9. We Got It From Here . . . Thank You 4 Your Service / A Tribe Called Quest

Phife Dawg passed away in March 2016 before the release of Tribe's sixth album and first since 1998.  But he and his mates Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and the prodigal Jarobi White deliver the goods one final time, as this late-in-the-year release has soared into the Top 10 without any signs of slowing down.  Above all else, The D Man favors flow in the rap game, and the Tribe is still spitting rhymes at the highest level.  This is no legacy cash grab, but an incisive record of New York City hip-hop, jazz, and lyrical prowess.

I only wish I had a bus to be on and a gym to walk into; We Got it From Here makes me want to get pumped for a big game.  I guess my early morning old-man workouts at the gym will have to suffice, as the Tribe have carried me on the treadmill for the last month.  The beats are dope, the samples are tight, and the guest appearances are almost always superb.  The Tribe trade bars with Andre 3000, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, and Busta Rhymes (reinvigorated here with his former Native Tongues brethren), while they embrace creative samples from Elton John and guitar pyros from Jack White.  Nothing feels forced or belabored: the flow of supple rhymes keeps coming over instrumental terrain that leans old-school and analog but sounds fresh enough to capture an entirely new generation of fans.

The guys spit about everything: politics, race, education, success, and ego.  They address the ladies.  They hammer Donald Trump.  They reference Darth Vader, Chris Paul, Bruce Lee, UFC, Uber, and allegorical subject matter with their usual humor and aplomb.  The mic passing is giddy fun, a rap nerd's head-tripping dream, and it is ultimately the greatest pleasure of the album.  For all its smarts and topical presence, We Got It From Here is best served as a rapper's delight.