The Low End Theory

Geeze, this is a great album. Another cornerstone crew of hiphop, Tribe is just... just great. They defined the genre for a whole generation of artists and their influence continues to be felt in the work of artists like Childish Gambino, Chance the Rapper, and more. The way that the verses are built over hooky boom-bap beats is compelling, neither element distracting from the other but each remaining engaging individually. So good. Just so damn good.

Devastatingly cool and smooth. This album can be enjoyed in the background, with beats that go on for days, or with an intensive focus, with lyrics that bend and twist in delightful ways. This 1001 albums list is making me realize that I'm a much bigger fan of hip hop and rap than I initially thought.

Jazz and hip-hop were meant to be together. Just good fun, old school hip-hop. The fact that this album ends with Scenerio just shows how full of solid tracts this album is. 4/5

An album I didn't even need to listen to for the rating. Absolute classic Native Tongues, and maybe my favorite. The entirety of the second half of this album has a sequencing and flow unlike many of its kind. All are highlights.

One of the greatest hip hop album ever. I really love the jazzy vibes.

One of the best hip hop album ever.

Not a huge hip hop fan and this album didn’t change that. A few songs have some slightly interesting “jazz” vibes (If you call a simplistic repetitive phrase with slightly unusual chords “jazz”), but all in all I still don’t get the hype. It’s 4/4 repetitive rhythmns with rhyming. 3 stars since it’s a foundational album for many subsequent artists and my bias gives it the benefit of the doubt, but I really don’t see what’s so special about it myself.

This is so boring. Can anyone really tell these songs apart from any other hip-hop/rap songs? The album description in apple music mentioned something about a jazz aesthetic. What does that even mean? Jazz is about interesting variations on a melody, which is the opposite of a canned beat. Also, it is impossible to follow the lyrics unless you pay attention all the time. What happened to songs having a chorus to sing along to?

I liked a few songs. the stripped down drum, bass, vocals thing really does work, BUT it only works for a few songs for me. After 3 or 4 I find myself getting bored. I know that's blasphemy to some, but I just find that I don't really click with hip-hop.

Rap and hip-hop isn't my inherent wheelhouse. I didn't grow up listening to it, I don't listen to a lot of modern hits, and most of what I listen to is make or break for me. This album just CLICKS with me, though. The smooth, jazzy backbeats, the atmospheric and melodic instrumentation, Phife and Q-Tip's fun and flowing lyrics...it's just the perfect rap album in my mind. It's influenced so many different artists today: Kanye, Pharrell, Dr. Dre, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Kendrick, Dave Chapelle...there's hardly any entertainer or artist that isn't inspired or owes something to this album. Everything from its structure, emotion, and production is top notch. Favorite Song: What? Least Favorite: Ahh...this is so hard...Show Business? Everything is so good, though. Least Favorite: Sagar (The Ocean) ... only because of it's slow start and it's a pretty long song. It's still a great piece, just not one I'd revisit as much.

Absolute classic that set a standard for the genre. Excellent samples create a jazzy atmosphere that match up with the great lyrical team up of Q-Tip and Phife Dawg. One of the best albums in 90s hip-hop and an absolute must listen.

Favorites: All Widely considered one of the greatest hip hop albums. Hugely influential in bridging the gap between jazz and hip hop

Classic hip-hop shit. Standout Tracks: Buggin' Out, Butter, Verses from the Abstract, What?, Scenario

To this day, I’m not sure why, but an older kid I vaguely knew took me aside and handed me the first two A Tribe Called Quest albums in the locker room at school. "Listen to these, give them back when you’re done." At the time, these albums were unlike anything I’d ever heard—instant classics. The Low End Theory in particular was a revelation, with its deep basslines, minimalist beats, and live jazz instrumentation offering a sound that was both raw and smooth. It broke away from the heavier, sample-driven style of its era, creating something that instantly felt timeless. The heart of the album is the incredible chemistry between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg. Tip’s laid-back, cerebral flow perfectly complements Phife’s punchy, no-nonsense delivery. Their synergy is effortless, shining brightest on tracks like “Check the Rhime,” where they bounce off each other with precision and style. As for its legacy, The Low End Theory reshaped 90s hip-hop, proving the genre could be introspective without losing its edge. And let’s not forget—it introduced the world to Busta Rhymes, whose explosive verse on “Scenario” set the stage for his breakout. Those CDs still sit in my collection. The guy never asked for them back, and it’s become a running joke for me to message him every few years on social media to ask if he wants them returned. Did/Do I own this release? Kinda still do Does this release belong on the list? For sure Would this release make my personal list? Definitely Will I be listening to it again? No question

I like how this album is poetry about their lives, trying to understand themselves and describing how they saw their lives. It's slow, smooth, and honest. 5/5

I love this. Smart, cool, jazzy, intellectual. No drugs, minimal cursing - and I love both of those things. But it's just a very refreshing vibe. Can see why its a classic.

Day 3 of 1001 albums you must hear before you die and I got my first hip hop album!! The 1991 sophomore album from the groundbreaking group A Tribe Called Quest. The Low End Theory was a follow up to their debut album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, which was the first album to receive the then prestigious award of 5 mics in The Source magazine. The Low End Theory was released slap dab in the middle of The New Jack Swing era, gangster rap and the times of huge pop successes of acts like MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice. Instead of making music about guns, girls, money and dancing, Q-Tip and Phife Dawg let their commentary about social issues spill onto jazz samples and record samples spun by DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad. The classic New York sound of jazz infused hip hop seems so natural now, looking back, however it was Tribe that founded the iconic sound that was considered alternative hip hop at the time. The biggest stand out of this album is Scenario. This monster of a song is credited for boosting the solo career of Busta Rhymes and is a fantastic energetic song. The lead single Check the Rhime is a nostalgic ride through the early 90’s. Q-Tip has one of the most unique voices in music and his back and forward exchanges with a much different sounding Phife gels so satisfyingly well together. (RIP Phife Dawg) This group paved the way for so many acts and inspired the culture so much it’s almost as if it had always been that way. Please share your thoughts and memories of this album. This is only my take on it and being that I was in elementary school when this released, it would be great to hear others perspective! 😎

It made me so soft, my cock ring fell off in the supermarket.

Genre: Jazz Rap 5/5 This is very, very, very good. An album that sounds old-school, but with arrangements and concepts that are fresh to the ears as anything on this list, The Low End Theory is one of the best rap albums I've ever heard. The absolute vocal dominance showcased by everyone on this, especially the two kingpins, Q-Tip and Phife Dawg (RIP), is truly some of rap's best. The songs that everyone has heard, Scenario and Check the Rhime, are some of rap's most recognizable singles, and still continue to influence the newest generation of rappers. Busta Rhymes' line "ra-ra, like a dungeon dragon"? Nicki Minaj made it a hook in 2010. But it's the rest of the songs on here, the sheer quality of every beat and bar on this album, that's truly something to behold. Starting with the first track, Excursions, where Q-Tip eloquently ties together the growth of hip-hop to the growth of all popular black art, this album brings a full jazz-funk style of production that might sound like it's old hat, but for the time was a true standalone musical experiment. This is hip-hop's first full-length Jazz Rap experience, and it's a sound that really hasn't been topped since, excluding Kendrick's To Pimp a Butterfly (which takes the jazz and truly shoves it down your throat, which I appreciate). From there on out we have tracks like Skypager, a tremendous ode to the then-daily pager usage rampant among those looking to showcase a modicum of wealth and importance, especially in black communities. We have songs like Rap Promoter and Show Business, songs that vividly describe the predatory natures at play in what was, at least in '91, the Wild West, with white CEOs and men in suits looking to do anything they can to cash in on what was essentially a cultural movement gone mainstream. Then we have songs like What?, another Q-Tip masterclass in wordplay and social commentary, and a track that rewards repeat listens. This is so, so good. I would hope those who aren't generally into rap music give this a try and truly enjoy it for what it is. This is such a great example of what rap albums can do well. Thematically, musically, vocally, this album touches on so many important cultural and political struggles of the time, while also sounding like a true love-letter to all black art which preceded it, and while STILL SOUNDING THIS FRESH. Wonderful album.

Great raps and awesome flow from ATCQ with beats and grooves that are jazzy, deep and sparse, but thick as molasses and warm as butter. Even taking into account ‘The Infamous Date Rape’ which sounds like a rare misstep coming at it with 2022 ears, ‘The Low End Theory’ is still one of Hip Hops greatest hits.

Essential 90's hip hop starts and ends with A Tribe Called Quest. Q-Tip and Phife Dawg (RIP) expertly spit bars over fantastic jazz beats. The opening moments of the album with the bass of Excursions is neigh-unforgettable, setting up expectations for the rest of the album's runtime. The Tribe has the stage: now is the time to listen. The vibes on this album are perfection. It's so incredibly mellow, like hanging out with your friends, chillin'.

Do you know the importance of a Skypa-jah? Love, love, love. Saw TCQ tour this album at the Flood Zone with Busta Rhymes. They went out with Scenario and the whole place was going wild! The Low End Theory is contaminated with all the good post-high school memories, there's no way that I could provide an unbiased review today. ----- Equally as good is the TCQ doc. Highly recommend. https://www.amazon.com/Beats-Rhymes-Life-Travels-Called/dp/B005LM7KP0

A landmark album in hip-hop, and one of the father's of jazz rap. The beats are great, the lyrics are clever and impactful, and it's just generally fun all around. And then they came out with Midnight Marauders too... Favourite Tracks: Buggin Out, Vibes and Stuff, Scenario

OK here's another group i've heard so much about but I don't know if I've ever listened to - was far too much into guitar rock at the time but *wow* I missed out on this. Or maybe I wasn't ready - but this is the kind of hip-hop I love. Should I even categorize it merely as hip-hop? Because forget the rap for a minute - the first thing I'll ever notice on any album is the music and the music *KILLS* here. It's impossible to not move to the opening track "Excursions" - there's a hard jazz element with heavy drum loops (no 808s - and although these are samples they sample the real deal which IMO is always better. Always.) and the album never lets up at all. The music mostly isn't loud and in your face, but at the same time it propels and is never dull. I want to hear and see them performing this entire album with a full band - I can hear it translating brilliantly. Moving to the actual vocals I *love* the attack of multiple rappers (and as big a Public Enemy fan I am, and Chuck D is the best, Flav is a sideshow...) - it works so well on every song - including the guest spots (e.g. "Show Business"). I think my favourite aspect of the rapping is how rhythmic they are - accentuating, complimenting, and becoming *part* of the music - so much more than a ton of modern hip-hop that I just haven't been able to connect with. It's hard for me to find a favourite, but some other standouts are "Verses From The Abstract" "Check the Rhime" and "Jazz." Tribe feel like a BAND on every track here, rather than rapping over a beat - it's an integrated experience. This defines cool in every way and I'm psyched to add this to my collection - if there's any negative, it seems to tail off on the last few tracks - nothing bad, just loses a little steam. But the highs are so good that for only the second time in ~150 albums I've gone in completely blind and come out looking at 5 stars... 9/10 5 stars.

listened to it before baby

I could have sworn that I already had this album suggested but that might just be because I have it in semi regular rotation in my personal collection. This record is so damn smooth and buttery, a bona fide staple of early hip hop and also absolutely timeless. For a laugh, check out "Rap Promoter" if you want to hear what Kid Rock tried to rip off..

this was, for me, my first introduction to 90s hip-hop, and i don’t think there could have been a better album. the lyrics, which provide a social commentary, without being too harsh, are set against a backdrop of dance-inducing beats, creating the perfect balance between perfecting the album sonically, and getting their points across this album and the group as a whole has also had a vast impact on similar artists, with influences still evident today in hip-hop, rap and r&b. their legacy is immense, and defined the 90s hip hop scene. a rarity in this album is that i believe it has no skips - something that cannot be said for many. therefore, i rate it five stars

its so cool if you own this on vinyl (i own this on vinyl)

ATCQ created a style like no other. Choosing jazz samples in a lot of their work brought a fresh groove and laid back swagger to their music, quite different from anyone else at the time. Q Tip and Phife Dawg bring some of that verse swapping from old school hip hop whilst pushing into subjects, rapping about damn near anything. The two are so great together and it is a sad loss to music we have lost Phife so soon. The Low End Theory is one of a few hip hop albums that could convert the hip hop non believer. Its sound is so good, its rhymes are so quotable, its mood is fun, its rappers charismatic. A fine, fine record. Bump this on a summer day.

Reaching backward with that double bass, Low End Theory is both a perfect 90's rap album and a bridge to an older peer music. Never frantic, Tribe is able to keep their pace up: The number of strong tracks on the second half is notable in itself.

One of the greatest, RIP Phife Dawg

Amazing. Just fuck me up with this over and over and over.

Very solid album. I am tempted to give it a 5, but I think at times their rhymes and beats are so pleasantly rolled out that they can run together. Still, some excellent songs and talent.

Very good, I enjoyed the atmostphere it set and some good music on there

I actually really like this album considering it’s genre I thought it was fun I like the music and I also like the singing aspect so I was thinking about giving a four or three I would give it 3.5 but I think I’m going to get before just because I don’t think I would like any other music that sounds like this this one is just different

If Arrested Development were a Hip-Hop artifact to be seen as a relic of how the genre used to sound, A Tribe Called Quest is a Hip-Hop database that you still hear referenced to this day. I've heard so many artist bite not only the flows but the literal lyrics from Tribe songs, I don't know how many times. All paying respect to their originators of course. This album is peak 90s Hip-Hop and I couldn't have been more pleased with a return listening. Only thing I will dock for is that the vibe is pretty samey throughout.

No. 67/1001 Excursions 3/5 Buggin' Out 3/5 Rap Promoter 3/5 Butter 3/5 Verses From The Abstract 4/5 Show Business 3/5 Vibes And Stuff 3/5 Infamous Date Rape 3/5 Check The Rhime 3/5 Everything Is Fair 3/5 Jazz 3/5 Skypager 2/5 What? 3/5 Scenario 3/5 Average: 3,0 This has all the ingredients for me to love it. Old scholl hip-hip, universally loved by critics and fans alike. But I just couldn't get that much into it. I felt musically it was lacking.

On ne peut qu'être reconnaissant envers A Tribe Called Quest d'avoir composé la bande-son du jeu Monstres et Compagnie sur Game Boy Color (cf morceau What?). Dans celui-ci, Bob Razowski avait la possibilité d'effectuer deux sauts consécutifs en appuyant sur la touche A, tandis que Jacques Sullivan ne pouvait en effectuer qu'un seul.

As music, rap has never moved me. Adding a jazz bass line doesn’t make it much more palatable for me. The social commentary is sometimes quite powerful, some of the pieces are humorous. But it’s more speech performance to my ears than music. Sorry…

Not my thing. Why is rapping considered singing?! #oldwoman

Fuckin love this album!

Great

Love it!

ATCQ !!

I first heard this as I went backwards in my discovery of the Native Tongues. Deserves its 5 Mics for what it meant for the soundscapes and the era. But what they started here was perfected on Midnight Marauders.

own

Magnificent

Excellent album, some of the best hip hop to come out of that wra.

The goatiest goat

Classic

One of the best rap albums I have ever listened to. I really have to confess this.

This is such a sick record. I love the beats and the jazzy aspect of it. It flows well and is a pretty easy listen but it also has stuff to sink your teeth into.

Enjoyed it very much!!

I absolutely love this album. I love the beats, I respect each member of ATCQ. Each one of them brings their talents to this album to make something amazing. Easy 5 stars.

i'm still a firm tribe called quest defender, and just like the last album i listened to quite a while ago, this one is just as good! poetic and clever rhymes are perfectly blended with the coolest beatflips you've ever heard in your life. it is physically impossible to listen to this album and not bump your head to every single beat. these guys are a master of their craft. from beginning to end, this album is a hip hop masterpiece.

issa classic one of the best hip hop records of all time

Enjoyed it!

Excellence. Fantastic jazzy hiphop beats with socially concious raps. This is so good.

- Bars/lyrics are significantly less mysoginistic and violent than the East/West Coast gangsta rap coming out at the same time (The Chronic, Doggystyle etc). IMO, that helps the record as a whole stand the test of time and encapsulate the black experience of the early 90s - Combine that with the slick beats/production and overall incredible flow, and it’s no wonder ATCQ is still one of the best known and respected rap groups of all time

Minimalist hip-hop with heavy jazz influence. Easy, infectious grooves. Feels natural and unforced.

It’s like butter, it’s like butter, baby.

Top tier hip hop. Really. The flow. Jazzy samples. Love it.

10/7/24. Classic rap album that still carries its weight. Love this.

I really love rap. My biggest regret on this project thus far is giving Stankonia 4 stars when it clearly deserved 5, and I will not let another hip hop masterpiece go by without its rightfully deserved 5 stars. This is one of those albums that makes the rounds in the music nerd subculture as a must listen, and rightfully so. Well produced, smooth, well written, and influential for essentially every other hip hop artist that followed. Incredible.

Amazing.😻

I always liked this album for standouts like "Buggin Out", but once I gave it a closer listen I came to appreciate how the sound and details of the deeper cuts make this a very complete sounding album.

Such a dynamic hip hop album, very fun to experience!

Love this album already.

A banger the whole way through, not a single skip on this album. Epitome of the 90s hip-hop vibe.

Such a great album. I didn’t even need to listen to it this time to know it would be five stars, but I did because I love this album so much.

5/5: A classic

First 5. This album is so fun, the jazzy-hip hop samples flow well, the back and forth raps can pack a punch, and the album as a whole can fit several moods. Pretty influential for 1991.

One of the greatest of not the greatest Hip-Hop albums of all time. Nothing more to say.

Now here's a funky introduction of how nice this is. I already know the greatness of this album, but I'm more than happy to listen to it again. A milestone record in the history of Hip Hop. The chemistry in this group at this time was uncanny and Tribe truly set themselves apart with their content, production, delivery and cadence. You can tell how much fun they're having with creating it and presenting it to the masses. It's energetic, positive, fun, and entertaining. Absolutely love this one. Easy five stars.

No idea how people call this album boring. There's a lot of variety in there. Really liked this one, big fan of this Jazzy Hip Hop in general.

Smoother than a mercury milkshake

Jazz jams, hold the gangta.

Good start. Really liked the cool grooves. Sounds like it would be good when high

Definitely on my short list of best hip hop albums of all time. This one settles into a groove a maintains it all the way to the end. Five stars.

goat hip hop

"The Low End Theory" is the second studio album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. East Coast hip hop, alternative hip hop and jazz rap are the Wiki-listed genres. It is further defined as "a minimalist sound that combines bass, drum breaks and jazz samples." That's better. The lyrics are social commentary, word play and humorous interplay between rappers Q-Tip and Phife Dawg. DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad rounds out the band on this album. The album was produced by Q-Tip and Skeff Anselm. Critically, it is considered a mile stone in alternative hip hop that bridges the gap between hip hop and jazz. In 2022, it was put into the Library of Congress for its artistic significance. And, commercially, it hit #45 in the US and #58 in the UK. A sample by Art Blakely opens "Excursions." Q-Tip comes in ultimately stressing be true to yourself. A drum beat sample from Shades of Brown and a horn sample from the Last poets are also inserted. "Buggin' Out" gives us humorous interplay between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg. Layered drum beats. More of a hip hop beat and pretty chill. "Check the Rhime" uses clever samples from Minnie Rpperton and the Average White Band. More back and forth between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg as they rip the record industry and comment on the inner city. The message is to just enjoy the jazz, the music, in "Jazz (We Got)." Samples in the melody from Jimmy McGriff and the drum beats from the Five Stairsteps' "Don't Change Your Live." The third and final single "Scenario" closes the album. Q-Tip, Phife Dawg and a host of other rappers are on the mic. One of those other rappers is Buster Rhymes and this appearance helped to kick start his career. The overall tone of this album is pretty chill. The selection and use of the jazz sampling partcularly in the drum beats and bass helped that. Very strategic placement of those samples too. The interaction between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg is fun and humorous. The lyrics cover the record industry, drugs and violence of the Inner city, date rape, rap and violence and to just enjoy music. There are some very clever and funny pop culture references (Arsenio Hall, Ralph Cramden and Duke Ellington). This is one of my favorite hip hop albums and a strong recommendation.

the combination of jazz and rap has been and always will be one of the coolest combinations. Total trailblazers that didn't get their due at the time and are now the precursors of some of the greatest rap albums of all time.

One of the best of all time.

Albumi #44, 10.09.2024 Yksi kaikkien aikojen hienoimmista rap-yhtyeistä ja kenties heidä hienoin albuminsa.

10/10

Is this possibly the peak of hip hop jazz sampling? Stunning album all around, the beats/samples and the excellent lyrics. A masterpiece for sure.

One of my favorite albums from the 90's. For some reason the line, "I want chicken and orange juice, that's whats on my rider" has been in my head since the 90's and I frequently blurt it out at inopportune times to the consternation of my family. And, of course, one of the best Busta guest tracks ever!

This was so good. No wonder it's a classic

Now this is an influential album right here. My first A Tribe Called Quest experience was with their first album just under a month ago. I'm a bit miffed that there wasn't much time between the two (as well as the sheer abundance of repeat artists I've gotten as of lately), but those feelings are strongly outweighed by my positive feelings on this album. Every piece of praise I had for their debut applies here, but to a stronger degree. The jazz influence was certainly there in their first album, but it is in full swing on The Low End Theory. They even acknowledge that in the first song on the album! Speaking of songs, there's some great ones on here. Of course, you have the classics like "Check the Rhime" and "Scenario" that are obviously great. However, the deep cuts from this album like "Skypager" and "What?" are pretty good as well. There aren't really any bad songs on this album, which is good. The rapping is even better on here than the debut. My big complaint on the debut was the lack of Phife Dawg. Fortunately, there is no lack of Phife Dawg on The Low End Theory. He is here and he is great. Q-Tip still does great as well, and even though he doesn't rap, the work that Ali Shaheed Muhammad provides on this album is essential to what makes it so great. The sound is excellent, the writing is enjoyable, and the pacing is much better. This album has aged magnificently and its influence remains in and outside of hip-hop to this day. The Low End Theory may not be my favorite album to release on September 24, 1991. I personally liked Nevermind more. But there is no denying that this is a legendary album that deserves all of the praise it has gotten over the years. Light 5/5.

yas this album was so sick. so vibey and jazzy and just fun to listen to. definitely need to relisten to pick out some favs bc they all sort of just flow together rlly nicely

phenomenal album

Classic

Q-tip er den rapper med den bedste stemme til den slags jazzede beats, de bruger her. Pfife er en virkelig god kontrast, trækker energien op men bliver aldrig for meget (ulig fx flava flav). Synes det er sjovt hvor ofte han nævner hans højde, short king 👑 Busta Rhymes vers på Scenario GOAT, både fordi det er Busta men Q-Tip har også nogle fantastiske lead-ins. Det her er første gang jeg hører den hvor jeg ved, hvem Peter Tosh er, fordi han tidligere var på listen!!

Nogen af de bedste beats nogensinde, og virkelig gode flows. Pladens bedste vers er det sidste (Busta Rhymes på Scenario), men det er nok et top 10 hiphop vers nogensinde Teksterne er nogen gange pænt datede. 90er-raps forhold til kvinder var lidt for meget delt op i to grupper, "alle kvinder er klamme ludere!"-gruppen og "kvinder er fantastiske, bortset fra dem som er klamme ludere, men de er ikke rigtige kvinder!"-gruppen.

Tribe arrived fully formed with Instinctive Movements and they followed it up with another classic just over a year later with a sound all their own. Incorporating jazz samples and continuing the lighthearted humorous lyrics, this one holds up to this day as basically perfect.

FINALLY!! On day 138, this generator gave me my first perfect 10 album! This is in my top 5 albums of the 90s. Probably top 3. 10 stars!

A hip hop classic, truly amazing.

Awesome album. A Tribe Called Quest were really a force to be reckoned with.

I had heard this album in pieces at various stages of my life, but had never sat down and listened start to finish. It really blew me away- the clever wordplay, juxtaposed serious tone with sillier lyrics, the music sampling- the all came together to create a powerhouse. I can see how the album was so influential to so kany artists, and helped define the sound of hip hop as a genre in the 90s. Overall- a masterpiece of a hip hop album.

You on point, Phife? All the time, Tip Well, then grab the microphone and let your words rip