The Low End Theory

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.

Not a big fan of hip hop, but this was pretty good. 3 stars.

"The Low End Theory" is the second album from the hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest released in 1991. The music is alternative hip-hop or jazz rap, where it contains minimalist sound to bring attention to the word play of the lyrics. This album has been credited as one of the greatest alternative hip-hop albums ever and has been certified platinum in the US. The album did a great job of fusing jazz / bepop and hip-hop, while allowing the groups' dynamics to shine through the humorous, word play commentary in the rap lyrics. I loved how the album's music was stripped down to essentially just vocals, drums, and bass. It gave the music and rapping more impact for me to hang onto. The laid back sound was something new for me to hear from the early golden years of hip-hop, and I found myself really enjoying its flow. I do agree with reviews that this may be the greatest hip-hop album ever. I cannot praise this album anymore then what has already been said by critics, but this is the first time I heard of this album or the group and I think it was amazing! I'll have to give it another listen again soon.

Enjoyed but wouldn’t listen again

Good

Solid effort from one the best rap groups of the early 90s.

I'm definitely a late 80s/early 90s rap & hip hop fan rather than anything after

Enjoyable album, good

I enjoyed this and would like to return to it!

Pretty good, every song carries weight

This is the second recommendation I've received from this list from A Tribe Called Quest. Listening to this album felt a lot like the previous album. There are interesting and enjoyable tracks, but I'm not sure if I'll remember this album enough to want to come back for a second listen. "Show Business" was a familiar track, and had a good sound. "Scenario" with Busta Rhymes was entertaining too. Unfortunately, there are lyrics and on these and other tracks that would make me skip the tracks on a second listen. For one listen, the album gets a 3. If I had to play the album again - 2 stars.

Mostly jazz-sample backed rap. Lots of good tracks, it a bit repetitive after a bit. Still, taking rap in an interesting direction.

Smooth, listenable and chilled hip hop. Works for me as BG music but I can't remember any tracks after a couple of listens

An attempt at a jazz-hop-fusion album. Quite okay. (6/10) FT: Buggin' Out, Check the Rhime

I could see myself listening to this, on the right day, while I'm in the right mood. Not bad

Wasn't feeling it.

good enough

Listened

3.5

Boring. Beat with rap over it. No melodies, it's just all the same.The best thing I can say is that it doesn't have quite as much swearing as most rap. Also it's intelligible - so all in all, it's the best rap album we've had so far.

Old school. A bit boring. Does not pass the test of time. For hip hop historians.

not my style but mmh!

slouches along amiably enough for the first half, kicks it up a notch for the second. low end indeed

Þétt old school rap. Ekki alveg minn tebolli en hélt mér samt við efnið

Funky groove but pretty basic lyrics. Overall Album sounds the same from start to finish.

Great vibe but suffers from being too one note. Scenario is the only song that stands out as being different on this album.

classic

Erstes Drittel edieses ikonischen Hiphop Albums wirkt wie die vielfache Variation des Gleichen. Brat-, Pell-, Stampfkartoffeln, Reibekuchen, Kroketten und Klöße stammen auch vom Erdapfel, bieten jedoch mehr Variation als die ersten 4 Tracks. Erst nach Beigabe von „Butter“ wird’s leckerer…sonst fehlt es oft an würzigen Samples wie dort und hier („Verses…“ & „Vibes…“). Fade 2.8

Vermeintlich freundlich-funky-er early Nineties HipHop aus der Golden Era. Natürlich nicht nur freundlich, sondern auch super edgy und conscious. Das alles weiß ich natürlich noch von früher, aus den Neunzigern. Hat sich nichts dran geändert nach erneutem Hören nach langer Zeit. Produktion absolut on Top, klingt leider trotzdem dated, weil: naja, HipHop heute, ihr wisst schon. Ich begehe den Fehler und achte schon wieder kaum auf Lyrics, geht also die ganze Consciousness verloren und übrig bleiben Q-Tip und Phife und die warmen, lässigen jazzigen Soundscapes. Gefällt mir 3,49.

Jazzy, swinging - a fair amount of double bass providing the low end. lovely flow to the raps

Rap relativamente sosegado con ritmos propios del estilo y sin destacar especialmente. Muy del estilo definido

Old school rap

Bass and drum heavy. I like this but it seems not that big of a deal. But, it was the first of its kind so that’s what makes it groundbreaking

// Favs: – Score: Light 3

Not my genre, nice beats. Some of the lyrics really hit me, I needed to save some songs. Great piece of history.

Excellent album, really liked it.

Always thought this was the ATCQ number one record…. Just not as good as peoples instinctive travels. Not bad though!

Enjoyed this one as a hip hop album which isn't normally my favourite genre, some good beats and lyrics. Could definitely see this paving the way for 90s hip hop.

It's obvious that if there's a "hole in my game", it's with hip-hop. It's probably my least listened to genre. But doing this list every day has at least allowed me to experience a lot of it. It may never be my jam, but I can at least appreciate the albums I've listened to on this list. My hunch is I'll listen to certain songs on playlists and not the albums again. This is different hip-hop from what I've had so far on the list. Not a lot of danceable songs here, and tends to sound more like relatable background music. Also: no swear words! Not that they're necessary, just worth mentioning as something that is different from others in the same genre. It's decent enough. But I spent some time listening with the dreaded "meh" word coming to mind. Definitely belongs on the list, but I put it behind entries I've heard by Public Enemy, Missy Elliot and (my favorite, although some wouldn't call her hip hop) Nenah Cherry.

good stuff

Dope

interesting style of music, but really meant for new yorkers, and i don't understand hip-hop

Not my style

It’s something I would probably never listen to, but I really enjoyed it. It’s got some fun songs here and there. You can definitely see how they influenced some of the newer hip hop and rap.

Strong beats, flow and samples but wasn’t as convinced by all of the lyrics. Fun album but prefer a little more message or theme from the early nineties. Enjoyed scenario and check the rhime.

Verses from the Abstract was the track that pulled me into the album. Show Business pulled me back out. I think if I had heard this in 91 or even the 90s it would hit certain nostalgic tones. But hearing it for the first time 20 years later I'm finding the rhyming and beats dated.

I have their greatest hits. And I think that's better than their individual albums. Some nice tracks but then a lot of forgettable ones. Plus it seems like they made no effort to make a cohesive album. Just random songs strung together.

very old school rap when the horns come in ... the delivery is great funky beat in deed very cohesive (so danger : repetitive) 3

Cet album etant ni plus ni moins qu'un copié collé niveau qualité et intérêt de ma part de Fishscale de Ghostface Killah, je vais me contenter de copier coller ma review: c'etait pas nul, c'etait pas particulièrement bien non plus. Un album à très vite oublier, il faut se reconcentrer sur le prochain match

A pesar de que no me gusta el rap, me gustó el disco. Tiene buenos temas, aunque se me hace algo "pesado" a la larga. Nota: 3.5

No me gusta mucho el hip hip, pero el álbum es bueno

The beats were my favourite thing in this record. The lyrics are fun and clever most of the time. But I'm not a fan of some the rapping in here; in my opinion it's what makes this album feel kind of flat. Still, I think that this is a great album to get introduced to hip.hop. I read somewhere that this is an album even your mom would like, and that's probably right at least for a couple of tracks.

Meh. I can see the appeal (and why it's called The Low End Theory!), but not for me.

- great fro background listening, sounds like one long song

All the windows down for this album.

.

Classic rap with jazz influences

I like this out of the gate. Good old school rap. Good beats. Good vocal. And then it feels a bit like Groundhog Day - didn’t they already play this song? And then it feels a bit like Groundhog Day - didn’t they already play this song? I’m not a lyrics focused person, so even after two listening, I didn’t catch much of the content, so I’m guessing there is good substance there that I missed. More blood. More chocolate. The Elton Costello 90s rap album.

FT: Scenario

5.5

Highlight: Butter Big bumpin' ensemble hip-hop rap that sounds unmistakably 90's, but still echos in modern hip-hop. It's interesting to hear the roots of so many sounds.

funky which I liked

Hip Hop

Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa

It's fine. It's not the best rap album but there's nothing too bad about it other than being slower, more rhythmic rap you see in the earlier years. It's dated for sure too.

I'm kinda a fan of older rap like this.

Early on I was interested in this album, but as it went on it started to feel a little more like a stereotype of '90's hip hop. My guess is that's probably because of how quintessential this is, but I can't be sure. Thought it was interesting there were so many songs disrespecting women, but also an entire song condemning date rape culture (which also inlcuded casual sex jokes?) quite a mix! I think there are clearly songs I'd like to listen to again, but not an album I'd want to spin all the way through.

Not a big rap fan, this has a solid feel and well crafted lyrics.

Está de 3.999999

The same beat for the entire album gets old fast

Pretty good hip-hop album

Good stuff.

Definitely an acquired taste. Need to explore it more, expect I will enjoy it.

What I heard I enjoyed. Chilled hip hop.

Couldn't kick it but was aight

Fav Song: Vibes and Stuff

Surprisingly enjoyable. I remember back when this was released thinking that the singles were kinda bland. It all works much better as a full album though, and there are lots of fun jazz samples. Highlights include: Show Business What?

good vibe and flow

not my jam, some swearing, but overall not bad

Enormously influential in its day, but just sounds stale and dull today. In the same genre, Blowout Comb is a vastly superior album, and still sparkles and entertains.

Cool super early rap/hip hop. Obviously not my favorite but not bad at all

Connor: it's a decent album. from the beginning, the first verse is incredible - but it's probably the best on the album. Q-Tip flows great throughout, but the lyrics are a little weak in the middle songs and the beats use cool jazzy instruments but are a little too sparse

A mix of good and bad lyricism. Samples not that amusing.

A hip hop classic, more of a place in time album then what I consider pinnacle for me personally, however a great introduction to the world for Busta Rhymes, would go 3.5

Not the worst but far from the best

Again? Good lyrics and a distinctive sound but nothing stand out

I do actually like these but over the years I’ve got less keen on them. I should give them more of a listen. I seem to compare these quite a lot

Gammal Hiphop som inte är min smak, men det finns betydligt värre.

Mesma questão do álbum do Wu Tang Clan, bom disco, inegável o contexto histórico e a inovação da época, mas musicalmente falando, deixa a desejar. Não consigo mais apreciar esses boombaps secos dessa época, sem nenhuma virada, algo harmônico diferenciado, somente rimas em cima da batida. Enfim, legal, porém nada mais que isso.

I understand that it’s seminal to the genre, but I haven’t been into rap lately and the album sounds dated to me

It wasn't really my thing. It's not my favorite music genre.

Well I guess I liked this more than the last A Tribe Called Quest album I got, but that's not saying much. I haven't been able to get into any of the 90s Hip Hop albums on here. Favorite Track - Excursions Least Favorite Track - Rap Promoter ⭐️⭐️

A bit boring to be honest

Not for me.

From the Vault #26 (17 January, 2026) Another review from my rapidly-growing library of pre-assembled musings about music, and a ceremonious one at that. This is, presently, the highest-rated hip-hop album on the site, and one that I'd never heard of prior to my encounter with the first album from A Tribe Called Quest. I've come across it quite a few times since while I've been perusing the Internet. I am ostensibly not a fan of hip-hop, though I think I can be forgiven for raising my expectations just a smidge for this album. Guess I'll just hop into it. It started out promising, but lost my attention somewhere around the middle. I don't exactly have the most atuned ears when it comes to hip-hop, but these instrumentals are generally above-standard. There's a solid, bassy sound that fills many of the gaps which are traditionally present on these hip-hop albums. There's also some decent samples in here, too. I enjoyed the jazz samples in here quite a bit. The vocals are more or less the same when compared to ATCQ's previous outing. They're decent, but sound quite restrained when compared with what I'm used to from hip-hop. The lyrical content is occasionally fun and I appreciate the concise runtime, though I found this album to be quite disengaging on the whole. Like I said, I know this album is a big deal, so I shant consult the book for why it's in here. I cosign this inclusion and would honestly take another Tribe Called Quest album in lieu of the many landfill albums which populate this genre.

langweilig

Not that interesting

This has the rapping style of the 80s but lost the cheesiness. I think the cheese was key

I can imagine that this is a quite highly regarded album in it category at its time, it just fall firmly into the area of "I dont like that style of music" The lyrics are not particularly clever, dont move me in anyway and are often a little juvenile. Why yes I do hate fun.

It was ok

not my style but chill

I found the flow poor for my tastes, the beats not very interesting, and the rhymes not that clever Standouts - 2/5

Me aburrió.

It was fine for a few songs but after a while, it all started to sound the same to me. I found it quite boring.

За какие грехи мне это..

Eh… rap…

No. Just no. There is no appeal in this repetitive nonsense.

Some albums are timeless. This isn’t one of them unfortunately. 35 years old & sounding like it on some of the tracks.

gave it a whirl, not my thing but well put together.

Ok as far as hip hop albums go, this one isn't so bad. I actually really like the double bass throughout, although it is a little monotonous. But the delivery of the lyrics is basically like any hip hop album ever - the same cadence, the same tonality, the same basic rhythm. It's just so uninteresting and makes me not want to listen to what's actually being said. Calling it jazz inspired is a bit of a stretch for me but I was vaguely intrigued by the bass at first at least. But after about two or three songs I was done. It's just another hip hop album. 2/5

hella fire but not my thing, can see this being used in a up and coming indie movie

I like the nice but I don't like some of it and didn't add any #woke queen navy

Not quite my thing. But better than a lot of the rap that comes across the desk, as it where. Ultimately I just find it a bit dull?

Eipä jäänyt tämän kuuntelusta mieleen mitään erityistä. Aika tasapaksua biittiä.

wieder alter hip-hop, wieder klingt jedes lied gleich, und da ist da noch dieser rape song...

Another rap album that was a bit lewd, a bit silly but not particularly unusual or unique.

2/5.

i mean it's alright its not really resonating with me right now but i really like the first song but idk bro

cool album cover

I just don’t get it; bottom line - this was bad & I failed to wrestle any entertainment value from this album.

Much like Bob Dylan, a lot of what shines about this group is their penmanship much more than the delivery, the instrumentation, and their versatility. I've really always tried to like them but every time I listen I just don't remember any song at all. I understand the hype's gotta be for something but other rappers switch up their beats, flow, and tempo way more than these guys and if this album had that, I'd be all ears.