CONCERT REVIEW: A Tribe Called Quest, Athens
- Lang Whitaker
When word came down that A Tribe Called Quest was packing it in and becoming a Tribe called quits, the collective heart of hip-hop skipped a beat. After all, the three members of Tribe -- Phife, Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad -- have arguably been the most innovative and creative hip-hop group of the last ten years, pairing jazzy but booty-shakin' beats with socially conscious yet pop-culture referenced rhymes.
Even more puzzling was that when the latest and apparently last Tribe album, The Love Movement (Jive), came out a few days after their tragic announcement, it sounded nothing like a band on the run. Though as a whole The Love Movement was less pointed than their previous classics, including Midnight Marauders and The Low End Theory, The Love Movement was still head-and-shoulders above the rest of rap's middling class. Songs like "Find a Way" and "Groove Me" showed that when all things are clicking, A Tribe Called Quest can find their holy grail.
To end their reign, Tribe decided to take it to the streets and make a concession tour. The closest Tribe came to Atlanta home was Athens, GA. Of course, last respects must be paid, so I had to make a the trip. Surprisingly, security at the Classic Center was tighter than at the '96 Olympics. Apparently local authorities were expecting the Death Row Records crew instead of rap's peaceful princes.
A Tribe Called Quest knows better than to come to town and not come correct. The bare stage swathed in solid black held only a small platform that supported DJ Ali Shaheed Mohammed's turntables. Without fanfare, Ali Shaheed strolled out and climbed onto his stand, grabbed his mike and said "Ladies and Gentlemen, the livest act in the history of hip-hop -- A Tribe Called Quest!!" Immediately he slipped into a set of headphones and started arranging and rearranging the wax bullets in his arsenal.
Tribe's two MC's, Phife and Q-Tip, strolled out on stage with their frequent live cohort Jerobi in tow. Immediately, it was obvious that strange things are afoot in the state of Tribe. While Phife-dog and Jerobi came dressed identically, resplendent in matching crowd-pleasing Champ Bailey UGA football jerseys, Q-Tip decided to go his own way, opting instead for camoflague overalls, a plain white t-shirt and a khaki canvas safari hat.
At other times a similar asymmetry was evident between the Q-Tip and Phife, this one emotional not physical. More than once while Phife and Jerobi went through spirited stage antics -- including pre-planned choreography and vocal give and go's -- Q-Tip stood indifferently at the back of the stage, centered in front of Shaheed's spot, his back to the audience. At one point between songs Phife was delivering a monologue about touring, and Q-Tip randomly inserted, "Y'all didn't know Phife was really Oscar-fuckin'-Madison, did you?" Odd couple, indeed.
Musically, Tribe showed they haven't lost a step. Ripping through every song in their arsenal -- from "Bonita Applebum" to "Stressed Out" to "Award Tour" -- Tribe held the Classic Center audience in the palms of their sweaty hands. With every beat and back-beat the capacity crowd swayed back and forth in perfect time. Eventually, Phife announced that the band would be taking requests and asked for the house lights to be illuminated. They honored three requests, the final number being their breakthrough "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo," which they performed with an energy and vigor that seemed unlike anything a band on the verge of a collapse could cobble.
While the "official" reason for a break-up being touted is that the band wanted to pursue new and separate projects, it would behoove Tribe fans to look a little deeper. Tribe's been doing separate projects on the said for the last few years, so a break-up would be irrelevant. According to rumors I've heard from a few well-placed sources, and don't quote me on this, the Tribe break-up is only a ruse; a publicity stunt designed to get the band released from their label and free to shop around for a new home. But don't quote me on that.
Statements made by Q-Tip during the show would seem to support this theory. At one point Q-Tip noted that it was the last Tribe Called Quest show in Georgia, but then cryptically noted, "We'll be back though, it may not be in this same form, but we'll be back." Also, when Q-Tip delivered the line "Industry rule number 4,080 / Record company people are sha-deeeee," there seemed to be a little more conviction in his voice than usual.
Tribe left the stage after nearly an hour of high-energy music, the crowd screamed and begged for more. Ali Shaheed came out and began spinning the Average White Band's "Love Your Life" horn riff that is the core of "Check the Rhime," possibly Tribe's most identifiable hit. Phife and Jerobi began running mock football plays on the stage, and Q-Tip started walking on a railing that extended from the edge of the stage out through the audience. Arms shot up and began grabbing at The Abstract's feet. Q-Tip continued his high-wire act, and the beat grew more insistent. Phife and Jerobi were now sprinting around the stage. The white beanie cap topping Ali Shaheed's head bobbed in time to the music, set off against the all black background. The audience became a collective mass, undulating like an ocean being attacked by El Nino. Q-Tip peacefully walked on the water.
And for a few seconds, all was right in the world.
