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.

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

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 best hip hop album ever.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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! 😎

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.

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

Not my bag but some great history. Enjoyed it,

'A pair of Nikes, size ten-and-a-half'; 'I sport New Balance sneakers to avoid a narrow path.' Hip-hop had been Adidas-centric for the longest. Tribe's embrace of the other brands implies an ethos of divergence. They diverge from gangsterism, no doubt, but they also deviate from their Native Tongues collective. Tho just as spunky, allusive, and self-consciously soft as De La, Tribe is ultimately heaved to fresh heights w/ Q-Tip's resourceful production. Is there another hip-hop release that is more ingeniously reliant on the technology of break loops and the lowdown addiction to the double bass? 'So low-key that you probably missed it.' But it's a low-key vitalness. 'Who knows but that, on the lower frequencies, I speak for you?'

Banger

a true beginning for a tribe that had its eyes set on being the one rap group to be preachy as hell but also really cool at the same time . experience flows here and is conveyed with a degree of mastery in terms of flow and beat making that is virtually impossible to match . a collection of songs trying to stop the descent of a sub culture set to exclude every one except the ones who match the people who popularized it and pleaded for life above anything . i could talk at length about the idea that some of the ways its worded are out dated but its undeniable these 20 year old dudes probably know better than other 20 year old dudes and will continue their excursion . the title implies a continuing quest rather than one with a set destination . pretty sure this is a 9 !! won me over seeing in all of its totalities . casually has the best beats of all time probably

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.

I’m a big fan of this sound. It melds jazz instrumentation with hip hop beats and funky bass lines. I can’t be certain, but it sounds like there isn’t anything artificial (or should I say electronic) here. It sounds like real instruments. I would like to do some research to see if it’s being sampled, or if these tracks were composed. I also really dig the lyrics and flow. Revolutionary for 1991, as other styles of rap were still sounding very old school, and even a little corny. But this is fire.

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.

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

Ik krijg een dagje vrij blijkbaar. Ik mag gewoon genieten van een heerlijk ontspannen rapplaatje. Ik heb hier eigenlijk niks van in een playlist staan, maar ik vind dit wel een lekker album. De drums en de bas klinken ongelofelijk lekker, wat lekkere laidback samples, er wordt lekker gerapt over onderwerpen waar we verder toch niet zo heel veel van mee krijgen. Lekker dus. Moet je twee Tribe albums hebben geluisterd voor je je laatste adem uitblaast? Dat denk ik niet. Ik kan er wel van genieten en ik geef een 4,5 naar 5 sterren.

My favorite era or rap…just so effortless and relaxed and cool but still energetic and sooo catchy. The bass throughout this (literally, a jazz upright bass in many cases) made it feel so robust even when there weren’t a lot of different kinds of sounds happening at once. Apparently on this album, Q-Tip layered multiple drum sounds on top of each other to create a single sound; this reminds me a lot of Spector’s Wall of Sound method, and likely also accounts for the album’s fullness. And also Busta Rhymes’ verses at the end of “Scenario” are just an amazing way to end the album. *Fav tracks: Verses from the Abstract, Scenario, What?, Buggin’ Out*

Fucking banger album

One of those rare undeniable albums that live up to the hype

completely new to me -- I LOVE this

This IS Hip Hop at its finest! Tribe and the Native Tongue crew are the soundtrack of my upbringing living in NYC! Absolute CLASSIC!

Probably in my top 3 hip hop albums. This album also helped as my gateway from rap to jazz and other types of music. I love it!

Me senti na NY de 1989, ou na São Bento do mesmo ano.

In this first year of the project I've learned one thing for sure that I didn't know about myself. And that's my love of late 80s/early 90s NYC hip hop. Tribe Called Quest, Pharcyde, Wu Tang, Public Enemy. They've all been among my highest rated albums. This album in particular was a delightfully awesome groove from beginning to end. Way too short. Stand outs for me were: "Butter," "Vibes and Stuff," "Jazz (We've Got)," and "What?"

Masterpiece, start to finish

♥️

J'ai commencé à apprécier le rap dans les années 2000 en écoutant A Tribe Called Quest. Mes préférés.

5 étoiles pour le drum and bass. Le pont entre le jazz et le hip hop que le jazz (ou le hip hop) méritait. D'ailleurs très clair dans les textes où le background jazz est omniprésent (my man Ron Carter!). J'aime beaucoup les thèmes aussi, j'ai pas tout compris/tout lu mais ça me semble très engagé socialement, un gangsta rap pro-femme, pro-émancipation, go!

Classique du jazz rap! Peut s’écouter en boucle sans problème. Tellement une belle décennie les 90s

Favorite

One of the most captivating Jazz Rap albums I’ve ever heard. Favourite Songs: Excursions, Buggin' Out, Show Business, Check the Rhime, Scenario. Least Favourite Songs: Infamous Date Rape.

Classic

Cool hip hop!

Wow

200925 20:13 4.5

One of the best albums to ever grace this earth 10/10

Classic hip-hop with great beats and excellent lyrics. I love this.

I'm mad at myself for never listening to Tribe in the past. One of my new favs

The lyrics are fantastic. A political commentary and funny word play. I love the usage of jazz licks and samples in combination with the drum and bass, as well as how it stays funky af though being minimalist in style. An amazing example of less is more in music.

🐐🐐🐐🐐

phenomenal album flawless

Incredible record, though not flawless. Q-Tip’s voice is probably the best example in history of “you’ve either got it or you don’t”. Excursions is an incredible opener and sets the tone perfectly, while Check the Rhime and Jazz are exhibitions of Tip and Phife’s ability to spit as if their voices are an extension of the lush but pretty simple instrumentals. Alternative hip hop, a genre where you can spit without talking about who you’re going to hang off the side of Queens Bridge next was more or less born from this record, and it will be cool, forever. 9.5/10 (due to the song we don’t mention). Favourite: Check the Rhime Lease Favourite: I will pretend this song isn’t on the record.

I knew before even listening to this thing front to back that it was such an easy 5. Hard to fault anything A Tribe Called Quest has produced. All their voices scratches an itch in my brain. This really is probably their magnum opus. I still reckon Beats, Rhymes & Life is slept on and their best work. Though honestly, you can pick pretty much any of their albums - they're all classic (except Scenario & The Love Movement). The production on this album is just phenomenal. Every beat is as smooth as cream. This thing is just so nice on the ears you can listen to this in any scenario and you just feel cool and at peace. Incredible album. Every song here fucks. Top track: Butter, Check the Rhime, Jazz (We've Got)

Another banger artist jammed into my adolescent skull by Dave Mirra BMX 2 for the ps2. Thank you Z-Axis studios and to the fella hitting sick mickey flips in bmx valhalla (can only get in if your death was a CTE related suicide)

Oh this is goooood

This is on steady replay for me. 6/5

This is the first artist/group i've come across that I already listen to their music but didn't realize. I LOVE 'Bonita Applebum' but haven't really listened to other songs by A Tribe Called Quest. While none of these songs quite reached the mark of that song for me, they were all great! Fav- Buggin' Out

Absolutely other worldly vibes. I love the atmosphere. Cool jazzy beats. Q-Tip with one of the best voices in hip hop. Great fuckin album

Beautiful hip-hop/jazz hybrid album.

Great album indeed. Not their best though. Still solid 5 either way.

Was not prepared to love this so much

Rap in its purest, most distilled form. Impeccable bars, and a stripped back production that is so clean you could eat off of it.

Classic

Instant 5 stars. One of my all time favourites.

A really solid 90s rap album, probably one of the best. Every track is so good, melodic and solid, surprising for rap form what I’ve heard. I’m conflicted on being 5 stars, but it might be a really strong 4. Id say it’s essential listening

i was waiting for the other shoe to drop as i was listening to this: when was there going to be song that's a stinker? imo, there aren't any. what a treat to listen to a 1001 album and experience a growing sense of disbelief that EVERY song is an instant save. highlights - excursions, buggin' out, verses from the abstract, show business, vibes and stuff, check the rhime, everything is fair, jazz (we got), skypager

Goated

A true no skips classic. 4.5/5

My favourite of ATCQ. Highlight: Jazz (We've Got)

90's hip-hop built on top of jazz samples. Ever found hip-hop beats boring and repetitive? Try this. It's the foundation of alt-hip-hop for a decade. 'Buggin' Out' and 'Check The Rhime' are excellent.

Hip hop with classic jazz sampling and smooth lyrics? Sign me up. I was really hoping this album and their debut album are on this list and I'm not disappointed. This album is mandatory listening for anyone who claims they love hip hop/rap. 5/5 stars.

There are ways this album hasn't aged well, but those things are mostly minor and it's still pretty brilliant. One of the classics of it's era.

Wow this is another one which I've heard so many times that its hard to take a step back and hear it from scratch, but I tried. This album feels a lot different to any other rap albums both at the time and since. I think the choice of samples and the way they are integrated quite minimally feels quite unique, more as if there is a band playing, because it doesn't feel too crowded. The drum breaks are excellent, the often dusty, slightly low-fi vinyl sampled quality makes them a bit saturated, and the sampling in general is quite warm feeling. I think that if you had no idea what sampling was, you could definitely think that there was a single band playing, because of how well pieced together the samples are. I've always been interested by the way that they approach the choruses of the songs, as they tend to just repeat a certain phrase, like on the first 2 songs in particularly, I think that's great, as sometimes rap songs get aimlessly stuck in verses with no real structure. I also really like the choruses which revolve around a sample, like everything is fair. The rapping and wordplay is incredible, a lot of social commentary, but also mostly story-based. It definitely gives a look into their personal lives. I think I slightly prefer Q-tip over Phife, but that could be because Q-tip appears much more, and I quite recently learned that he was the primary producer, I thought it was the Shaheed Muhammad guy, but seemingly he only did a little bit of the production on here. What I think is a totally unique feature to tribe is how well each of the rappers compliment each other, especially in songs like check the rhyme where they are quite literally going bar for bar and both of their verses mirror each other. Not even to mention the features, which I think make Q-tip and Phife have a slightly different approach, something like a friendly competition. The guys on show business are great, and Scenario introduced me to the Leaders of the New school, who I also love, and they also have totally different approaches to wordplay like Charlie Brown's jokes and cartoon references. It just makes for a totally full-feeling, very diverse in terms of rapping themes and references, but still very consistent pallet in terms of the funk and jazz-based samples. Favourite songs: All - but I think the date rape one is more ok than the others (mostly instrumentally). Overall around 10/10

An effortlessly cool classic. Like most of Tribe's output, this is just operating on a different level to anything else in the genre, starting with its emotional register: it's positive & upbeat and even though it's a serious record with serious things to say, it never loses sight of that optimistic core. And everything else Tribe does well is at its best here. The flow, writing and production are sublime, with Phife Dawg and the basswork being particular standouts. Not only that, there's a confident restrain to this which is why the decades have been so kind to this: it is timeless.

This was the start of modern rap and hip hop. Cornerstone piece of art right here.

Timeless. This is true hip hop.

Tribal power

Solid album top to bottom. Never realized they made Scenario. Really liked first few tracks too.

A true classic. Brilliant from beginning to end. One of the favorites in my collection and always fun to give it another listen.

Love this style of rap