Short answers, pulled from the story.
A Tribe Called Quest was formed by childhood friends Kamaal Fareed and Malik Taylor in the St. Albans neighborhood of Queens, New York City. The group officially adopted their final name on 1988 after previously performing as Crush Connection and Quest.
The debut album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm was released on the 17th of April 1990. This record received a five mic rating from The Source magazine and achieved gold certification in 1996.
Phife Dawg died on the 22nd of March 2016 due to complications relating to diabetes while the album remained incomplete. The surviving members continued working on the project before Epic Records announced its release for the 11th of November 2016.
A Tribe Called Quest was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024. This honor cemented their status as pioneers who jump-started and perfected hip hop alternatives to hardcore gangsta rap.
Keyboardist Amp Fiddler introduced Q-Tip to producer Jay Dee during the summer of 1994, leading to the formation of The Ummah. This trio handled production for Beats, Rhymes and Life released on the 30th of July 1996.