A Tribe Called Quest To Receive ASCAP Golden Note Award

A Tribe Called Quest is considered one of rap's most important groups, offering smooth beats and rhymes that contrasted the gangsta rap that was popular throughout the 1990s. Through their five studio albums, Jonathan "Q-Tip" Davis, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Jarobi White and Malik "Phife Dawg" Taylor, created a sound that influenced artists such as Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar and Outkast.

Now, the ensemble will be receiving the ASCAP Golden Note Award during the organization's Rhythm & Soul Music Awards on June 23. The honor to A Tribe Called Quest will also include a posthumous recognition of Phife, who passed away this past March at age 45.

"A Tribe Called Quest broke musical boundaries no one knew existed and reached a level of success that only very rare talents accomplish," ASCAP president Paul Williams said. It's true — this is the group that flipped a Lou Reed track and made it into one of the best samples of hip-hop history. Plus, the dynamic between Tip and Phife? Undeniable. The two complimented each other so well, The Abstract Poetic and The Five Foot Assassin trading bars effortlessly.

At Phife's Memorial at the Apollo Theater the remaining members of A Tribe Called Quest took the stage to remember him, giving thanks to his family and offering memorable experiences with The Five Footer.

"That dude, yeah, he was a fighter, he was feisty, he was all of that. But like I told you, he fought for joy," Tip said during the ceremony. "He fought for that happiness. And for a long time, when we were coming up, I would fight for him because it's quite naturally that people wanted to pick on somebody they think it's small. He could definitely handle himself but I loved him and sometimes he would look at me like, 'Man I can…' Like step back kind of thing."

It's great to see such a timeless and important group such as A Tribe Called Quest getting this award.