Sweet elegy of fandom, at times saccharine, but even then, sustaining for a 90s baby soul.

Hanif Abdurraqib’s “Go Ahead in the Rain” is a love letter to A Tribe Called Quest, but it’s also a mixtape of memory, grief, and Black joy. The book bounces between personal coming-of-age, hip hop history, and the kind of cultural critique that makes you want to put on “Electric Relaxation” and just vibe. Abdurraqib writes with the same honesty and rhythm as Tribe: “Can I kick it? Yes you can.”

He stitches his own story to the group’s—letters to Q-Tip and Phife Dawg, reflections on loss, and the way music can hold a community together when the world feels like it’s falling apart. The book is as much about finding your crew as it is about the beats and rhymes: “We got the jazz.”

Abdurraqib doesn’t just tell you why Tribe matters—he makes you feel it, in the gut and in the groove. He’s not afraid to get vulnerable, to show how art and fandom can save you, or at least give you something to hold onto. “If knowledge is the key, then just show me the lock.”

This isn’t just music writing—it’s a celebration, a eulogy, and a reminder that “the people in your life are like seasons.” If you love Tribe, or just love loving something, this book is for you. “You on point, Phife?” “All the time, Tip.”