A Tribe Called Quest Announce Final Shows Supporting Kanye West
This fall’s forthcoming Yeezus tour was already looking like a monster, with Kanye West headlining and Kendrick Lamar on board as well. (Kendrick has reportedly been working with Flying Lotus on his part of the show, which makes an already-exciting thing even more exciting.) And now the mythic Queens rap crew a Tribe Called Quest have also joined the tour’s two New York City shows, claiming that these shows will be their last ever.
Tribe, one of the greatest rap groups of all time by any measure, broke up in 1998 after releasing The Love Movement, their final album, and embarking on a long farewell tour. In the years since, they’ve reunited a few times for one-off shows and tours, often to help member Phife Dawg pay for medical expenses related to his serious battle with diabetes. (Michael Rappaport’s documentary Beats, Rhymes & Life does a great job chronicling the various love/hate relationships at work within the group.) And considering that spotty history, it certainly seems possible that another reunion could come along at some point. For now, though, this is it. The shows will happen at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center 11/19 and Madison Square Garden 11/23. If you’re in New York and you love rap music, you should make it to one of those.