It’s been announced that there is to be a new album from everybody’s favorite nineties nostalgia collective, A Tribe Called Quest. Granted, their second and third albums were brilliant, but the idea of listening to Q-Tip, Jarobi, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and the late Phife perform new material leaves me cold. I liked Tip’s last solo album well enough, so it’s not outside the realms of possibility that the first Quest LP in eighteen years may maintain that level of quality, but if nothing else I’m a realist in these situations and as a result I like to keep my expectations as low as possible. If history has taught us anything, the legacy of great rap crews reforming years after their peak has not been kind.
One of the first examples that springs to mind is the case of the last Ultramagnetic MCs project, which initial leaks indicated may have been decent, was scrapped after Ced Gee and Kool Keith fell out with TR and Moe Love. This resulted in the LP being completely remade in the style of much of Keith’s solo work, resulting in Best Kept Secret only differentiating itself by virtue of Ced Gee rapping on it. The likes of Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang Clan and G-Unit had minor public spats before reuniting with mixed results, while Dilated Peoples returned from an eight year hiatus without skipping a beat. The Geto Boys have reunited more times than I care to recall, while the likes of the Diplomats have made less than convincing efforts to return as a unified front.
The majority of the time when a popular rock group gets back together it’s for the express purpose of touring for an enormous amount of money despite the fact that they can barely stand being in the same room together, as happened with The Police, The Who and most recently Guns ‘N Roses. Outkast, NWA and Tribe themselves have been guilty of this, and its generally proved to be a safer bet than actually attempting to ‘recreate the magic’ a decade or so after the fact.
Perhaps the most successful rap reunion resulted in the creation of Brand Nubian’s Foundation album in 1996 1998, which contained at least five really great tracks from the original line-up of Now Rule renegades with a star-studded line-up of of underground producers, and most recently the return of D.I.T.C. as a recording collective also yielded some worthy moments. Perhaps the most fruitful example of getting the band back together again was when both Erick and Parrish realised they could make ‘More Dollars’ by going back into the business of making records together with the word ‘business’ in the title.
Capone-N-Noreaga have reformed twice so far, and are still capable of churning out the occasional winner if given the right beat (last year’s ‘Pizza,’ for example), while Black Sheep confusingly recorded an EP in 2000 that wasn’t released for another two years before resuming solo work and both the Artifacts and Organized Konfusion were coaxed into the recording with their former partners in rhyme by producer Marco Polo. Bronx bombers The Legion delivered some new material in 2014, while previously obscure favorites the Freestyle Professors made a productive return between 2006 to 2012.
Even though I have very little faith in these old groups making any substantial new contributions to their musical legacies, there are a few crews I would theoretically enjoy hearing again:
1. Convicts – Big Mike and Lord 3-2 made a truly memorable record during the height of Rap-A-Lot’s output, and while it was certainly a record of it’s time I’d enjoy hearing the two of them offending everyone within earshot once again.
2. Three Times Dope – EST was last spotted in Atlanta penning R&B hits but 3xD was undoubtedly a crew that wasn’t able to fulfill their potential after they went too Punk smoove on the second LP and too baldhead keep it real on the third.
3. Hard Knocks – With only one album under their belt, Hardhead, Stoneface and production duo The Speakchuckas, it would be fascinating to hear what this crew could offer today seeing as though they presented such a unique take on rap the first time around.
4. Nice & Smooth – Following on from ’97s Blazing Hot (which had some great moments if you bothered to give it some time), this dynamic duo have popped up here and there with memorable solo shots and continue to tear stages down to this day. I could definitely deal with some new music from Grg Nice and Smooth B in 2016.
5. The U.N. – With only the World Domination bootleg and UN or U Out as a record of their talents, I have no doubt that if Laku, Dino Brave, Mike Raw and Roc Marciano all decided to get back in the lab together it would produce some more of that Strong Island magic.
That Ultra LP was the single most disappointing LP…although (somewhat paradoxically) predictably so…in hip hip history. And yeah,that includes everything Keith has put out since the millennium.
Reunions I’d like to see:
UTFO
Kings of Pressure
Tuff Crew…Where is that Raiders LP?
That Cypress Hill reunion will be everything.
I must admit that I am very surprised how quiet DJ Muggs seems to be generally. Would love for him to bless us with some classic shit again
I would love for Cru to come out with Da Dirty 30 Part 2
Ha! 3XDope……EST will weave on a new gumby lookin like Hammer in 2016 wearing a costume of his original costume….jokes aside I would love to hear that type shit again.
And Nice & Smooth need to stop fucking frontin ….Greg Niiice; Greg N. I. C.E ?!!
3rd Bass
Brand Nubian Foundation came out in 98 not 96 but nevertheless I agree….
House of Pain
Black Moon
Digable Planets
Fugees
OGC
Little Brother
The U.N. most def! But what about projects that still haven’t seen the light of day? Metal Clergy, boys!!!
top priority … g rap & polo … indelible mc’s … 88whatsanames … golden state warriors … weathermen … arsonists …
@Musicman: Thanks, just made the correction.
@Kool Max Power: Interesting that you think DJ Polo working with G Rap again would have an impact on G’s solo stuff. More hip-house/Miami Bass jams maybe?
Big Mike and 3-2 actually did do a song together a couple of years ago but it’s not in vein of the convicts unfortunately
@Ben Jones: Actually 3-2 was on Something Serious, wasn’t he?
The Firm….ain’t like they busy either, go 2 dre’s crib & get to work…
Robbie left an incendiary device with 3xD tho…whatitdo Cult
Just quietly. ..I think they left it a bit late for atcq reunion.
tuff crew-raiders will never!it’s announced 10 years now!
very annoyin the every day “leaked this,leaked that” on too tuff’s FB
cannot believe Main Source haven’t been mentioned, or LONS……
Flash & Melle Mel
Let’s have some JVC Force too
@Robbie: probably not, but it would feel great to put a record on the turntable that reads “Kool G Rap & DJ Polo” on the labels…
You are a funny fella! 😀
Funny to see people just shooting left and right! Most of these groups/duos would fuck up there own legacy if they’d reunite! Polo and G Rap?? Come on!!! And The Firm? Why? They fucked up first time round, how u think they’d be better this time round? Nahhh I prefer my 90s idols staying in the 90’s The U.N. though, I really think they have at least one more good record in em…
@Robbie yea he was that track was more in vein of The Convicts it’s called “Fire”
High & Mighty? Wasn’t the biggest fan of Mr Eon’s rhymes but they did put together a solid album(name escapes me right now), plus they had a whole bunch of dope singles
Company Flow? El P, Big Juss & Mr Len on them spaced-out beats?
Natural Elements? The OG line-up w/ L Swift, Mr. Voodoo & Ka
Nonphixion? I know they suppose to be doing shows now but i wouldn’t mind a 2016 album
Pete Concrete got it right …. let em stay back there in their prime.
As a long time fan I kinda got excited at the prospect of third bass possibly putting out some new stuff a few years back but in hindsight I’m probably lucky they did not.
Son of Bazerk’s reunion was worth it. “I Swear On a Stack of Old Hits” was hot.
@Werner: Agreed. Plus it was partially inspired by the unkut comment section…
Please elaborate, Robert!
Agree with Hard Knocks, #1 priority. It certainly had that hard to get appeal in Australia, anyway.
LONS #2
But to add on:
Breeze/Liks – 4.5 Mic album in ’89, don’t sleep
Terrorists/Dope-E
The B.U.M.S.
Sleestackz
Easybass (Rob knows the time)
Group Home with Agallah as a third member and some guest spots from H-Stax
Actually a black Sheep reunion could still work though. Dres has still got bars and Mr lawnge must still have some ill samples stockpiled away (plus the odd rhyme about his dicksnot).
@oneam:
Dres said in interview not too long ago with JuanEpstein (aka Rosenburg & Cipha sounds) that he and Lawnge don’t really get along anymore and Lawnge was last in LA doin production for Rass Kass
I say no to every reunion suggestion. Enjoy the old stuff and look for new groups
The Pharcyde
The Sebutones
Dark Sun Riders
Da Lench Mob
Stronghold/The P-Pulz
Nah, let sleeping dogs lie ‘n all that….
It kinda reminds me of the Sex Pistols reunion tour in 96(?) w peops throwing bottles at a fat wrinkled John Lydon. Not a pretty sight!
Thanks for the info musicman. That sucks then. I always found it weird how he went on and used black Sheep for his solo stuff also.
They the only crew that never actually broke up or anything and they always working on each others albums but i cant wait for The Lox to drop that official album Jada said they were listening to it today so we finally gettin We Are The Streets 2