The Low End Theory

The Low End Theory Just on drum sound and the samples alone this a great album, but add in Q-Tip and Phife’s laid back delivery, those jazzy hooks and samples and some great songs and it makes it a truly excellent album. It may be missing a song as big as Can I Kick It, but in Check the Rhime and Scenario it has two of their hookiest tracks. The horn sample/riff on the former is superb and I love Busta Rhymes on Scenario. But there’s loads of great tracks elsewhere; Excursions is an excellent opener, the double bass sample and the hit of the first snare and Buggin’ Out follows it brilliantly. Rap Promotor has a very Ill Communication wah part and a great lyric about the music business. Butter is one of two tracks along with Infamous Date Rape around the topic of women and hip hop, eschewing the normal cliches, with a clear sighted honesty. Show Business is another banger, impossible not to tap away to the drums and bass. I love the big echoey sound of Vibes and Stuff, a great track before Infamous Date Rape. Everything is Fair is another great track, built around a Funakdelic sample. Before the closing Scenario, What is superb, a simple Questlove-esque drum pattern and a great lyric. I don’t really think there are any lulls or dips, although they tend to keep in the same jazz heavy sample style, the tempos, themes and interplay between Q-Tip and Phife always keeps it interesting and enjoyable. 5. Excellent artwork too. 🪫🪫🪫🪫🪫 Playlist submission: Could be a few, but I’ll go Check the Rhime

Low IQ theory

Amazing album.

Like the beats and is rather angsty (I liked the BOY GET A JOB in Show Business). Usually I don’t listen to much rap / hip-hop but this was good The beats are rather similar across tracks but they become more different towards the end of the album

Cool sound

one of my top 5 favourite albums of all time. it’s fantastic. it’s been in rotation for me since i listened to it for the first time 5 years ago. always something new on each listen, some of the best 90s hip hop beats and samples

pretty good

Never listened to this the whole way through. Probably new #1 on my hiphop list. Everything about it, the jazz samples and rhythms, the flawless lyrical flow. It's great. Definitely a list dominator and underrated on this app.

Love the bass

Classic

Good vibes

Solid 90s hop album. I'd rate Midnight Marauders higher but this still hits. Favourite tracks: Check The Rhime, Everything Is Fair, Scenario

Again this old rap isnt really for me just repetitive

At the current moment, this is my favorite album on this list, I've listened to it countless times, its essentially perfect 5/5

Really didn't get on with this. Listened twice just to make sure. It was devoid of anything interesting or unique to me. Musically vapid.

Album #319 A Tribe Called Quest: The Low End Theory The first rap album that I ever truly loved was Tribe’s final showing, We Got It From Here, which on paper was something that I had no reason to enjoy, but I just couldn’t help myself from finding it excellent. The beats were amazing, the bars were great, but what really drew me to the group was the way each member would work off each other. It was very clear to me that these guys had been friends and collaborators for a long time, and were able to build on each other as a result of real chemistry. But despite their interconnectivity, they were able to maintain distinct personalities and styles, which resulted in each song feeling unique. I feel like part of the reason I could never really love a rap album was that eventually I would just get bored of hearing the same thing; especially older rap albums, when it was really just one guy telling you about his life, he kind of runs out of things to say at a certain point, and it becomes redundant. But with a group, each song remains fresh, and there is enough diversity to make a full album interesting. I also discovered that I tend to actually prefer more modernly produced rap albums, which is antithetical to my regular opinions about music, since I tend to prefer older albums in general. So going into Low End Theory, I was optimistic since I know how good the group came to be, but unsure about whether I would feel the same magic since they presumably would have had less chemistry and a more limited production style due to the time it came out. After listening to it, I have come to the conclusion that even though it isn’t quite as mind-blowing as their final effort, Low End Theory has all the components present that make Tribe special. The beats, though more subtle, are still consistently great and lend to the album's more relaxed feel. Each member has moments to shine and work off each other well. The album also doesn’t fall for the same trap of every other 90s rap album that felt like they needed to pump out a bloated hour-long album, and Low End Theory, as a result, never feels like it overstays its welcome. A great album from what is, as far as I can tell, the best rap group to ever do it. Best Songs: Check The Rhime, Excursions, Scenario Worst Song: Infamous Date Rape Score out of 10: 8

Hip hop and Rap I have a major blind spot outside of the popular stuff, so this was a great find, love the jazzy instrumentals on this one!

Duh.

Wow, really did not settle into the vibe at first. I gave it some time and when I came back to it, it hit me. This album is a master class in poetry and lyricism. The standout tracks for me were; butter, infamous date rape, and jazz we’ve got. A lot of lyrics hit me and the storytelling style of the artist was very vivid. Loved choice of songs sampled.

It' A Tribe Called Quest.

Gran álbum. No soy fanático del hiphop, pero disfruté mucho este álbum.

You on point Phife? All the time, Tip.

This is as complete of a hip hop album as they come. Easy 5 stars: the features are on point, all the songs carry the weight equally- this is awesome. Press play and enjoy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Album artwork and rapping are on point. Q-tip is one of my favorite rappers with a fantastic laid back delivery. Just a fun listen. 8.5/10 Top song... Excursions

Really like it, good funk and unique rap style

Hip hop with a jazzy funky bass, 90s hip hop staple 3rd time listening and it’s even better than I remember

Loses itself a bit towards the end - but then comes “Scenario” and everything is just perfect…

I’ve heard this one! I am somewhat interested to know more about what folks thought of the song that goes “…a classic example of a date…” when it came out. Overall really fun and I remember my favorite song being show business and scenario.

Love this

Fantastic -4.4

so damn chill so damn perfect, insane for 91

Vrmt pas fan bizarre et hiphop

Didn’t enjoy as much as their other one but didn’t listen to lyrics as closely so may have missed things. Songs blended together and voice got monotonous over the course of it.

An all time classic hip-hop record. A lot of hip-hop includes classical music nowadays but I love how much jazz there is in ATCQ's music. Some great bass especially.

Absolutely wonderful

This is one of those albums that I have heard dozens of times without ever having purchased or owned it. The Low End Theory was a big part of the soundtrack of my college years. It’s hard to hear it without tasting cheap beer and smelling weed. But it’s not only a good party album. It is also fun to listen to as you drive around with your windows down on a cool Fall evening. The Low End Theory has smart and well-crafted lyrics; it’s catchy and the music is both interesting (if a little too jazzy and minimalist for my taste) and well-suited to both Q-Tip’s and Phife’s voices. Tip’s relaxed delivery makes it easy to follow his rhymes and what he’s saying is usually worth hearing; although I enjoy Phife Dawg’s style of rapping more. The Low End Theory suits a particular vibe whether you play it at 3pm or 3am. The reason I’ve never owned this album is that I have a particular style of rap that scratches the itch in my brain and The Low End Theory isn’t of that style. But I can still enjoy it and recognize its quality even if it isn’t really in my wheelhouse.

This was rap/hip-hop so it wasn’t really my style but tbh I think I like it the most out of the rap records on this list asides from maybe snoop dogs. Probably bc the lyrics weren’t all about bragging and fucking women and in fact I’m pretty sure there was a song about telling men to respect a women’s decision when she says no which has not been something I’ve heard before on these kinds of records. There was of course some song about gold diggers and what not but i didn’t really mind it. Anyway the guy had good flow but the beats were kinda sparse and boring at times. Overall id say 3.00034/5

B+

I'd give this 6 stars if I could. Possibly my favorite hip-hop album of all time. If you're a rock listener and have never given hip-hop a proper chance, start here.

It's a vibe man... It's a vibeeeeeee...

i can appreciate it

Twice now with a tribe called quest. 2x the underwhelm.

Rap contemporaneo al suo tempo ma che affondi alè radici nella cultura nera del soul e jazz pescando a piene mani I sample utilizzati, incredibile

Pretty cool.

This one deserves all of it’s praise, this is one of the best hip hop albums of all time.

This was a good time. I don't think I stopped moving the whole time.

Not quite my thing

slechter dan verwacht, alsnog wel leuk album 3.5

No me enganchó

Production: 4.5 - Mix is clean and can distinguish different instruments - Lead vocal sounds professional - Appears to use balanced but good -quality sound - Mix breathes naturally around the track - Tracks are polished and hold up acoustically Enjoyability: 4 - Songs grab my attention within the first few seconds due to the rap and beat style - luv - Leaves me wanting to keep listening - Makes me nod to the beat - Has a clear audiennce - Some vibes and beats get stuck in your head but it does get a bit repetitive / little innovation Lyrics: 4 - Each song clearly tells a story and has great use of rhymes - Lyrics match the theme of the song - No real clear distinguishable sections, its kind of open verse in the sense there is no verse & chorus and that it just keeps going telling a story. I’d argue it has form as it doesn’t seen aimless or accidental but rather done on purpose - Haven’t found an immediate catchy phrase - Ending of songs feel natural and sometimes lead to other songs but sometimes ending feels a bit forced to just end the song Cohesion: 5 - Songs stick to a clear theme - Choice of instruments, mix and the lot feel like they belong in the same body of work - Mix supports the rappers rather than fighting for space - Album successfully leans into intended genre and I’d argue it helped shape the genre itself - I say this because I can hear how current rap / rappers have taken influence from this album - Transition and flows appear natural Songs liked: 5/14

Back in the days when I was a teenager, before I had status and before I had a pager, I was invited to join Columbia House Music Guide, which was the best and cheapest way to get CDs in the 90s. I blindly order many cds which weren't all hits, one of them was this album, and it's safe to say that it changed my life. Might sound somewhat dated for some, but few songs get me in a better mood than Excursions, Buggin' Out, Check the Rhyme and 3 of the best rap songs ever: Verses from the Abstract, Jazz (we've got the) and Scenario. OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH

🥞

i was so happy to see i was getting hip-hop on back-to-back days, and for it to be this album too. i'm pretty sure i listened to this the last time i tried doing a daily album challenge thing, and i don't think i really took anything new away from this listen but it's still very good. i might need to give it a relisten with the intention of paying more attention to lyrics.

Not my usual style of music but I really enjoyed it. Some of the lyrics felt a bit outdated but that’s expected from this 90s genre. Made me look at some of there other work too.

3.7

I like the flow and the music used to rap over. It's a very relaxed form of rap, which I appreciate.

This may be my favorite Tribe album, possibly only tied with their next, Midnight Marauders. To me, this is the classic Tribe sound, and the songs still hold up as something that maybe doesn't sound like what modern rappers would do, but it is different in great ways and just like classic rock, it sometimes feels like a "they don't make 'em like they used to" sort of thing...

I've listened to Tribe before and found that although I liked it, not many songs really stuck with me. This record has given me a similar albeit more positive experience. It is decently jazzy and their rapping is excellent. Still, a lot of their songs fall more to the background thanks to its laidbackness. Fine to put on when chilling, but not really music to focus and listen to.

The minimalist backing tracks really help sell the flow and the vibe of this. This album invented jazz-hip-hop, which sounde weird as it is such a logical combination for a modern audience.

A couple years ago this was one of the records that finally made me "get" hip hop. It's brilliant, lush, full of life. The instrumentation and the samples are incredible, and the energy is infectious.

At first I thought I heard this before but apparently I didn't. This is a very well made and influential rap album, one of the best of the 90s. The song selection spreads out pretty well with the top/popular tracks right at the beginning, middle, and end.

It's an interesting listen. I really want to like it, and it's not that I actively don't like it, but nothing sticks out to me to really enjoy it. I definitely can hear the influence in this album, so I have to give it credit on that. But for my personal liking, it's somewhere in the middle around a 3.

erstes mal dass ich das ganze Album gehört haben, sehr zu enpfehlen

Let's fucking goooooo This is not a car CD album for me, but still 5 stars. Like this is a staple hip hop album tf

Just have to say that I love this album cover so much. Really dig the music too. I like how cheesy and corny some of the lines are! The instrumentals seem really barebones but at the same time so punchy and effective. Everything seems deceptively simple, but is actually getting executed at a very high level.

These fellas have got the flow hell yeah. I love when they're like "here buddy you go for a little while" and then they're like "that was sick now it's your turn again pal." Couldn't really relate to how much it apparently sucks being a rapper but that's all right. Just guys being dudes, friendship is so beautiful <3 Second act montage needle drop in my biopic: "Butter"

Yes

such a great album. the samples really make it for me, you can tell that these guys just really love all kinds of music. when i first listened through this i was ready to write something in my review about how hip hop with live drums is so much better, but after reading a bit i realized i was tricked! the mix is just that good! i also really love the verse trading, they flow between each other so naturally it really feels like they're just hanging out and passing the mic around. this album was made with the power of friendship minus one star for the date rape song though. if you just skip that one it's a 5/5

Best Track - "Check The Rhime"

It’s fun!

decent album, all basically the same flow. not my fav but i don’t dislike it

good beats! 5 stars

The base is really good and it's just such a moody album and gets you moving. You just feel cool listening to this. And it's just like smooth as butter throughout There's not much really else I can say about this. It's just a good, solid enjoyable album across-the-board. The flow is great, the music is good and the vibes are on point. Fav Track: Check The Rhime

It wasn’t the worst

Solid rhymes from the Tribe. The whole project is smooth as silk, with very low-key beats of bapping drums and upright bass. Phife and Q are tight on the bars, there just isn't anything really standout to me that puts *Low End Theory* over the edge. Still very solid hip-hop.

one of the BEST rap/hip hop albums of all time

This is an addictive and extremely groovy jazz-rap record. But for me, the grooves and flows are the biggest selling point here with not much else for me to fall in love with. Don't get me wrong this is great music, but way too monotonous for me to form a deeper connection with. With that being said, I still enjoy this music, respect it for what it is and also recognize it's influence. I just wish that I enjoyed old school rap more, this album deserves praise but I just find it hard to find things here that really blow my mind. Obviously the rapping is really impressive but as an album listening experience, I'm not that on board Besides, lyrics didn't click with me at all, they felt a bit cringy and nonsensical to me, personally, to me.

I'm slightly familiar with A Tribe Called Quest - with 4 songs already liked by them on Spotify. I have 2 songs liked on this album: "Jazz (We Got)" and "Scenario". I don't really remember when I first heard those. Needless to say my knowledge of them is just barely scratching the surface. 1st time through - I was generally digging the vibe of this whole thing. The rhymes, the music, the beats - all fun and I think I would want to listen to most of this again. The lyrics range from serious to pretty lighthearted and funny too. Wasn't expecting to hear a song espousing the virtues of waiting for consent ("Infamous Date Rape"). Even the song about "Skypager" (though dated due to early 90s technology references is still fun). 2nd time through - I like how the songs seem to flow one to the other. Still digging all of it and ended up clicking like on every track. Not sure if I am getting used to hip hop or if this is really that good but this is definitely my favorite hip hop album I've heard through this project so far - and it's my first 5 star hip hop album. Good job A Tribe Called Quest! After writing this I went and read the Wikipedia - apparently this is very highly regarded. Makes sense to me. Liked songs on Spotify: 14/14 (Perfect Album) Rating: 5/5

My absolute favorite era in hip hop. Although I do think Midnight Marauders is their best, Low End Theory is still an easy 5 for me.

Fühlt sich nach Baggy Jeans, 90er und Baseball Caps an. Bisschen eintönig manchmal, wenn man den lyrics nicht so genau zuhört

I thought this was a fun album. Amazing lyricism, great beats, perfect basslines. 8.5/10

A landmark rap album for good reason.

The last album we had from this band on the list was quite good if I recall correctly. This, however, was not to my liking. I simply don't like when the beats sound like a live jazz performance, and sadly almost all tracks were like that. Nothing else that was bad or anything, just didn't like this style. Strong 2.

I’m never really sure why some old-school rap albums hit the right spot while others don’t. Maybe I was just in the mood for it today, but I really enjoyed this album. Maybe it’s the opening sample on the first track, “Excursions,” which is just excellent. Quite a few of the tracks were bops. Obviously, “Excursions,” but also “Butter” and a few others. I think I might just be a big fan of the more jazz-oriented samples. 4 stars.

I wish I had heard this album before today. This is such a smooth, approachable hip-hop album. If they're talking about anything objectionable, it's all hidden in the vibe. Even when they're talking about date rape, it's almost forgotten in the flow. Maybe that's really a bad thing, because it all just glides through. Yeah, they said something significant, but it didn't stick. It didn't even register a blip. It's a good album though, and maybe I just need to listen again to see if anything digs in. My Rating: 5/5

This was fun. 3 stars

Sonically pleasing. Rating: 3

me gustaron las primeras canciones pero se fue desinflando, no se si por falta de variedad, por la falta de jazz que se insinuaba al principio, o porque el rap no me gusta tanto. Igual esta bastante bien

I was excited for this one but ended up feeling like it was kind of average.

The songs just kinda all blended together for me and nothing was too memorable. Pretty disappointed in this 😢

I vary much enjoyed this hip-hop album couple of great standout songs. The whole album collectively was great. Talked about Great social issues with amazing beats as well. The raping was masterclass

Excellent rhymes, with the classic ‘90s sound.

Phife and Tip arguably at their best just trading bars back and forth. A slightly darker departure from their previous work that still holds up.

banger after banger

Great dynamics as a group Their production was always so forward thinking I love Q-Tip

Not my type of music, en ik vind de meeste hetzelfde klinken, maar er zitten wat interessante tussen

Niet m’n genre, klinkt verder wel lekker

A good hip hop album

Klassiker, aber wie alle Hip Hop-Klassiker recht eintönig. Kommt auch an die 36 Chambers nicht ran.

Hatte gestern tatsächlich zufällig vor, das zu hören. Grandios, Chance auf mehr als 4 Sterne bei mir. Neuentdeckung!