On November 13, 2015, A Tribe Called Quest reunited and performed on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon", on the same night of the Paris attacks. Inspired by the energy of their performance, the group members put aside their differences and began recording a new album, "We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service", shortly thereafter. "We the People..." was one of the first songs recorded for the album, as it featured a verse from group member Phife Dawg, who died on March 22, 2016 before the album's completion.