![]() While his estate has done a surprisingly extraordinary job of unleashing a torrent of thoughtfully-curated rarities (like the excellent "Originals" disc, featuring the demos he recorded of songs that were given to others), the announcement of the unheard new studio release "Welcome 2 America" was a surprise to many. While Prince would have disapproved of having his entire videography available on YouTube, his music has managed to reach a whole new generation of listeners, and it's hard to be mad about that. ![]() It feels like a perfect final act from one of rap music's all-time greats.Īs always, Prince's posthumous legacy is something that's difficult to wrestle with. "Thought I'd chop you out, son, see how you're doin'," he says to the late J Dilla on "Dear Dilla", "Come back to earth, homie / Hip-hop is in ruins." There's smart samples, funky beats, and even some light orchestration to give buoyancy to Phife Dawg's rhymes. ![]() Featuring a rogue's gallery of producers (9th Wonder, J Dilla, the always-underrated Potatohead People) and superstar guests (Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes, Little Brother, Redman, Dwele), the sepia-toned memories of "Forever" point to an era of rap music that simply doesn't exist anymore. Given his only other solo offering came in 2000 and seemed to take not-so-thinly-veiled shots at bandmate Q-Tip, it's a delight to hear the two work again on "Forever", which is filled with warm vibes and a love of old-school beats. Yet while working with his old crew, he was also working on what would be his second-ever solo album, "Forever", which would finally see the light of day in 2022. Prior to his passing in March 2016, the great Phife Dawg managed to complete his contributions to A Tribe Called Quest's final album, the instant classic that was "We Got It from Here. ![]()
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