Hip-Hop Artists Salute A Tribe Called Quest

The spirit of A Tribe Called Quest lived on at Joe’s Pub in New York City on Monday (Jan. 17) as hip-hop, neo-soul and jazz artists came together for “Beats, Rhymes and Life” – A Tribute to A Tribe Called Quest. With musician/vocalist Anu-Sun leading the Bohemian Chocolate Café’s jazz sextet, the band laid down […]

The spirit of A Tribe Called Quest lived on at Joe’s Pub

in New York City on Monday (Jan. 17) as hip-hop, neo-soul and jazz artists came

together for “Beats, Rhymes and Life” – A Tribute to A Tribe

Called Quest.

With musician/vocalist Anu-Sun leading the Bohemian Chocolate

Café’s jazz sextet, the band laid down classic Tribe songs live

as Anu-Sun and others expressed their admiration for the seminal hip-hop group.

The tracks varied between faithful renditions of original Tribe

songs, original neo-soul Café songs and various MC’s own rhymes

interspersed with Tribe verses.

While rumors of certain ATCQ members showing up proved to be

just that, underground hip-hop luminaries such as Wordsworth, El Da Sensei and

Buckshot did show up to give praise to their mentors.

Buckshot loyally recreated verses from “Check The Rhime”

with vocalist Farrah Burns before later joining El and Words on “Scenario

(Remix)”.

The band spanned the whole of Tribe’s career, from “Luck

of Lucien” off People’s Instinctive to The Love Movement’s

“Find a Way.”

Using the Black Rock Coalition’s — a nonprofit organization

dedicated to further the creative and commercial interests of black musicians

— artist tribute shows as inspiration, the idea for a tribute show was originally

conceived by Anu-Sun three months ago.

Being both a lover of jazz and hip-hop, A Tribe Called Quest

was a logical first choice. “If Tribe had the resources to play live back

then,” theorized Anu-Sun, “they would’ve done it.”

The success of last night’s event has prompted thoughts

of further tributes.

While no further tribute shows have been confirmed as of yet,

Anu-Sun told AHH he is looking at various eclectic artists and will hopefully

turn last night into a regular event in New York.