Today we pause yet again to honor one of our musical icons who has left us far too soon. In many ways Phife’s work with A Tribe Called Quest serves as an informative and inspirational view into the intersection of numerous tributaries that fed late 20th Century Black Culture. It is our hope that importantance of what Phife was able create with his pen and voice will find its proper place in the cannon of music generally and Hip-Hop specifically. Phife was able to bring us along into a world that married music, sports, fashion, and the culture of New York and The West Indies. The true embodiment of “Beats, Rhymes and Life”. Rest well…
P.S. Yes you can!
Ivan Orr is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, performer, and writer. A native of Charlottesville, Virginia Ivan was involved with the forming and nascent days of The Music Resource Center as its first Program Director. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Music, Ivan currently resides in Richmond, VA where he maintains an active performance and production schedule while serving as the Music Editor for Grown Folks Music, a position he has held since 2010.
RIP
2016 not 1946
Rip