During the Panorama Festival in New York, Q-Tip announced that the group are gearing up for their very final run of shows over the next month or so, as they continue to tour their most recent album We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service, which was released back in late 2016.  The break-up was announced before the Tribe launched into a tribute to late Member Phife Dawg, who sadly died in March 2016, before the album’s release.

The Guardian also quotes Q-Tip as telling his audience at LA’s FYF Festival that “This is our final performance here in LA as Tribe, obviously because Phife Dawg, our anchor, has been called to another mission.” You can see the footage of the tribute below.

The entire show was a tribute to and celebration of Phife's life. A Tribe Called Quest @FYFFEST #FYFFest2017 pic.twitter.com/HLPxzFi2Xs

— Colette Weintraub (@rockisagirlsbff) July 23, 2017

There remains a handful of tour dates left for the Tribe, but many are suggesting that their headlining slot at Bestival- which runs from September 7-10- would be the natural concluding point for the legendary hip-hop act, particularly considering the conviction of Q-Tip’s words.

After Phife Dawg’s death, several projects were revealed, including a solo album, which Dawg’s widow Desha Head Taylor confirmed had been fully recorded, and was ready for release, prior to his death, and would’ve been due to for release at some point in 2017.

In addition to this, Outkast member and producer Big Boi revealed in June that A Tribe Called Quest and Outkast were due to collaborate before Phife Dawg’s passing.

“Q-Tip flew to Atlanta with Ali Shaheed Muhammad, we all met at Dre’s (Andre 3000) house.

“We got to the point of picking out beats for the album. Then, some kind of way, everybody started doing stuff, and then Phife… you know. It definitely was happening, though.”

Perhaps the most obvious example of this was David Bowie posthumously winning the Album of the Year, as well as British Male Solo Artist award for his final album Blackstar. The award was received by Dexter and Lazarus  star Michael C. Hall, who said in his speech “If David Bowie could be here tonight, he probably wouldn’t be here tonight

“I’m honoured to stand here before you and acknowledge the potency of his work and acknowledge his kindness and generosity and enthusiasm which inspires me to be better man.”

Elsewhere there was recognition give to 90’s rap legends A Tribe Called Quest, who picked up the gong for International group, following the release of their latest album We Got It from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service, as well as the death of founding member Phife Dawg.

Bowie was not the only artist to win two awards, with Rag’n’Bone Man also claiming two prizes, for both British Breakthrough Act, as well as having previously been announced as the Critics Choice winner.

Tributes were also paid during the night’s performances, with Coldplay frontman performing a posthumous duet with George Michael, following an impassioned speech from Michael’s former Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgely.

The rise of grime was also given recognition on the night, with Skepta performing his massive hit ‘Shut Down’, whilst Stormzy appeared onstage to perform with Ed Sheeran.

Robbie Williams, who has amassed the most Brits of any artist, also played live, as he collected the special Brit Icon award, to commemorate his lifetime in music. You can read the full list of winners here.

As well as Q-Tip, Ali and Jarobi, the album also features contributions from André 3000, Kendrick Lamar, Elton John, Jack White and Busta Rhymes and of course, Phife Dawg. Busta Rhymes is quoted in the New York Times, describing the chemistry of the re-united quartet, observing, ‘I seen them laughing and joking and high-fiving, and you can just see that young, invigorated ‘we’re-just-getting-our-first-opportunity-to-do-this’ energy again!’ Q-Tip agrees, and revealed to The Guardian that in the studio Quest ‘just locked in’ and that they ‘became fucking kids again.’

Although it’s 26 years since they made their debut with ‘People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm,’ this latest album will only be their sixth. This, of course, is largely due to the fact that in 1998 the band disbanded following, ‘The Love Movement.’ They reformed intermittently between 2013 and 2016 for various live shows, before deciding to fully reform following a performance on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. However, tragedy was soon to strike as Phife Dawg passed away on March 22^nd, 2016. Despite this, the remaining members were determined to continue the project they had started, and to incorporate ‘the blueprint’ which he had left them into the finished ‘We Got It From Here, Thank You 4 Your Service’ – a title that was chosen by Phife Dawg. Speaking to the New York Times earlier this week about the forthcoming album and the loss of Phife Dawg, Q-Tip said, ‘I just want to celebrate him, you know?’

The album itself doesn’t shy away from politics, and deals with social issues including gender, race and economic inequality. There are also lyrics which appear to reference controversies from the Presidential election campaign, especially in the hook to ‘We The People…’, which runs, ‘All you black folks you must go. All you Mexicans you must go. All you poor folks you must go.’ All the while, sonically, the album stays largely true to Tribe’s 90s roots, with traditional jazz and rock n’ roll samples given a contemporary edge.

Q-Tip commented that during the making of the album the group ‘embraced the spirit of one-upping each other’ (via The Guardian). This is very much evident in ‘We Got It From Here, Thank You 4 Your Service’. At the same time the group still manage to maintain the harmonious spirit with which they became synonymous, especially following their biggest hit, ‘Can I kick it?’

If this is to be their last album, it appears they will go out in style. The album has already received the approval of Questlove, who wrote a long post on his Instagram which began, ‘All imma say is Yes. Yes. Yes,’ before going on to praise the return of the 90s group dynamic, the ability of Jarobi and the overall quality of the album which he said was in its ‘own lane’ and ‘fulfils and itches so many scratches’ as well as the future potential of Quest.