“The Extraordinary Final Act of A Tribe Called Quest” by Nick Fox (fiction, ’09)

An excerpt from the essay “The Extraordinary Final Act of A Tribe Called Quest” by Nick Fox (fiction, ’09) in Waxwing:

The Extraordinary Final Act of A Tribe Called Quest

If you grew up on the sound of A Tribe Called Quest, you must have secretly hoped there would be one more album. Something, even if it was just a compilation of sorts, or a clearing of the vaults. But you had to believe that one day the group would find a way to clear out the bad air, walk back into the studio, and give us something we couldn’t see coming.

The years ticked off. Reunion tours and one-offs came and went, ending in statements that this was the last Tribe show. That’s a wrap. The group is done. Statements only to be followed by another tour, another show.

In March of 2016, news of the end came. Malik Taylor, better known as Phife Dawg, had passed away after a lifelong battle with diabetes. Without Phife, there was no Tribe. What they’d produced would be all there was, and there would be no final act. […continue reading here]