Rap veteran Phife Dawg from the legendary group A Tribe Called Quest is hitting the studio again, preparing his first solo record in 10 years. In a recent interview with okayplayer.com, the New York emcee talked about plans to release the upcoming Songs in the Key of Phife.
Featured on the upcoming album is producers Oh No, Illmind and Tribe member Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Phife is also working with his own production company, Riddim Kids, which includes DJ Rasta Roots and Stat Box, and anticipates working with DJ Scratch and Organized Noise member Rico Wade.
“We’re doing this one track that I’m trying to get Big Boi from Outkast on as well as Cee-lo on the hook. He can do a verse for me as well because he’s a beast on both ends of the spectrum as you know. I’m looking forward to this track with KRS-One as well. So far so good. Imma also holla at some dude named Q-tip see what’s good and we gonna get it poppin like that,” Phife told okayplayer.
Since undergoing a kidney transplant to help his battle with diabetes, Phife has been on the move. Outside of the new album, the ’90s heavyweight is working on a talk show and clothing label. “I’m working on my own sports talk show, sports [and] music talk show, working on a pilot for that and I think I’m [going] call it The Fanalyst,” he said. “I’m also working on a clothing line. Well, I’m in a partnership for this clothing line called King Duce and it’s also a record label that I’m partnering with. I’m going to be head of urban music as well of head of urban wear.”
A documentary produced by actor Michael Rapaport, Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest, is also set to be released soon chronicling the ups and downs of the legendary crew. “There’s some good times. There’s some bad times. You’re gonna see it all.”
When asked when the new LP is slated to drop he replied, “In a perfect world like Keri Hilson would say, I wouldn’t mind it coming out sometime between August and November.”
Hey Tribe stop messin around with us and reunite already!
http://www.reverbnation.com/savvysav#/artist/artist_videos/659615?sel_song_id=3407393&autoplay=1
COPPIN’ DAT..
Found it funny when he said “Imma holla at some dude named Q-tip.” lol
Seriously speaking, is Phife even remotely relevant to the current hip-hop scene? He wasn’t a legit solo artist when Tribe was at their peak. This reminds me of all of the talk surrounding EPMD’s comeback effort, only to see their album go wood.
To say Phife is not relevant to ANY Hip-Hop scene would be like saying Tribe Called Quest didn’t do sh!t for Hip-Hop. While Phife’s solo album, Ventilation, may not have been of the caliber of, let’s say a Fantastic Vol.2 or Midnight Marauders, it had a good helping of tracks with Pete Rock, Hi-Tek and Jay Dee/ J Dilla. Not every body has to have a danceable radio track or some corny b.s. song, they can just make music for the love of it, and that’s just the way it should be. Word.
I respect your point. But, the FACT is, Phife has never been, nor is he likley to be, independently relevant to hip-hop. I take nothing away from Tribe as a group – they were certainly great, and Phife was arguably a necessary ingredient to their formula. All I’m sayin’ is if he couldn’t push wood on his back-in-the-day solo; so, how/why should he be commercially relevant in 2010? This being said, I truly hope that he can sell a few units, play a few shows, and line his pockets, because any money that he has coming is certainly deserved on status alone. Fam, I’m not hatin’, I’m just breaking it down. Peace.
fuck you ppl hip hop needs the vets to come out and start puttin some real hiphop out…. shit im tired of listening to wayne cry on a song or drake rap like if hes reading a bunch of run on sentences and t-pain fucking talking shit from a little box…. Phife’s album was tight it wasent tribr called quest but is was still about the love of hiphop and not the money
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phife actually had some cool songs on his last album. Not classic, but def so must hear cuts. hope this isn’t like rakim though where we’re waiting all these years for some bull sh*t
what these cats fail to realize is tip is no good without phife and vice versa they need to come together with ali shaheed muhammad and jarobi
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I love Tribe’s early LPz, but I was alwayz checking 4 other crewz when their ish dropped. Cypress Hill, 36 Chambers, Vagina Diner, Doggystyle and Cube’z early ish all drew my attenion away from Tribe’s bonafied classix Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders. Phife was alwayz my favourite member though, and I rue not seeing him London last week. I’m gonna make up 4 that htough, when Brand Nubian come over here next week.
neeed this dude in hip-hop. period.
Glad to see Phife at it 1nce Again.
Phife,Tip and Ali need to drop another Tribe Lp.
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Hey !!!!! Its about dayuuum Time my Nigga!!!!!! I miss you Phife!!!…..What’s good?!!!!!…I see “YOU” that is….Cant wait to hear you on the airwaves…holla at me…Dion can get at me!! Love ya!!!
yeah its me….with the jeep and the lil boy…frm atl & dc!!!