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Phife Dawg interview...A Tribe Called Quest back together?

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Twentytwofifty:
ThaFormula.Com - How do you think Tribe managed to play both sides?

Phife - I think Lollapolloza put us over that hump. A lot of people were sayin' little small shit, whisperin' small shit like "oh them niggaz sold out, they performing for white people" and so and so. I'm like nigga, 80% of Hip-hop sales is to white people man so who's sellin' out on who? I remember when I first went on Lollapolooza and was like "damn look at all these people, but I wanna perform in front of my own people too," After the third show I could care less. Them niggaz loved us. They showed us more love then some of my own niggaz on the corner showed us and I'm not just sayin' it on no groupie shit. Them niggaz knew word for word and stuff like that but they also knew about a niggaz health. You got fans comin' up to you sayin, "yo Tip, I like that first verse on so and so record" "Yo, Ali I like them rubs on that one record, and you Phife I like that verse on that one record and so on." Or they would be like, "yo Phife how is your health doing?" That meant something to me man!! That fuckin' meant something to me. I'm lookin' at them like, "how do you know?" "Oh, I read this article and that article and I heard you used to call yourself the Funky Diabetic." That shit meant a lot to me. Like when niggaz used to come up to me and be like, "Yo Malik" and I didn't really like that at first cause you don't know me, but I thought about and was like "damn I said that on records so I can't clam them for listening to the music." So niggaz is callin' me Malik, some niggaz is callin Phife footer, Phife Didddogg, and all types of shit. It's just niggaz enjoying the music man and I love that shit man, I wouldn't trade that for nothing in the world other then a NFL contract (laughs). But I would not trade that for nothing in the world and that was all white people. All I need now is for more black people to come inside and understand what's going on with this movement right here and we will kill every music that's out there right now. But see, Black people have problems supporting they own. I don't know why. It seems like the only black people that support they own, they might be family of a muthafucka or something. I'm like, "yo get involved with it." "Understand what this movement is about and we can all be good and night." Not everybody is a rapper slash drug dealer wanna be or vice versa. There is a lot of MC's out here kickin' it on a positive note.

ThaFormula.com - What do you see as the trend right now?

Phife - Right now the trend in Hip-hop is to be loverman. Niggaz got wives and kids so I understand that. I mean I don't have a problem with the way they are doing it. The problem that I have is that niggaz don't have variety. Niggaz take one thing and ride it and rife it and ride it until the wheels fall off. Too much of one thing is never any good. That's with everything, but I understand the whole trend of niggaz being in love. Some niggaz are doing it on purpose to sell records. Some are doing it cause they are very adamant about the shit. Whatever I do or whatever Tribe does, were pretty much adamant about the situation. We don't really fit around on no "let's do this and set off a new trend." We never done that. We have done how we felt at the moment. Monday we could be rhymin' about some niggaz that robbed a liquor store, Tuesday we rhymin about somethin' spirutal, Wednesday we battlin' some niggaz on a record. That's the vibe we feelin'. Thursday we rhymin' about a death in the family or something. It's all about variety man. Bringin' niggaz into your own world man, but you can't continue to say you bringin' niggaz into your world, but you talkin' about the same shit. Your world is obviously fucked up and bland. If all you can talk about is the same shit every album, YOUR WORLD IS WACK DOG!

ThaFormula.com - From what you have heard in 2002, what would be your perfect Tribe album?

Phife - Well I think the perfect Tribe album would be number one, we gotta be ourselves. We can't be anybody but Tribe as far as the ingredients that go into a good album, period. I want us to have some bangin' jeep shit. I wanna have 4 or 5 jams that could just knock in a niggaz jeep and you just steady rewindin' and rewindin' the shit. Then I just wanna add some of that vintage Tribe shit back. Not necessarily the shit we did back in the day, but you know along those veins where you know the jazz loop were pretty prevalent. Just that laid back roll up an L type shit. Some cool out shit. Shit that you can smoke to as well as vacuum your house to, lounge with your wifey to, or just chat it up with your boys to. It just has to be universal. Everybody has to dig it. Little kids to grown ups, to everybody. Your cat and your dog, I don't give a damn. If they bobbin' they head you know your shit is right. But something to the point to get you all movin' and get you all to the point and feelin' good about Hip-hop music again cause that's what it's about. You gotta feel good about the shit in order to wanna walk around singin' it. So that's the perfect Tribe album for me. Nothin' simple, but Tribe. It has to be Tribe. Everybody is talkin' about this "Neo-Soul" shit. Nah! Niggaz ain't "Neo-Soul." NIGGAZ IS DOIN TRIBE!! You know what I'm sayin'? I ain't gonna mention no names but niggaz is doin' Tribe man. Flat out!

ThaFormula.com - I gotta agree with you there Phife. Now guest MC wise what should people expect?

Phife - I don't know. It might be one or two on there but I'm not sure. Not too many at all though. I don't think it should be like that at all.

ThaFormula.com - Is Q-Tip really down with this new Tribe album?

Phife - Oh yeah. Definitely.

ThaFormula.com - So how set is this new Tribe album?

Phife - Out of 100 percent, I would say 98 percent you know what I'm sayin'?

ThaFormula.com - So when do you see you guys getting back in the studio?

Phife - Well I'm going home like in the third weekend in February and I'll be there for a while so it will probably jump off around then.

ThaFormula.com - Now for the most important question. Are we gonna get a Tribe Called Quest tour?

Phife - I don't think it would be smart if we did an album and we didn't support it with a tour and I think that everybody would agree to that. It's just about getting with the right opening act or whoever and getting the routing correct and venues and so forth and so on.

ThaFormula.com - So have you decided to just put your solo project to the side then?

Phife - Well I stay working regardless just to keep busy, but I think the best thing would be to put it out after the Tribe album because that's what everybody wants it anyway. So whatever you do after that stems from how bangin' the group effort was..

Lord Funk:
Nice interview - thanks for posting it man. Damn, I hope this album happens. Like I said before, if it's even half as good as Midnight Marauders it'll make the year.

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