After an 18-year hiatus from making albums, A Tribe Called Quest have once again taken the Hip-Hop world by storm. In August, record industry veteran L.A. Reid very casually revealed that the members of ATCQ had been recording an album, and it would be released before the end of the year. Months later, Q-Tip detailed the making of what would be named We Got It From Here…Thank You For Your Service, noting the process he and Phife Dawg underwent to make peace with one another, the healthy competition they had in the studio, and how Tribe affiliates like Consequence and Busta Rhymes stepped forward to help ease the burden after Phife passed away.

A Newly Released ’96 Cypher Shows A Tribe Called Quest Schooling Phony Rappers (Audio)

Since ATCQ began speaking about the album, there has been a flurry of activity, including a number of interviews, a high profile guest appearance on Saturday Night Live, and a lyric video. A common thread, throughout, has been the incredibly timely, “We The People.” As suggested by the title, the song is, in part, about the current culture of intolerance being espoused and ATCQ’s rejection of that ideology.

A Tribe Called Quest Perform On SNL & Phife Dawg Looms Large (Video)

The song is divided fairly evenly between Q-Tip and Phife, with each taking a verse, and Tip taking the hook. Given Phife’s heavy participation on the song, there is inevitably a gaping hole on any accompanying visual, but, as they did during their SNL performance of the “We The People,” ATCQ deftly honor their fallen brother in the video.

While the visuals are fairly straight-forward, with Q-Tip performing in what looks like a warehouse, and Busta and Cons making appearances, when it comes time for Phife’s verse, an image of him is superimposed on a building, and it actually looks like he is rhyming the words to his part of the song. Enveloped in Tribe’s trademark red, black and green colors, he is larger than life.