It was an emotional weekend for A Tribe Called Quest, who played their last ever show at Bestival, which included a moving tribute to their late groupmate Phife Dawg, who passed away from complications to do with diabetes in March of 2016. NME reports that things got emotional almost right away.
"A Tribe Called Quest, we suffered a blow," Q-Tip told the crowd, stopping a rendition of "Whateva Will Be" midway through what was a 90-minute set. "We lost our boy Phife Dawg. This is gonna be our last show as A Tribe Called Quest, ever." He then went on to quote Phife Dawg’s verse on the song, whic reads: “Say am I ‘posed to be dead or doin’ life in prison?/Just another dummy caught up in the system/Unruly hooligan who belongs in Spofford/Verse getting that degree at Stanford or Harvard”
The tribute took place during a show that packed quite an emotional punch for fans and featured solo moments from Q-Tip, Consequence and Jarobi, culminating in multiple run-throughs of "We The People…", with all three members chanting the chorus along with the crowd.
Performing "Oh My God" to begin with, with Phife Dawg’s verses added on backing track, the set reached a "brisk early pace" as Tribe powered through live spots of "Dis Generation" and "Excursions" before spitting some super intimate bars over a pretty minimalist beat, turning it into a showcase for their refined skills as emcees. It wasn't all doom and gloom for fans, who chanted “we love A Tribe Called Quest’s music" back to the trio after they made the announcement that they would be playing their last show that night.
The group closed out their set with anthems like "Buggin Out", "Electric Relaxation" and "Check The Rhime," with Q-Tip being the one with the pating words: “27 years, thanks for all the support you’ve given us over the years. Phife Dawg!” There was an encore after that, with the DJ cueing up the bassline to "Can I Kick It?," which provided a musical backdrop for a retro video of the group that was shown on the giant screens. It was a bittersweet but, by all accounts, ferocious way to close out their stellar career as one of hip-hop's iconic groups.
