they have every right to complain. What’s ridiculous is your response.
I don’t like what they’re doing but they have a point. I honestly liked this album more than DAMN. But that’s my opinion, damn definitely deserved to win. But to have that shitty Tyler the creator album over ATCQ is a slap to the face.
Jimmy Jam should’ve been ashamed by that response to ATCQ.. Knowing how the Grammy’s historically do not really like to recognize rap music. He is apart of the problem.