The Low End Theory

No es mi estilo.

Una piccola bomba hip-hop. Da ascoltare coi finestrini abbassato per fare brutto con stile.

Not really into hip hop, but this was pretty good.

I should have payed more attention to hip hop back then. This is awesome.

3 stars

This album is pretty good. The jazzy elements have really stood the test of time, but the flows and lyrics haven't aged as well. 3/5.

Some very chill beats, but the songs get a bit same-y after a while.

Zulu nation would be proud

Jazzy and smooth. Couldn't really find anything that stood out though.

Passed me by without leaving a mark. Strange for a hip hop album, but hey.

Pretty good

classic 90s east coast rap good flow but garbage lyrics imo

Better than average example of the genre. This, more concerned with the story to tell.

This is a really easy listen, classic hip hop and classic early 90s. Enjoyed in the background this morning and then listened to again in detail. Great beats. Maybe I like hip hop as I have enjoyed a few of these albums now. Favourite song: What Least favourite: all good songs. Album artwork: Cool cover

Listenable. Nothing special to me

Great rap music

Pretty decent album.

very smooth and funky but honesty quite dull

Period piece of rap, strong flow and exceptional beats. The style can get a little tired, but that’s just a product of the age. Not a constant rotation for me, but a solid album.

There's some great songs on here but so many songs' beats sound exactly the same. 3.5

Achei ok

Я слышал этот альбом кучу раз. "Величайший хип-хоп альбом в истории!" "Джаз-рэп, сделанный правильно". И каждый раз я чувствую себя абсолютным идиотом, потому что не слышу этого ни разу. Теперь же, на фоне дебютника, прослушанного сотню альбомов назад в этом листе, я совершенно не понимаю, в чем такая уж резкая прорывность. Альбом неплохой, но видимо не совсем для меня. Лучшая песня - Jazz (We've Got).

A fuckin VIBE. I wish I would’ve listened a little harder but it did start to get a little monotonous. I did really like it though.

Listening to this for the first time in more than 20 years is interesting. Simple, boom bap beats and decent (though uncomplicated) rhyme and flow for the most part. Also interesting, you can see emergence of more modern rap styles on songs like Show Business.

Start and finish songs are masterpieces but the middle songs weren’t as good in comparison but there were some good ones better than the rest

Good, but long and ultimately repetitive.

So far this is the only Hip Hop I’ve listened to that I can appreciate. The rhymes and the simple beat get a little too monotonous for the entire album, but there are moments that truly made me think I misjudged a genre. I get it more after listening to this, but still isn’t something I want to turn on and listen to regularly. I appreciate the talent and can see how it influenced others.

I had never heard of A Tribe Called Quest until today. I didn't mind it. :)

So earnest and so human. I didn't get into downtempo hip hop until almost a decade later, so this album was off my radar for a long time. It's really a triumph.

This albums clips right along with few palpable breaks. It flowed and flowed and was over before I knew it. I have always loved Q-Tip’s flow. It was a pleasant surprise to hear Busta Rhymes on here.

Noteworthy songs - 808080808 Magical Dream - Kinda catchy synth, but the rest is bland. Ancodia - Good background noise. Cobra Bora - Actually kind of cool, reminds me of Bomberman Hero. Pacific 202 - N64 vibes, but melody isn't great. Donkey Doctor - Nothing too special, weird ending. 808080808 - Really cool beginning. A little slow in the middle but stays interesting enough. Sunrise - Nothing remarkable. The Fat Shadow - Eerie. Very short.

se questo benedettissimo sito mi rifila un altro album hip hop anni 90 nel prossimo mese giuro che mi faccio saltare. bello eh, bello, ma anche basta. tre politico pure a loro.

Quando ho letto che l’album era una commistione di hip-hop, jazz e funk mi ero fatta tante aspettative, che purtroppo non sono state davvero attese. Il jazz si trova solo in un paio di punti in tutto l’album (forse). Sicuramente mi è piaciuto più di altri album hip-hop che abbiamo ascoltato, ma non abbastanza da farmi dare 4/5.

Mh

rym 4.16 ho idea che dovrò ascoltare un sacco di album hip hop linee di basso assurde lo trovo troppo monotono ma semplicemente non è il mio genere di musica le basi mi piacciono abbastanza 3/5 ma solo perchè sono troppo stupido per capire l'hip hop

Scenario is the only reason this got 3 stars. It'd have been more if every song didn't sound the exact same.

Bravi

Decent

Classic

actually pretty mellow. obviously they have a huge talent to rap, but the music itself is pretty one note, but still nice and mellow for relaxing times.

Good hiphop with good beats and some clever lyrics. Don't know if I would go back to listen but definitely wasn't bad. The album had a more chill vibe than most others I've listened to.

Basically fine intellectual hip hop, not I soured to have another go

Just feel like this didn’t age too well, beats are great, rhymes sound corny

hørte det ik lol

Nice beats.

Cant get into Tribe like that, great production aged pretty good for 91

Not really much of a rap fan, but really enjoyed it.

Didn't completely hit the spot, but definitely some standout tunes in there.

I liked it!

generally hip-hop is not my style but this was not bad. enjoyed the flow from one track to next (tho it started to get boring in a couple spots), liked the jazz vibe & samples.

Such a good album. Easy early 90's hip hop with a through line. Good jams all around. Worth many more listens

While I have a lot of respect for early 90s hip hop, growing up in the modern era has primed me for more lush, complex beatmaking, making it difficult for earlier albums to be top-tier unless the lyrics are exceptional. I much prefer Tribe's later output, as the production and delivery here is quite samey and the subject matter is oftentimes too referential to specific individuals or places without additional context. Phife the standout as usual. Listened to: walking in Prospect Park. Favorite tracks: Verses From the Abstract, Check the Rhyme

First time. 1.5x.

This is one cohesive album! Mellow jazz vibes and in the pocket rhyming. Super smooth and a landmark album where the Jazz meets the Hip Hop in the perfect package. This is really good, but not hitting me personally. 3/5 -5/6/2024

Muy bueno.

#208. Pretty decent overall. I particularly liked Scenario. 3/5: I'd touch it with a ten foot pole.

I liked this OK, kinda cool it’s just DJ, bass, and vocals. The tracks with Muhammad as a co-songwriter mostly seemed alike. Would never need to hear again.

I'm not a hip hop guy and this is not the album that is going to change my mind. It was okay at first, but by the end I was ready for it to be over.

Good flow but pretty mellow. Nothing really exciting.

3/5

I really enjoyed the first Tribe Called Quest Album- this one wasn’t bad but I didn’t enjoy it at the same level. The sound on this album (a year later) definitely sounds evolved/more edited/minimal/slower paced from where they started. I personally enjoyed the journey the first one took me on much more. The influence they were to have on contemporary rap/hip hop is becoming more apparent by this album to me. Still a solid album but more repetitive to me than their previous album.

I see why this is an important album, but it wasn't for me.

Is it racist not to like hip-hop?

This album feels like one I should like, but I don't, it's dull and the jazz/ hip-hop fusion leaves me cold. I've tried a few times to get into it, as it's consistently hailed as a classic. But nothing stands out as even slightly interesting to me. I love hip-hop, but this is just far too drab to get anything more than 3 stars, and even then I'm being generous.

Hip-Hop - not really my taste

First listen Saved 8/14

Not as good as the other album we had

Да мимо ушей. Фоновая музыка на расслабоне, ничего такого. Not good not bad, норм рэпчина.

As a Tribe fan this album isn't super memorable. The production is great but the lyricism doesn't stand out IMO

Decent

Pretty good, but not something I'd go back to

I get why it's in the list, but it's not my thing

Good in places 3.5*

Pretty good, but at the same time no stand outs.

Very strong start on this. It has a classic, minimalist alternative hip hop sound. I know a bit of Q-Tip's later stuff and have liked his style. The quality varied a bit, but I can definitely see the influence that this album has had, given that it was released in 1991. The standout track here stands out for questionable reasons though. Is 'Infamous Date Rape' social commentary, or celebration of misgony? Given the group's messages in other songs, I can entertain the idea that it might be the former and that there is a hidden message against sexual violence. However, the fact that that same song is riddled with period jokes makes it harder to buy that message. It's an odd miss on an otherwise great album, but it's striking enough that it's hard to ignore.

appreciate the cultural and musical significance of the album. however, I'm not a fan of hip hop and this album didn't change that – the beats are nice for background music, but that's about it

This was ok, but I didn't enjoy it as much as their other album; the only thing that was better than the other album was the album cover.

Didn’t like it as much as there other album but it was good. Happy to hear it but there’s other music I’d rather listen to most of the time

Some good stuff but feels too long, lost interest

3,5

Had little time to absorb the album but what i heard i enjoyed.

The entire genre of Lo-Fi and Jazz-Hop wouldn't be where it is today without Tribe. Even though I don't have every song from Low End theory in constant rotation, their impact is undeniable

not really my vibe, but also not bad

so semi-vibes & stuff

I've always found Hip Hop to be akin to background music, but that said, this is not a bad collection of HipHop tracks, and for a change I didn't hate it.

I love 'I Left My Wallet in El Segundo' that's not this albumn this one seems a little repetitive but still fun

A decent 90s hip hop album.

The tracks are all decent but it's kind of the same thing over and over again.

rap deff nije za mene al ovo je bilo bolje deff

Ful mi se sviđa jazzy đir, al tekst mi je nekak dosadan.

I think this is good music n respect it as an album but didn’t enjoy very much… didn’t dislike it but wouldn’t listen again

Really groovy and chill vibes. Not a huge fan of hip hop so, this got old after 4 minutes.

yooo

Guess it was okay?

Need to revisit at some point.

It was OK ... 3 stars, I am not a rap fan!

Great samples. Great vibes. Groundbreaking in its time. RIP Phife. Starts and ends with a bang but the middle feels like one long track. F eels life coffee shop music in 2024

Cool jazzy Rap.

Gute grooves, aber dümpelt bisschen

Nice. 3.5.

Hummmmm. Rsrsrs

Excellent rap vibes! Probably would have rated higher if i payed attention to the lyrics, but i could not. Sorry.

3/4

Smooth and perfect for what I needed right now. Flow. But more or less the same sort of rhythm throughout the album. Could've changed it up a bit. More noticeable at the start. Middle changes up a bit but honestly just slows the pace down and that it. Still soft fire tho

My opinion really doesn't count here in regards to this being the greatest or one of the greatest hip-hop albums. I am not really into hip hop. Lots of talk out there about the jazz stylings in here. I call BS on that since while there are jazz instruments in there, it doesn't really have anything jazz about it except in the most simplistic ways. (and Jazz is not simplistic) This type music is all about the lyrics and what they say, and there is no draw for me to listen closely or read the lyrics - while I want great lyrics with my music, that is not all I want. Outside of that there is a steady (not jazzy) syncopated beat that shows no ingenuity (in the music, I'm sure the lyrics are great). Just not for me, so you see, that is the only reason, I dis it with a three

A perfectly fine rap album. 6/10 Top 3: 1. Butter 2. Verses from the Abstract 3. Jazz (We’ve Got)

It's been a while since I listened to this end to end. With the headphones on, it's easy to get into.

they have their own sound. liked this.

Not my scene. Like a run on sentence, but I don't get it. So... I can't give a fair review.

Nostalgic. Nice to see a base for some of the groups today.

An interesting listen. I hear some elements that were borrowed later, so I see how this was influential. I'm not a fan of rap though so it is probably not something I would come back to very often.

Cool album. I love it when they put jazz samples in hip-hop.

Just ok. I know this is a classic album. I’m sure it takes a few listens to hit but it didn’t do anything for me first run through. Not bad.

Reminds me of Nirvana, in that both were probably much more impressive before everyone built off their base, but now look somewhat generic from a modern perspective.

Didn't really enjoy it. Felt too nujabes for me

I was excited when this came up and I've enjoyed 90's hip hop. A couple of listen throughs later and I'm not blown away. It was good but not great, there wasnt much light and shade and it all blended into one.

Good beats

Just not my thing, but I can appreciate it's well done.

Nice, a bit boring

enjoyed this for the most part but did find myself getting bored half way through. totally respect the craft and relevance. not everything has aged amazingly but still a good record ofc

Instrumental music and their signature vocal delivery has amazing energy and was definitely a ground breaking sound. That said, some of the moments and lyrics feel goofy and even off putting to me.

It's... so dense! The flow is good, but a little too much for regular listening.

Not a great lover of rap but this wasn't a bad listen overall.

Solid. Enjoyed that and dove into a little more TCQ over the weekend.

Hip Hop mit Jazzgrooves

57/100 Based on this scale: 1 star - 0 to 19 2 stars - 20 to 39 3 stars - 40 to 59 4 stars - 60 to 79 5 stars - 80 to 100 Hip hop is mostly not my thing, but this isn't bad. The jazzy bits help, though there's no actual jazz in there.

Excursions // Butter //

Gut für ein Workout. Etwas eintönig.

Really enjoy the vibe and going back to such an influential rap/hip-hop group. Had a lot of fun listening and it also made my algorithm way more fun yesterday!

okii

My second album from this group. The groove was interesting for the first couple of songs but soon became boring. Not really my thing.

Not a rap fan, but good beats, lyrics ok. Average score.

I liked this a lot but it hasn't aged well. All the tracks bleed together and tracks about pagers and women just don't hold up in 2023. As a time capsule, this is great. And the flow is admittedly super smooth too. Oh and it's fairly positive! Which I like from a hip-hop album. But age has not been kind to this record.

It’s another one where I get bored after a while of the repetitive instrumental/beat. Great flow and could be excellent with more varied backing. It’s not the album, it’s me.

It feels quite samey all the way through, but it's pretty listenable.

Played catch-up with this one, so heard Mr Rascal first. Made me think that the compiler is an American. As in this is how its supposed to be, and this is what the Brits do with it. Basically, this is how it is supposed to be. The words have meter, rhythm and rhyme. The music provides a pleasant melodic backdrop. As you can guess I don't find this objectionable, but I'm not a big fan either. Though there is one band that do do an exceptional job of this genre and I do hope we'll get to listen to some of the Underground in this list. To sum up, it's OK. Would I buy it......... Nah! Worth a 3 though.

Okay

Smooth jazzy, hip hop which I didn't mind and it's simplicity and not-too complicated sound was definitely a plus. Not something I would normally listen to, but it an easy, chill listen that I played in the background without hurting my brain!

Good album, but not my style.

Hip Hop

Interesting genre that I am not overly familiar with. Good beats and telling lyrics

3/5 I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would, but I really liked some of these beats. Interested to hear some other albums.

Didn't made it through. Good flows tho

This is actually a really good rap album. I enjoyed the vocals (the rappers voices) and it was pretty pleasing to my ears. Unfortunately I know I likely won't listen to a rap album on my own, but I'll still give it a 3 for being so good to me, someone who doesn't listen to rap.

Moins bien que la tribu de Dana

I think I’ve come across A Tribe Called Quest somewhere before, although I’m unsure where. Apple Music says it is hiphop, which makes me doubt myself as to whether I’ve heard them at all. For some reason, I was expected classic rock. Anyway, let’s listen! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Check The Rhime I didn’t love this album, but I didn’t hate it either. Whereas some hiphop is actively in your face (NWA, Wu Tang, etc.), this seemed much more chilled. The music is quite jazzy, and it felt more like a pleasant album to have on in the background while doing something else, rather than something that demanded all of my focus. Overall, I felt this was fine.

Can’t say I knew any of their songs by name before this, but really liked this album, but don't know that anything stuck to the point of needing to listen to any of the songs again.

Solid lyrics. Kind of repetitive. Not terrible.

Excursions - 2.9/5 Buggin Out - 2.8/5 Rap Promoter - 2.4/5 Butter - 3.6/5 Verses from the Abstract - 3.6/5 Show Business - 2.7/5 Vibes and Stuff - 2/5 Infamous Date Rape - 1.9/5 actively didn't like lyrics or beat Check the Rhymes - 3.2/5 Everything is Fair - 2.5/5 cool beat gets weird tho Jazz - 2.7/5 Skypager - 3/5 What? - 3.2/5 all balls, no cock Scenario - 2.7/5 here we go yo Bro is ignoring the beat and extremely free rhymes. Clever lyricism and he keeps the flow but its "too chill" of rap. I really want to give this a 4/5 even though not a single song i rated above it just because together its actually pretty chill/nice as a whole, but ill stick with a 3/5

Good! Listen again

This isn’t a genre I know much about but I really quite liked the other tribe album on this list. This was ok but seemed less inventive than the other album

If I was into 90s rap this would be a 5.

Rad beats and rhymes but definitely a lil dated feeling.

Not the best hip hop

Great aesthetic, rapping, rhythm. Catchy licks. Lyrics seem a bit typical of the era /repetitive

The album was fine, and provides another example of excellent rhyming. There's a few tracks that seem like they were direct influences for (or directly copied by) other artists—such as Kid Rock's Bawitdaba (track 3, Rap Promoter) and the, “[so and so] is in the house” line in track 5, Verses From the Abstract, which reminds me of a section in Daft Punk's track, Teachers. I didn't particularly dislike anything, so I might come back to this album some day.

I liked it as much as the other Tribe album; good not great.

I liked the jazzy samples. I understand that people who like this group really like this group, but it’s just not for me.

Although hip-hop has never been on heavy rotation for me, there’s something I always find interesting and enjoyable about listening to it. I don’t necessarily identify with the songs, but it’s impossible not to Nod Your Head along to the beat. Quest seems like they have tapped into whatever magic is needed to create great music.

4 because it's been such an influential album but I don't quite see what the fuss is about. I definitely prefer what came after. Fairly easy to listen to with some nice grooves but felt a bit repetitive in places to me.

Good, unique music but somewhat repetitive and no standout songs

I really wanted to like this album, but honestly it was kinda just okay. The jazzy background track is nice, but honestly most of them sounded the same to me and it got very repetitive. While I found myself enjoying some songs, I kinda got bored of the album overall. The flow and the rhyme was pretty good, and for some reason reminded me of a freestyle. While after reading up on the album and its influence, I understand its contributions to hip-hop, but I don’t think it’s for me. Perhaps if I paid more attention to the lyrics I would appreciate it more, as more the songs I did read the lyrics to I enjoyed more

A bit repetitive in sound but the flow has an excellent groove throughout

Chill 80’s-era hip-hop with standard lyrical misogyny

not the infamous date rape 😞

Best tracks are check the rime and the last one. Wasn't really feeling it at first but I really got into it. My head and chair were bobbing to the beat the whole album

Like one really good 48 minute long song.

Great album.

Average rap music

A great album with some great songs, though the sound definitely gets a bit repetitive listening to it straight through.

It's aight.

3.2

Minimal jazzy beats that are fun but short loops. The rap adds more variation. Lyrics are often mundane.

Great beats and vocals. Not a lyrical style that I've spend time with, but respect for the obvious skill and sophisticated chill.

Meh, but probably visionary for '91

Really enjoyed this but it was sort of hard for me to differentiate between the songs, maybe it's because I don't listen to the genre enough?

I don’t think I was in the right frame of mind to listen to this, because I do like Tribe but this album just felt repetitive. I’ll give it another shot some time though! Listen again: probably Purchase for my collection: maybe Favourite Song:

Not my preferred genre but I like it better than much of the Rap on the list. At least it's not completely homophobic, misogynistic violent.

It’s fun to listen to.

Bom.

Another 90s hip hop. No review.

Your usual 90s funky hip hop, better than today's.

I love A Tribe Called Quest. A few of the tracks from this album are on heavy rotation in my routine Spotify listening - Buggin Out, Check the Rhime, Scenario. Q-Tip is so smooth on the mic.

I liked the hip hop

Cool grooves, but a little repetitious. I like the chill rapping style. Favorite tracks: Show Business, Jazz (We've Got), Scenario.

Good, but it didn't really blow my mind

Was ok

Not my favorite rap album. Low key.

Good album. Instantly valued in hip hop genre

Yeah it was alright

Pretty funny album. Not my personal preference in genre and I didn’t like all the songs, but I did like most of them. I particularly liked Butter and already knew Check the Rhime.

Love the songs, as an album a little bit repetetive.

Really nice vibe for some songs. I like this more than the other classic hip hop I've tried before

miks tarvui olla perse täysin pyyhitty...siitä tietätää että on tehbyt töitä, on OLEMASSA...kun paskanen perse... ei mikään robotti tuotantolinjalta konsanaan... OLEN IHMINEN. OLEN TÄSSÄ JA VASTUSTAN SINUA. ei tarvi pyyhkiä IHAN LOPPUUN SAAAKKKA!!! buggin out

Outstanding old school rap/hip hop. Standouts: Check the Rhime, Jazz (We Got), Scenario. Solid album, great beats. Thoroughly enjoyed this one. I can't believe I never heard it until now! 3.5/5

Funkkimaista menoa ja kovia bassolinjoja. Hyvää kuunneltavaa ja levyä jaksaa kyllä kuunnella vaikka taustalla, mutta yksikään kappale ei noussut toista paremmaksi. Tasapaksun hyvää

Hip-hop you can show your parents

Good! I once had “A Beer called Qwest”. -Lark brewing

This is good, maybe great, but I’m just not in the mood for it, and may never be. I respect this record, and the lovely clean space between sounds, the atmosphere evocative of an Antonio film night-place, the carefully laid-out lyrics, the unusual structures, while wanting it to finish and to get on with a busy evening of staring at the wall. How do I score that?

My Daisy Age disappointment continues. This is better than their debut but still pretty unmemorable. You probably had to be there, and I wasn't

Easy to listen to hip hop

I'm not much of a fan of rap, but I did like the more jazz-leaning sound of A Tribe Called Quest.

I’m a sucker for 90s rap and this album had some really fun beats and instrumentation on it. Knocking off a full star for Infamous Date Rape though, what the hell was that trash.

It's okay. I like jazz influenced hip hop but for some reason I never really got into a tribe called quest. It's not bad, it's just a little bland and seems like it's missing something. I think it's mainly that the instrumentals feel repetitive, and don't have enough creative ideas.

Didn't like the rape song, but the hip hop jazz with brilliant lyrics is definitely listen again territory. A bit too much about "the industry" but definitely enjoyable.

I don't understand.

3,5

Not usually a hip hop fan but this album was easy to listen to and thought the base lines and hooks were pretty decent.

pretty good but nothing special

This is great, jazzy beats, innovative rap, catchy in places and just another great Tribe called quest album.

We haven't had a rap album for a while so I was quite pleased about this one! Enjoyed the flow and rhythm, good to run to. There was one about date rape I didn't really understand... Couldn't tell what angle that was about! Liked the jazzy motifs of flutes and diminished chords

Jazzy, pumpy, good beats

I listened to this once before and for this genre it's one of the best ones in my limited listening. Not too harsh, good music.

Funny and groovy 90s rap

Here we go, yo. This is the scenario: Pretty good, but not my vibe.

This wasn’t nearly as good as I remembered. There were a few songs, particularly buggin out, butter, chick the rhime and scenario that I really liked but the rest was pretty boring and lacked substance. Disappointing.

I was vibing with the tribe today, it’s alright. Not my genre, not something I would seek out. But it was chillin’.

Enjoyed this bc melody rhythm and message. Good background music.

Quality old skool hip hop.

No soy una oyente de este tipo de música en mí día a día, pero me sorprendió, me gusto, me gustaron los toques de jazz y la ritmica

Very enjoyable

Was busy today and only listened to this once. Production was good and I have respect for this era of rap but it just isn’t my style. Heard before: scenario, if that’s even actually part of this album?

Not bad, but something I would typically choose to listen to.

Smooth jazzy contentious hip-hop. It does kind of feel a bit preachy at times. Hopefully I'm wrong but at least they are calling out issues like date rape, etc. Definitely a few tracks that you'd never throw on shuffle and only make sense in an album listen. Overall a good follow-up to their previous album but nothing that jumped out to me that improves upon that.

Old school

It's alright, but nowhere near is enjoyable as "People's Instinctive Travels..." This one feels a bit more generic.

Perfectly fine

Like it, but I don't think I could ever love it. Q-Tip's voice is fantastic and even my culturally ignorant ass knows enough to know that there weren't a whole lot of groups - if any - doing what A Tribe Called Quest was doing in hip-hop at this time. To overuse an overused word, the whole vibe is different. And hey Busta Rhymes! I just wish it would click with me. Maybe one day.

Fun album, upbeat sound. Some of the lyrics made my giggle or say to myself ‘oh, snap’. Would listen to this album again.

interesting, but a bit redundant. hip hop over a repetitive drum track with a scant few other instrumentations. very talented vocalists and good lyrics.

I am not able to do a track by track on days I work, but I had no idea what I was getting into with this album. I found it pleasant and clever. Mostly, once I started to get a feel for it, it was like a really great soundtrack. Kinda great background music. But when I listen to the lyrics they are really clever. I liked the song that was basically "how not to get screwed by the music industry" sort of thing.

I had never heard this before so I was interested to give it a chance. I’ve heard a song or two by ATCQ but none of these. It started out pretty fun with some good beats and I was digging it. But the longer it went on, the more the novelty wore off and by the end, every song sounded the same minus a few here or there. I don’t hate the album but it was a bit too long for my likings.

This was OK. It seemed to have good rhythm and vibe.

My comments (and score) are the same as those I made on their first LP: "Bit of a down tempo sound and a sense of humour. Lacking explicit lyrics." It's nice listening for 5 or 6 songs. The Busta Rhymes debut pushed the boundaries a bit but didn't last long.

Low end theory is nice low key hip hop, with influences from hard and be-bop Jazz and smooth socially conscious lyrics it is much more accessible than the harder gangster rap that followed it. It's too bad this album doesn't have a killa tune like Can I kick it from their debut album. Most of this album is well done, but so low key that nothing really jumps out and grabs my attention. A solid 2.5 that gets rounded up for its influence.

7.5/10 1. Butter 2. What? 3. Show Business

Chull

Sounds newer than it is because of the huge bass sound. Not enough going on in the midrange to my taste. It sounds unfinished because of that. The lyrics are not as cringy as a lot of their contemporaries'. Favorite song: Everything is fair

Meh

Low dynamic range, the songs all tend to blend together. Some songs have really good lyrical flow, especially Show Business & Vibes and Stuff.

Simpatico.

High 3. Back what it’s about

Old school hip hop. It's an era of hip hop I need to dive further into because it's pretty basic but I did enjoy this album. Head bopped through out

Whack old hip hop

Really smooth hip hop vibes. I enjoyed it, but didn’t actively listen enough to appreciate any lyrics

Was alright, pretty chilled rap with a decent bass line throughout, nothing jumped out at me though

Cool vibes, retro feel, nice lyrical content without the glorification of violence. More of a playful feel to hip hop, not too overtly misogynistic or afro-centric. Some cool sampling.

The album started off strong but liked the songs less and less as it progressed. A Tribe Called Quest, not the worst not the best.

Not my kind of music, but in my opinion better than it's 2020s counterparts.

Very proficient rapping, lyricism and flow, but the minimalist beat production of bass and percussion, along with the almost bored delivery of the vocals, makes the album sound a bit dull and lifeless.

Overall just a fairly boring album, every track sounded more or less the same and it wasn't very exciting

Awesome hybrid of jazz instrumentation with late old school rap, making it a great listen for people who are into either of those genres.

Quite enjoyed this, listening in the sun was a perfect way to hear it ! 3*

Smooth and funky

Fine for background, maybe I'm too 'new' to find more in it.

Idk sounds like schoolhouse need rap but a few good ones.

Fun, but didn't really hold my attention. Something to come back to later, probably. 3/5 for now.

None of these songs reach me like ‘I Left My Wallet in El Segundo’ or ‘After Hours’ but none are as compulsively skippable as the three (by my count) bum tracks on their debut. Bass too high in the mix in some songs, let the samples breathe.

Funky rap. I like. Yes yes y’all.

Liked the instrumentals more than the rap (what else is new?). After a while I zoned out and wasn't paying too much attention lyrically. Solid. I get why it's on this list.

i don’t know what the fuck she’s saying but girl I am living

Very typical 90’s rap album. The jazz sounds were fairly interesting, but all around an ok album.

This was okay but this project hasn't changed my pickiness with hip hop. I don't think this was bad, it's just not my thing. I did really enjoy, "What?"

Didn’t listen would like to tho

Good album, nice samples, very nice bass grooves and vocal layers at various parts.

Hear before, iconic album, not a huge fan.

recommend for johnlei

Snappy.

услышала ряд знакомых сэмплов) но не кажется что что-то запомнила

See review from 3 days ago

I really like the way it sounds all boom bap and double bass samples, but it didn't really grip me. Maybe needs to be on rotation for a while. I could do with more hooks.

pretty chill - 3 stars

Mid

Beautiful music and good lyrics, but there's not enough drama in the songwriting to keep me interested. Scenario aside, what choruses there are are usually the low points of the song. Buggin' Out has a cool bass line, but the chorus just seems pointless. The chorus from Versus from the Abstract sounds like someone reciting those sections of the bible where x begat y, a begat b, etc etc, over a cool beat. I love the overall vibe, but other than Scenario, I don't think I'd listen to it again.

“Not no Parkay, not no margarine Strictly butter, baby” Thanks to A Tribe Called Quest for my new motto.

Good but not their best. Actually, probably their least best album. (Unpopular opinion. Sorry.)

Okay album. Solid, just mostly not for me.

Butter is the first song that really grabbed me this morning. Their instrumentation and sampling is almost jazz like. I don't really care about their lyrics, a lot of them feel very static, with sort of dead end end rhyming schemes.

Itselle täysin uusi tuttavuus ja kuunteli hyvällä fiiliksellä helposti läpi. Pitää paremmalla ajalla tutustua vielä tarkemmin näiden matskuun.

Tasavahva levy. Ei suuruuksia eikä liioin heikkouksiakaan. Kuunteli mielellään pari kertaa

I like excursion, the rest is pretty good but none that I really gravitated towards

First time hearing this band. A different rap vibe. A fun, good groove kinda vibe. A lot of songs seemed have to the same drum beat, but it didn't bother me too much. Overall not a lot stood out, but generally enjoyed the overall vibe. 2.5 to 3 for me

3 I’m really glad this popped up because it’s been on my list for a long time. I liked it well enough. It’s like a companion piece to NWA. Less violent but retains a similar sound. On first listen not a lot immediately stood out to me but I really vibed with it so I’ll be listening again

3.5 Excellent skateboard rap. The beats are absolutely great, and I loved the usage of an actual bassist to support them - it made a world of difference for me. However, while sounding great, I felt like there wasn't a ton of versatility with the usage across the album, and a lot beats ended up sounding the same to me (though there are definitely some exceptions). Vocally, however, the album was airtight. Having multiple vocalists in the group helps keep things fresh despite some repetitive beats, and lyrically the album was pretty on point as well (though there were definitely some exceptions for me here as well... I never wanna hear the phrase "penal cord" again in my life). I also thought having each song segue directly into the next was really cool and helped keep the energy going. Overall pretty solid. Could see this going up to a 4 for me with time. Favorite songs: Excursions, Show Business, Check the Rhime, What?

Felt like this album just got better and better as we got through it - wasn't convinced at the start but it really grew on me towards the end. It's lightyears ahead of some of the other stuff we've had from that era, and it's so influential on basically everything that comes after it. But, am I going to be listening to it a lot? Probably not, it's not really my kind of music and it lacks a bit of variety in the style - Scenario (the last track) changes it up a bit which is good, but I think it falls short of a 4.

Straight from the early days of hip hop. Raw and easy to listen to. No song really stands out imho but it is definitely an album to have as background music while doing other things

Don't think it's their best

The album has the same "problem" as a lot of early-age hip-hop albums. They are almost always much influent in our modern hip-hop, but at the same time sound very dated and not so fresh. Maybe, this is a problem of a genre that updates itself all the time, and it's never stopped in time, but it makes it hard to rate it with more the 3 or 4 stars (except maybe on the definitive albuns on the genre, that is not the case here)

7/21/2022 - ALBUM #175 Today's Album: "The Low End Theory" by A Tribe Called Quest - This is a fairly decent 90s rap project from another rap group I hear a lot of praise given to. However, unlike the sonic variety found on the Wu-Tang record I just reviewed, the songs on this album really like to find a groove and sit in it for the entire duration. Many of the songs have a great boom-bap sound to them with a really rich bass and head-bobbing drum beats, but as soon as the sound of a track and flow of the rapper is established in the first 10 seconds of the track, they fail go anywhere. It gives each song a really wallpapery and lackadaisical vibe, which you could argue is some of the appeal of the album if you enjoy music that sits heavy in the background, but for me it just feels really repetitive and difficult to stay engaged in. There are plenty of solid grooves laid down on this tracklist and I have no doubt that the big picture ideas of this record inspired countless other artists. However, I find it pretty rudimentary in many ways that are hard to directly articulate. Overall, I would say this album is worth spinning to understand the rap style I am trying to describe here, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you found it difficult to reach the end of it without listening fituige. Give this one a lesson if you are very lyric oriented and can vibe with a pretty basic and repetitive instrumental. Highlights: Excursions, Rap Promoter, Butter, Show Business, Everything is Fair, Scenario Score: 6/10 A rap album with great vibes and grooves, but under-achieving verses

Fine. Liked the combo of jazz and hip hop but felt iffy about a lot of the lyrics.

Appreciating the poetry, but a bit monotonous for my taste.

-Generally nicer rap than most of the early 90's rap I've gotten before. Much better and interesting flow -However, still not the most interesting stuff. The best stuff came from Busta Rhymes's guest verse on the last track. -Nithing really draws me to listen to this album again

Quite mad how early this is in the timeline of hip hop to be going almost full jazz and I assume creating the chill hop sound.

Better than some of the other 90s rap albums so far, but still felt really repetitive towards the end.

nice wee album to have on in the background for good vibes, v samey tho so got bored half way thru

Not mind blowing but some fun jazzy raps

Bueno

Not my thing. Very slick. 6/10

Not bad but not my thing and nothing stood out on this

Started off incredibly strong. Does not sound dated whatsoever. The jazz/hip-hop combo is awesome, my issue is the lack of variety as the album goes on.