Last year saw Q-Tip performing some shows with the reunited A Tribe Called Quest as well as releasing one of the hip-hop albums of 2008, The Renaissance. It was particularly pleasing to see the NYC rapper back on top form, given that his previous album, Kamaal The Abstract, failed to receive a release after his record label deemed it to be too uncommercial.
As this is the night before Ireland’s Six Nations tie against Scotland at Murrayfield, Q-Tip takes to the stage wearing an Irish rugby jersey, whilst his guitarist also sports a green top-hat. With a capacity crowd in attendance, there’s a wonderful, celebratory atmosphere in the venue. The five-piece band sound superb, conjuring up infectious hip-hop rhythms with considerable flair. A Tribe Called Quest always had a sense of musical adventure, and Q-Tip has retained this playful spirit in his solo career; there are deftly executed flourishes of funk, soul and jazz throughout the evening.
In addition, Q-Tip is a magnetic frontman, expertly working the crowd and delivering rapid-fire rhymes with impressive attitude. Although the evening is largely devoted to brilliantly funky material from the rapper’s solo records, there are also renditions of a number of Tribe classics, including ‘Bonita Applebum’, ‘Check The Rhime’ and ‘Award Tour’, which predictably go down a storm. The set finishes with a magnificent performance of ‘Life Is Better’ from The Renaissance, and even after the band have left the stage, Q-Tip continues to lead the crowd in singing the chorus.
This show powerfully illustrated that nearly 20 years after A Tribe Called Quest’s debut album, Q-Tip has lost none of his charisma or musical vitality.