A Phife Dawg, J Dilla, Busta Rhymes and Redman Track is Coming This Friday
A posthumous Phife Dawg solo album is officially in the works.
On Thursday, the family of A Tribe Called Quest’s Phife Dawg announced that fans will soon be gifted with a posthumous album titled Forever. As a treat, the family is dropping the first single “Nutshell Part 2,” featuring Busta Rhymes and Redman on Friday.
The project will feature “carefully assembled songs earmarked by his signature verbal fireworks, hilarious ad-libs, incisive social commentary, and unexpectedly introspective confessions” curated by Phife’s business partner Dion Liverpool.
The original “Nutshell” was produced by J Dilla and released in 2016, weeks before his death.
“We give all glory to God for allowing Malik to accomplish everything his heart desired,” Phife’s family said in a statement. “He worked really hard to complete his album before he transitioned, and he was ready to share an album that was near and dear to his heart with his fans. His fans meant the world to him.”
On Wednesday, Phife’s mother Cheryl Boyce-Taylor released her tribute to him through a book of poetry titled Mama Phife Represents. The book features five poems “grappling with Phife’s death in terms that are often achingly descriptive and abstract, but also brutally honest and stark.”
For the past few days, Phife’s Instagram page has featured the story of the creation of “Nutshell.”
“I was laying down on the couch at home watching TV,” Phife explained. “As MCs, I think we should all think to ourselves one time or another…there’s a million rappers out there. What separates you from Rapper A, B, C, X, Y Z?”
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