Everybody sounds like Future, there are about 12 dudes who sound like him right now. “In the golden era, they cared,” Phife says, “but now, I mean, look at the music that’s out right now. On one hand, many fans these days don’t care. We caught up with him to talk about a few of his favorite songs in the Tribe catalogue, and for good measure, we asked him to weigh in on the ghostwriter debate too. There are definitely a few out there who can pull it off.” In addition to celebrating the anniversary of People’s, Phife is working on a nine-song solo EP called Give Thanks, as well as a full-length called Muttymorphosis, both slated for 2016. There’s only a few: Chance, Kendrick, the Pro Era Crew, Joey Bada$$, J Cole. “You’re going to see more and more people doing what Kendrick Lamar and Chance the Rapper are doing, but I don’t think a lot of MCs have the skills to bring it back to what it was. “Life is a cycle, and certain things are always going to come back around, especially if people cherish them like they cherish the golden era,” Phife tells Vulture. It’s out today, and tonight all four members of the group (Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Jarobi White) will reunite for a performance on The Tonight Show. This year the LP turned 25, making it eight years older than Malia Obama, and to celebrate Sony is rolling out a special anniversary edition (including new remixes by Pharrell, J.Cole, and CeeLo). One of the essential albums of this period is People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, the 1990 debut from A Tribe Called Quest.

Malia, of course, is the future, but with her Pro Era cosign she suggested that respecting the old-school elders of hip-hop’s golden age - the late ‘80s/early ‘90s style Pro Era is credited for reviving - is a must for the next generation of tastemakers. The biggest moment in hip-hop this year was when a photo of Malia Obama sporting a Pro Era shirt hit the internet, and everyone lost their minds (and the First Daughter lost her social-media privileges) because a group of 20-something-year-old rappers from Brooklyn had managed to bypass the Secret Service by way of a selfie. If you ask someone to name the biggest moment in hip-hop this year, they’ll likely point to the ghostwriting beef between Drake and Meek Mill. I disagree. A Tribe Called Quest Will Reunite Again on The Tonight Show This Friday

Notes on a tribe called quest