The Low End Theory

Nice old school rap, pretty repetitive bit nice

One of my all time favorite albums

Vet

Cat: 5 stars. My absolute favorite A Tribe Called Quest album. Masterpiece. AJ: Oh?

This album went crazy. The jazz elements and into alternative rap. This is genre defying for the time. Each song was unique and creative.

Extremely smooth, definition of easy listening.

WHAT THE FUCK!!!

This is good stuff. That is all.

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.

This was frustrating. I really enjoyed People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm and wanted to like this too, but it was just whiny and annoying. Whatever song it was about trash talking other rap artists with "Your lyrics is butt"... Yeah, that sums it up.

I really enjoy this record and understand how important it is to hip-hop. However, it has never been a go to rap record.

AMAZING!!

It sounds exactly like the 90s and it sounds exactly like today. RIP Phife Dawg

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

Another banger for me. I’m happy to see hip hop represented relatively early on this list and I don’t think you could do better than this album. Controversial take - I’m not a huge fan of a certain 80s hip hop sound that shows up on albums by Run-DMC or even early Beastie Boys (who, caveat, I would list among my favorite artists all around - hip hop or otherwise). I think the cadence of that era is a little silly and feels dated. And frankly I think that’s due to groups like Tribe that really changed the game. Tribe often (rightfully) is credited for building a bridge between jazz and hip hop and you can obviously hear that all over this album. Changed rap (and jazz!) forever for the better. In 2016 shortly after Phife Dawg passed away, TCQ released an album called “We got it from Here…Thank You 4 Your service” that featured support from Kanye, Andre 3000, Busta Rhymes (who makes his debut on this album!), and my personal favorite, Kendrick Lamar. And I would guess that those artists were the ones who felt like they had caught a windfall by being invited in. But you don’t find yourself in that kind of company without having made an enormous impact. Low End Theory is an iconic album and the first that we’ve listened to so far whose influence on genre is, in my opinion, indisputable.

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.

Nice beats, clear rap, easy to understand lyrics. Sadly beats get repetitive real quick, so one song yes, a whole album no. It's too boring.

The track Infamous Date Rape made me nauseous. Also: "Go get yourself some toilet paper 'cause your lyrics is butt" ... Come on. Got some solid beats though.

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.

Fantastico, uno dei migliori album hip hop

"The Low End Theory" by A Tribe Called Quest is, without a doubt, an incredible album. The infusion of jazz, particularly the mesmerizing basslines, is nothing short of genius, it offers a dynamic and groovy backdrop to the thought-provoking lyrics and skillful delivery of Q-Tip and Phife Dawg. However, I can't help but agree with another user who pointed out that the album predominantly uses a 4/4 time signature. While this doesn't take away from the album's overall brilliance, it can become a bit monotonous when listening to the entire album in one go. Some variety in the time signatures could have added another layer of depth and complexity. Regardless, it remains a classic and essential in any hip-hop collection.

Good, unique music but somewhat repetitive and no standout songs

4'3, bastante bien, Hip hop com temazos

One of my all time favorite albums from one of my all time favorite groups featuring one of my all time favorite 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

classic

Nooooo I couldn't hack the first song

not my usual genre of music but this made my work day more fun. Was a good vibe

an sich ganz geil, aber es wird nach einer weile echt repetitive wenn man sich das ganze album gibt.

4.

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

Amazing beats especially, loved the old school vibe. Recognized an epic beat sampled by Redman and Method man

Classic album for a reason. Low end theory is an old school jazz inspired rap record. Reminiscent of a time when lyrics took the forefront in rap records. The beats are great, but often simplistic. It accentuates the diction and the creativity in the lyrics. The opening track is the best example of this. The flow isn't some fast paced almost undecipherable flurry of words. ATCQ wants you to hear and marvelous at what they're saying. A couple of dudes from queens talking about thier lives. It is obvious why they are such an influential group to so many.

I mean c’mon, it’s A Tribe Called Quest. 80s/early 90s hip-hop is on another planet it’s so good, and A Tribe Called Quest are beyond even that. Truly pioneers.

Really funky and very cool. The rhymes are dope. The flow is excellent. I'm taking away a star for Infamous Date Rape which is an unfortunate inclusion. Otherwise this is a solid hip-hop album.

Richtig gute Hooks, finde ich aber maximal nervig

Very catchy. decent instrumentals. First album I actually liked haha

Loved it, a classic, easy listening

Fun. Beastie Boys connection.

not the infamous date rape 😞

This album's groove is undeniable. The added jazz definitely is audible in songs like Buggin' Out, Vibes and Stuff, and obviously Jazz (We've Got). A really nice introduction to the genre of hip-hop after the slightly aggressive and oh-so-strong delivery from TPAB. Personal highlights include Buggin' Out (fun bassline), Butter (nice backing track... guitar sound?), Check the Rhime (incredibly satisfying call-and-response structure), and Scenario (the epic finale that I didn't quite expect from an album with such an atmosphere). Side note: finding out that these guys made a flat-out homophobic song (which they, thankfully, decided not to put on this record) derailed this album's impression on me significantly. Still a great album though.

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.

Hip Hop classic. Sometimes Ill listen and not like it as much, but this time I appreciated it way more.

First off, this may be the coolest, smoothest hip hop albums of all time. The extremely tight jazz rhythms and samples are just enough, never too much— I can only imagine how small a sample time they’re dealing with here!— and it just has this overall smattering of cool over the whole thing. Massively influential, of course— there are about 10 artists I can think off the bat who you can trace directly to this sound— but it’s very singular by itself. The mix of the drums, samples, and bass always sounds coolly atonal to me. Maybe it’s the heavy bass, or the pastiche of samples that are just whimsically put together. But it has a tonality like nothing else. Mix that with these super fun guys who are both super lyrical, poetic, and yet never take themselves too seriously, dealing with the roller coasters of their newfound fame. The charisma is off the charts. I really love this kind of hip hop, which always feels more about real life advice, neighborhood relatable stuff, even as they’re talking about this new fame they’ve got. They just seem like super relatable kids you might hang out with in high school. That kind of juvenile but also earnest truth-telling is still in hip hop today, but it’s rare. Refreshing. You can’t help but root for Tribe. Or put them on in the background and tune out, it’s just as good. 5/5

Definitely a cool sound to this album and I know its importance but it can all start sounding same-y over time. Not enough variety of sound for my taste in hip hop. Great lyricism though and strong ending.

This builds so well after "People's Instinctive Travels...". The beats, lyrics, and delivery are all more refined in their sophomore album. I know some people rate this as their best, which I will disagree with, as 'Midnight Marauders" is the greatest hip-hop album of all time. However, this one is up there in the all time greats form this genre of music. A absolute classic. 5/5 Listen all the time

Fun and never knew the last song was from this album (here we go yo)

I will admit I don't know anything about ATCQ. I know I've heard their voices before in other media, but I've never jumped in... Man, I think I need to. I love hip hop in the 90s. This album so pure and accessible. These guys sound like they are New Yorkers -- a quick wikipedia tells me I'm correct.. Great mix between fantastic word play, bass lines and jazz riff. It's mellow, but at the same time you can lose yourself in the messaging. Busta Rhymes on the last track was unexpected and probably catapulting. I bet they helped define that East Coast hip hop sound and I'm sure this album is more culturally significant than I'm even aware. Favorite Track: Buggin Out

Good old school hip hop flow with great samples. Just all around good.

After a couple of hellish and stressful weeks, I'm finally ready to pick the list back up again. It's crazy that for a really long time I thought I wasn't into hip hop at all, but it's just because I wasn't hearing the right stuff. I realised there was more hip hop than just nothing but gloating about money, sex, drugs and violence. This jazzy East Coast hip hop is just so good. The lyricism is excellent, the music is a total vibe. I can't help but bop my head to it - It's chill but not boring or tiring. It bridges the gap between jazz and hip hop so well. Love this so much. Favourite: Jazz (We've Got)

This album was a real joy. One of those rap albums from the 90s I really enjoyed. 4.5/5

Definitely my preferred type of rap. I enjoyed the sparse, twangy baselines of most tracks.

Great album.

I enjoy the jazz hip-hop elements of the 90s and this album definitely hit that space with really fresh beats and rhymes. I was always entertained throughout.

Great.

Timeless, despite the dated references.

Perfect

Average rap music

Tony Hawkes pro skater vibes

Masterpiece

There's nothing I could say about this album that hasn't been said before. Incredible wordplay and production. Really solid album. I would absolutely buy this to keep for my own collection. Favorite track: Show Business

AWW YEAH

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

No need to say anything - 5 mic

Fanfuckingtastic

It's aight.

So good for the early 90s wtf

groovy

3.2

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

great. almost slipped but glad i didn’t. laid back and smooth

It occasionally shows it's age, but still a great album to listen and vibe to. The album definitely gets better the more I listen to it.

If Cool was an album, it'd be this one. Strong from start to finish and very easy listen. 8/10.

I got five on it! Arguably their best and a end to end burner! Not a weak song on this one, this is what five stars sounds like

Took a while for it to click for me, and nearly wrote it off before we got there. Lyrics and writing were very good, but music that relies heavily on loops isn't for me. Did enjoy the vibes, though.

Hip hop immortale, beat storici con un influenza jazz fortissima e un flow veramente veramente iconico, che fila giù liscio. It's like butter, baby

nothing to catch the ear

Awesome!

I love A Tribe Called Quest, and this album is fantastic. Totally understand why it's on this list. Lyrically, musically, and stylistically it's top tier. Plus "Scenario" is an all time classic.

Qué extraño! Otro álbum de hip hop que es un coñazo...

One of my favourite albums of all time and an undisputed hip-hop classic Q-Tip and Phife show on this album why they are two of the greatest rappers of all time Also an impeccable verse to close out the album performed by a then up-and-coming Busta Rhymes The jazzy beats add a sinister atmosphere to the conscious lyrics Favourite tracks: Excursions, Buggin Out, Butter, Verses from the Abstract, Check the Rhime, Jazz, Scenario

Could listen to this album all day long. Have loved it for years. Can’t believe this is from 91.

Fantastic.

Love it

Repetitive.

Mediocre. All songs basically sounded the same with the same beat. Nothing stands out.

Really good rap album. I am not the biggest rap fan, though. Wouldn't mind hearing in a coffee shop. Probably would never play it on my own.

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

Classic, amazing thing

Buggin' Out is one of their greatest songs "I never half step 'cause I'm not a half stepper Drink a lot of soda so they call me Dr. Pepper" is such a classic, so is "'Oh yo he's acting stank,' really on a regal? A man of the fame not a man of the people Believe that if you wanna but I tell you this much Riding on the train with no dough, sucks". Rest in Peace Phife, one of the greats Butter is so incredibly smooth, they're amazing story tellers Every beat on this album is a crazy classic beat Still not sure how I feel about Infamous Date Rape, its definitely supposed to be a more progressive view on it, condemning it, etc. which is super progressive for the 90s, but some of the lyrics still come off as weird to me on such a sensitive topic. Scenario is such a sick closer, Coast Contra did Tribe justice through their freestyle, you can definitely feel that this is where a lot of their inspiration came from.

docked a star for the date rape song but otherwise perfect

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?

Rubbish

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:

This is one of the first albums I heard that made me reconsider my relationship with rap. I've always appreciated it, but felt it pretty inaccessible, I was so aware I was not the target audience and lyrics are a thing I don't pay attention to for several listens unless I'm trying really hard. But this was so easy to understand, the jazz samples were choice, and while I'm still not the target audience it didn't feel nearly as unrelatable to my viewpoint. So I'm grateful to ATCQ for starting me on that journey. That being said, listening again over a decade later its age is beginning to show a bit. The 90s in particular it seems were an impossible time for someone to produce a timeless feeling record. So much has followed and our collective understanding of what's edgy and still worthwhile vs just not ok has changed - looking at you, Infamous Date Rape... Still great, just not quite making it to 5 for me.

I’ve got a lot of respect for this album, but musically it’s never stuck with me as One of the Greats. Maybe it’s just because of how hip hop has evolved over time, maybe it’s because of the song Infamous Date Rape (which, why?), but it doesn’t get me going enough to be a 5. That said, it’s still an excellent, wildly influential album. Excursions is a phenomenal opener and the record doesn’t feel too long which I feel was a big issue in the 90s. I might like Midnight Marauders better.

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.

I like getting this after Bowie because I feel similarly about a Tribe Called Quest. People absolutely love them and while I think this was well made music it just did not personally excite me that much. The best part for me is Busta’s verse on “Scenario”. Good rappers, jazzy beats but not thrilling for me.

It’s fun to listen to.

Not a fan, but gets two stars because one of these songs was in Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 and that always brings back good memories.

Maybe my favorite artists from hip hop's golden era, I still love most of the tracks on this album. Something about the production and the samples used on these early Tribe albums just makes them timeless classics to me. There's unfortunately several songs with some peak-90's "nice guy" misogyny which I hadn't really clocked until this listen. Those songs aside, I'll never get tired of Low End Theory.

Listened to this for another list recently. Really good. 4/5

No hyperbole- this is the best rap album ever. Q-Tip and Phife Dawg have incomparable chemistry, the beats are immaculate, vintage, timeless and futuristic all at once, and it just sounds full. Not to mention fun. This is what you play to someone skeptical of rap. A

Very nice sound, the production is impeccable. The hooks aren't really there, but I don't think that's the point. This is a perfect album to work to or put on at a gathering.

Great “walkin around” music.

Undoubtedly god tier.

Bom.

Great! I really enjoyed the instrumentals and lyricism.

For some reason I hadn't listened to much A Tribe Called Quest. But that will change now. This was an absolute banger. I love all their styles and flows, and it just oozed quality,

Another 90s hip hop. No review.

I cant fathom why this album is special enough to make it on a top 1001 list. its a genre... is it amazing? no. plus there is plenty of this genre here.

From the great Ron Carter’s eerie double-bass opening & Q-Tip’s amazing opening rap on Excursions, this album proves to be like no other hip-hop album I’ve ever heard. And, indeed, I’d never heard this album before, even though I realise that it’s been one of the most influential albums on my son’s career, and on the development of the genre in the last 30 years. Carter’s bass is prominent on many tracks, notably Buggin Out & the knockout Scenario, which also includes very early Busta Rhymes. The sampling is extremely tasteful - Average White Band’s Love Your Life used in Check The Rhime, the first single off the album, is a good example. And the lyrical content is always interesting - I loved Verses From The Abstract, Rap Promoter - in fact the album contains some of the most intelligent lyrics of any hip-hop album I’ve ever heard. This was a delight to listen to.

There have been so many gangsta rap albums on this list, that I was almost starting to think I didn't like hip hop. The misogyny and violence of gangsta rap just makes me more and more uncomfortable. It wasn't Ok at the time, and it just gets worse with time. Thank goodness for A Tribe Called Quest. I like this record sooooo much more than many of the hip hop records I have been forced to listen to. It is cool and laid back, smart and funny, sensitive and insightful. I love the chilled production and Q-Tip and Phife's flow is so great. Chris Jones for the BBC wrote that Tribe "almost single-handedly defined the alternative rap scene, where intelligence and musical nouse replaced guns, hos and bragging. ... Low End [Theory] pushed the jazz connection even further with a sparse but not quite minimal selection of grooves built around some exquisitely chosen upright bass samples ... Remember that this was in direct contrast to the West Coast G Funk about to explode onto the scene. Like its predecessor, it combined humour with insight to show the world that ‘rap’ needn’t be equated with the worst aspects of the American dream." Amen. A great, great record that reminds us all of what is great about hip hop. It sounds better with age.

I really enjoyed this album. As a first-time listener, there were no stand out tracks as such, but I loved the overall sound of the album - so cool and so, well, of its time and place! Some of the lyrics perhaps haven't aged well, but the beats and use of sampling were great. Will definitely listen again and explore some more of their music.

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

Feckin love tribe

I remember when I first listened to this album a few years ago being confused at people calling it a bridge between jazz and hip hop, and on today's relisten I still am to a degree. It certainly does infuse jazz elements - especially in the basslines, but it doesn't incorporate jazz further than what serves the hip hop beat. There are no solos or soaring instrumentation or strange time signatures. But while this is a hip hop record through and through - it's a bloody good one through and through

It is the perfection of Alt-Rap. This record made me dislike a lot of other rap records at the time. This record is slick, sophisticated, snazzy and jazzy. This will make your head bob. Metal heads had headbanging. Tribe brought the pizzazz to rap. And yes, it does remind me of bee-bop.

Great albun

i didn’t have high expectations for this website i thought i was just gonna get shit like lana del rey or taylor swift but omgggg this started off with a BANG. this album was fucking incredible i loved it. im so glad that i found this website.

I've been interested in this one, considering it's believed to be up there as one of the hip-hop greats, and it was certainly good, but I did expect a bit more. For instance, this is labeled Jazz-Rap, but I feel the jazz influences are very light, due to the simplified production. You won't be finding any interesting jazz riffs save for one or two. Q-Tip's voice and flow is still super tight though, and I really recommend you walk with earbuds whilst listening, and you'll get pretty into it. This one may grow on me in future listens, but for now, while I get the praise, I don't think I can put it way up there.

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

yeah this was a great listen, just super high quality beats and lyrics and flow. consistent throughout, never a dull moment on the album. just front to back really really good.

This is exactly why I started using this album a day thing. Sure I’ve heard of A Tribe Called Quest, I’d even heard 1 or 2 of these songs but I’d never go out of my way to listen to the whole album. It was really cool! I really loved the jazzy aspects.

The only ATCQ album Id ever listened to was their most recent one, which I thought was absolutely mint but never got round to their older stuff. Was chuffed when this cropped up, and wasnt let down. How they weren’t ever the biggest rap group on the planet baffles me (or maybe they were? I dunno). They do seem to be the band that influenced the biggest bands on the planet though. Like a rap version of The Velvet Underground. This just sounds like a step above other similar records. It’s clever, incredibly well put together, and catchy as fuck but in a way that doesnt lose any of its integrity like some records do. Love the subtle jazz influences that are threaded throughout. The whole record just sounds authentic. Love it.

Really good, like wu tang Clan the beats and flow were a cut above other hip hop from the same time. As often happens when going through this list, I learned a couple of parts of songs from other artists I like have been lifted from quest, which is an endorsement. I can't truly put it at the same level as my favourite hip hop (RTJ/Aesop rock) but ill definitely be listening again.

I didn't really have any expectations heading into this - I get them confused with Questlove and the Roots. However - what a great album. Clearly well thought through, with plenty of highlights (Show Business). I did go back and listen a second time but wouldn't a third, hence 4 stars. If any more A Tribe Called Quest albums come up, I can't wait.

How these guys were not the biggest thing going is crazy. They have such crisp lyrics and simple flowing beats. I really enjoyed the Hip-Hop/Jazz mix, will definitely listen to this again. Highlights: Buggin' Out Check The Rhyme Jazz (We've Got) Scenario

I knew of a tribe called quest and the famous tracks but never listened to an album. This was better than I was expecting and further adds to my theory that I much prefer East Coast to the West Coast! This is the sound I think of when I think of hip hop. Was really chilled in parts, but then pretty funky with great bass lines in others. Great flow. I'll be listening again.

I listened to "What?" twice and it took the second time to figure out the little moment of silence in the middle... I have all of De La Soul's stuff, so I don't know why I never picked up any of A Tribe Called Quest. But man, this fits a nice funky spot. Everyone is playing off of each other lyrically, they are really doing some cool stuff here. My favorites so far are "Excursions" and "Buggin' Out". I like the bass riff going throughout "Excursions" very jazzy. Definitely one I'd like to get into more.

These guys were always smooth. This album is no different - slick jazz hip-hop. But it lacks some variety. The songs blend together, which is cool from a chill vibe perspective but not from a unique thing perspective. The songs that did stand out were awesome - Excursions (perhaps because first song), Show Business (witty/clever lyrics), What? (again, super witty/clever and cool beat), Scenario (good energy). When I sit down and really pay attention, the songs are more varied but the really great albums don't require that effort to truly love. Still a very good album, but not great.

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

If you could wear out a CD, I would have wore out my copy of "People's Instinctive Travels". I will admit that "Low End" hasn't gotten nearly as much play into my ear-balls. This record has some good moments and is more straightforward rap than "People's".

Good, but it didn't really blow my mind

The album that got me into rap, 10/5

Was ok

Liked this a lot more than a lot of the earlier rap albums I’ve heard. Rating: 4.2

Not my favorite rap album. Low key.

This is my favorite album of all time - full stop. It's perfect back to front. That bass line that flows into Tip's verse get me hyped every time; the first time I heard that I knew I was in for something special, and my God does the rest of the album deliver. This is Hip-Hop at it's finest RIP Phife

Good album. Instantly valued in hip hop genre

Absolutely terrible! Though it is impressive to make something to monotone and boring!

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.

Loved the vibes - Jazz was reaaaally good - Infamous date rape -> the beat is really cool

Maybe the best hip hop record ever made. 10/10

Hip hop

Musique bien funky.

Added to favorite albums

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

The beats and delivery are 🔥 Highlights: Excursions, Buggin' Out, Jazz (We've got), What?

One of the greatest hip hop albums ever released.

One of my favorite albums already. Love the instrumentation on the album, feels like a jazz club with 2 great emcees crushing it.

Enjoyable. Will definitely revisit again, along with the other albums by them. Favorite track: Show Business

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

definitely 1990s hip hop a tiny bit like MF DOOM solid album

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

Favourites: • Excursions

-i have vaguely heard of this band before but haven’t listened to them -loving this first song -THAT BASSSSSS -okay i love how kinda subtle the background and instruments are because the rap can really shine -and i Love the lines in the raps -its so fun and chill -check the rhime is a genuine bop -this album gets an easy 4 for me, fun chill and easy to listen to

really solid. Not a single song I wanted to skip, and I enjoyed all of them as well as the lyrics.

Fantastic album, will return for more of their work.

Just a phenomenal album. Not much else to say, just peak early nineties hip hop.

such a pivotal album for hiphop, one of the best ever. the boom-bap beats and jazz influence throughout make this such an easy and seamless listening experience.

"The Low End Theory" by A Tribe Called Quest is a groundbreaking album that defines the essence of jazz-infused hip-hop. Released in 1991, it's a masterpiece that fuses complex beats, smooth rhythms, and conscious lyrics. Tracks like "Check the Rhime" and "Scenario" exemplify the group's lyrical prowess and skillful sampling. The album's production is rich, with its jazz influences creating a mellow yet engaging vibe. However, for some listeners, the album's laid-back approach might feel a tad monotonous, and certain tracks might blend together. Yet, "The Low End Theory" remains a quintessential record that revolutionized hip-hop, despite moments where its continuous style may not fully captivate every listener's attention.

Classic, vintage, and still sounds great. Less is more, and the tasteful and timely jazz flourishes really make the record. "Butter," "Verses" and "Vibes" are the best cuts. This is just a tick down from a full-on masterpiece, by which one means, a 5.

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

Truly great hip hop album with several truly essential tracks and a couple of clunkers.

pretty sick'

Almost unbelievable that this is already over 30 years old and still sounds fresh. Relaxed and Jazzy HipHop, where the flow of the songs into each other is only rivaled by the flow of Q-Tip himself.

After deciphering that Infamous Date Rape is more of a social commentary than being inherently misogynistic, I’m happy to be able to say this album SLAPPED.

This is super chill hip hop and I am here for it.

Kinda repetitive and not the greatest rapping I’ve ever heard, but on the same points, the production is strong and consistent, and the vibes are impeccable. Some really excellent and influential beats. Shoutouts to Busta Rhymes’s random show-stealing appearance on the final track. Best song: Jazz (We’ve Got)

listened to again one of the greats

I mean what’s not to love here, it’s a smoothie

Hip-hop you can show your parents

Perfect. Midnight Marauders bolji ipak.

I enjoyed this.

Fun lyrics, recognized some songs and the album cover.

Great album! Excellent vibes, awesome beats, and engaging lyrics! No wonder why it’s a classic!

This was absolutely stellar all the way through, and one of my favorite listens so far. Q-Tip and Phife Dawg just have buttery smooth flows on every single track, but the wordplay was fantastic and made you really want to hear what they had to say. Meanwhile, the production from Q-Tip mostly was awesome. Most of the record was quite chill and laid back vibes, with a lot of simple minimalistic beats mixed in with some break beat moments and my favorite was the little jazzy samples and instrumentals mixed in. Every song had a great head-bobbing groove to it. My favorites were definitely Show Business, Butter, the first three tracks, and What? (which I especially liked with the clever rhymes throughout). This should be a listen for folks who think they don't like hip hop or think little of it, because from front to back it's a incredibly clever record.

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

Not into rap

Good example of the genre but a bit samey. Felt like the same song repeated several times. Time to mix it up a bit fellas.

8/10. Solid as hell, not a new favorite or anything, but I was pleased to discover there was still some Tribe Called Quest left on the list.

Yeah. 9/10

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

I had never heard this album before and I had to listen to it twice. First time through, I just grooved to it and the second time through I listened to it on Apple Music with the lyrics turned on.

Easy to listen to hip hop

If I could do 4.5 I would. 4 is doing this album such a disservice. Some of the best hip-hop pre-2010s. Rating: 8.5/10

Tribe starts slow, but psychodelic. Then they open up, but only a little bit, just to keep the psychodelic vibe going. The beats are great and the flow is absolutely one of the greatest in history.

4.0

un bon flow, bon pace. J'ai adoré c'était en plein dans mon genre. Beat plus old school, le flow et le rap sont a l'honneur 4.5

Nope

stone cold classic 5/5

Love this album and really bummed I just listened fully now in 2023. Easily 5/5. Great production and lyrics are on point. RIP Phife! 5/5

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.

Dated and kinda boring. Minus one more star for Infamous Date Rape.

Very slick and easy to listen to. Clever writing and infectious beats. Will return to this. No particular highlight - enjoyed it all.

жирный сочный бас с рэпом алкоальбом: бейлис с коньяком

Fantastic name for a band. I'm not a huge hip hop fan, but this has a good flow.

From a point that Hip-hop was becoming the best version of itself, this is one of the best.

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

Very monotonous and repetitive

Het vorige album van deze gasten vond ik kennelijk nog wel aardig, maar hier is niet doorheen te komen. Alleen maar non-stop geouwehoer. De stukjes dat ze even hun smoel houden zijn een verademing, maar die zijn veel te kort. Halverwege afgezet, en zelfs dáár zat ik met smart naar uit te kijken.

Dit album onderscheidt zich van stamalbum. Er is een professionaliseringsslag gemaakt. Alles is in balans. De rap is bijna meer een instrument dan een tekst. Daardoor prikkelt het wat minder. Het album kabbelt vooral lekker door. Het wordt achtergrond-rap. Lekker om bij te werken. Maar stiekem vind ik het eerdere, waarschijnlijk minder uitgedachte album fijner om naar te luisteren.

Weer zo'n lekker laidback hiphop plaatje van A Tribe. Het is eigenlijk drie kwartier dezelfde vibe, waarop de rappers hun lyrics spitten. Geen idee waar ze het allemaal over hebben en het zal me ook een zorg zijn. Het klinkt relaxed en daarom vind ik het prettig om te luisteren.

boring

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.

Legendarisk hiphop, jazz-samples, ordspil, humor, minimalistisk

a tribe called quest er goood

A Tribe Called Quest is one of those hip hop groups I can actually listen to, so this was quite good! Saved tracks: Verses from the Abstract, Check the Rhime, Scenario LP Mix

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.

Good album

Ok this was really great but still suffered from the same issue that plagues nearly every rap album - SO VERY LONG.

I don't understand.

Meh, just couldn’t get through it, I may have to try again another day

An old favourite!

Awesome LP !!!

Phenomenal

quite good, hip hop is not my fav but his one is enjoyable! Recommend!

Stripped back and smooth, with nothing theoretical about its prominent low end bass. Unusually an album that drags a bit in the first half rather than the second.

3,5

Released at the turn of the 1990s and incredibly influential towards the foundation of modern rap, the Tribe's most recognized album also feels incredibly dated and most songs feel repetitive and drag on a little.

Hip hop classic: tasteful and influential.

This won’t be my first listen this is a hella good album. Least fav excursions/everything is fair Fav vibes And stuff/scenario

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

okay, need to listen again, didn’t feel it much

good Album it Kinds Dips in quality in the middle,but it’s a fun conscious rap album.It feels weirdly dated but in a good way.Don’t hear rappers rapping about “africa being the motherland” a lot anymore.They make two arsenio hall references for some reason.Check the Rhime is great.The whole Albums has this very relaxed chill vibe to it.

Based Album

I found this album particularly boring. Only standout song was the final song, Scenario. Other than that this album did not get a second listen.

Not so interesting

Low end theory has been proven.

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

This album does nothing for me. 99% of hip hop I can't stand. Don't like the rhythm, the sound or the lyrics.

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.

C Excursions - 3 Buggin’ Out - 2 Rap Promoter - 2 Butter - 3 Verses from the Abstract - 2 Show Business - 2 Vibes and Stuff - 2 Infamous Date Rape - 2 Check the Rhime - 2 Everything Is Fair - 2 Jazz (We’ve Got) - 2 Skypager - 2 What? - 2 Scenario (LP Mix) - 5 This was actually much better than I expected. Scenario was the only track I'd listened to before, and one I'm very familiar with. I always view Tribe as white people's favorite rap group and I feel like Tribe would be disgusted by that sentiment. Progressive High School English teachers wax poetic about these guys. It's usually the same teachers who apologize for being white to the non-white students.

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.

Between this and renaissance, q-tip is pretty safely my GOAT old school rapper and it’s cool that I discovered him through this list. His jazzy production abilities and his rapping/lyricism is almost unmatched by anything else from this time period on this list. It didn’t excite me like renaissance did and isn’t something I want to relisten to a lot but it’s still great. Check the rhime is probably my favorite.

This album starts with the observation that hip hop is like bebop. The music itself is classic New York hip hop and includes jazz elements such as walking stand up bass, horns, and the occasional use of a ride cymbal in place of high hats. Lyrically, this is a socially conscious album which includes criticism of the rap industry, discusses violence, and critiques misogyny. Overall, this album predicts the rise of progressive rap in the 2000s and 2010s and is one of the best and most cohesive hip hop albums of the 90s and all time.

Has become a classic Hip Hop album.

Nice. I'll probably use as background music when working.

4/5. Honestly, the more I listen to this album the better it gets. The chill low bass is what drives this album, with some nice rhythmic and smooth riffs and beats. The lyrical content will take some time to digest but if it’s excellent, this could definitely be a 5.

Nice

While this is not to my taste, this is still a good album.

Anybody wanna play Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2?

Quality old skool hip hop.

Loved the old-school vibes and all-round positivity

I love A Tribe Called Quest. The combination of jazz samples and positive raps is nice.

Didn't know about this album, first glance at the artwork, I was already impressed. Enjoyed this way more than I'd expected to.

Outdated!

It's smooth. It flows. It's got a good vibe. But it's not as fun as stuff like Run DMC or Public Enemy. This is more mellow. Not as fun.

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

So good.

This is absolutely one of the best albums we'll get on the 1001 albums list!

Very enjoyable

This is life. 5 Stars. Magnificent.

I’ll preface this one by saying I haven’t listened to hardly any rap music from before like 2004 so I’m missing a lot of context here. The storytelling on this album is very strong throughout, but my enjoyment of each song correlated with how much I enjoyed each of the instrumentals. I love the dark bass line and then jazzy instrumentals on Excursions, but then Buggin’ Out has a similar instrumental formula with a bass line I don’t like as much as the first one. Because the instrumentals are so minimal, they basically have to be perfect or else they get stale pretty fast. Check the Rhime has a cool conversational dynamic that is really cool to listen to over another one of the album’s best beats. “What?”Is another one of my favorites on here, fun clever verse over a quirky lil beat. I could see this one going up to a 5 for me, I need a few more listens to unpack some of the lyrics. Cover art: 8/10

All the beats are a vibe to chill to and could definitely dig deeper into the lyrics the more I listen to this one. Got a little behind on listening so I only went through once so the main thing that I got into was the jazzy production well mixed beats. I feel like a lot of 90s hip hop beats don’t hold up over time but these ones still seem well mixed. 👍: show business, check the rhime

Fun album, really like vibes and stuff and a few other tracks. The no cursing threw me off tho

The transition from Rap Promoter into Butter…IS SMOOTH LIH BUTTA The influence of tribe is without question but there was a miss or two on here that I wasn’t expecting. 👍: butter, check the rhime, 👎:everything is fair

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?

Great flow, great beats, great hip hop. 4 stars

Tribe is always classic and timeless

Some of the beats here were great but 80s/90s rapping still doesn't do it for me

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

I don't have a history with this album but these songs are fantastic. The beats and samples are great, and I really like Q-tip's voice, both the sound of his voice, and the way that he's chill, vulnerable, self deprecating, and still delivers a message.

Definitely my favorite Tribe album. I really miss this era of jazz heavy hip hop. As I continued to listen, it went from a 4 to a 5 cause it just flows. It's like butter baby.

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.

I don't like most rap, with a few notable exceptions: Kendrick, De La Soul, Outkast, and Tribe. Tribe may just be my favorite among them. They walk the line between fun and intelligence so well. You can be entertained by the cleverness of their prose, or just vibe to the beat. I think the reason why their beat clicks so well with me is that they use a lot of rock samples. Their basslines are always so slick. Anyways, I don't know where I'm going with this. I slightly prefer Midnight Marauders, but this album is deserving of 4.5 stars.

Old school

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

I love Q-Tip's flow. Redundancy of the (drum) riff not appealing, but overall this is a beauty.

Perfectly fine

fine. not for me.

It was kinda repetitive but I enjoyed some of it. Not really my jam

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.

legendary artists from a legendary time in music history. Setting the bar and breaking the mold for future artists to build and tear and dissect to their needs.

One of the best hip hop albums ever.

Loved the vibes and the flows, great mix of jazz and hip hop. Tribe Called Quest really rewards listening to the lyrics too, they are very clever. A few hits but I mostly appreciated how the album all fits together.

I really enjoyed this one! Fun lyrics, classic 90s rap. I wish 'can I kick it' was on this album! I will definitely listen to this album again, and have added some of the songs to my regular Playlists.

I am familiar with these guys but not this album. This is dope. I was expecting some basically written hip hop lyrics here (hey it’s tribe called quest and I’m here to say, we like to rap in the old school way). Was pleasantly surprised by the flow in these tracks. Some boombap drums take the lead, as they should, and the emcees get all of the credit. Rappers that gain their notoriety in Queens tend to be pretty killer and these guys are no exception. Worth a listen!! I can't get away from sharing a bit of music trivia if you have read any of my reviews on this site! Something that is worth discussing when studying hip hop music is the artist's vocabulary. These guys aren't dumb-dumbs. I enjoy looking at this site sometimes to see where certain rap artists stack up with their vocabulary against other artists. Just like that fighting game Def Jam but with their pure lyrical content. These guys have 4,550-5,000 unique words in their discography which puts them in the same category as artists like Beastie Boys and Nas. Lots of funny observations to be made with this graph, like if you have a Lil in your name, you are pretty much doomed to be a rapper with a lower vocabulary (2750-3200 unique words). Here is the link: https://pudding.cool/projects/vocabulary/index.html

Funky but not that Fresh

Jazz Rap!

Buttery goodness. This album is perfect for making a batch of cocktails before guests come over for a games night resulting in you get trapped listening to an insufferable pop music playlist. Although I’m not really familiar with Quest’s catalogue, I was happy to take a little excursion and really listen to this respected group. I hear their name tossed around a lot when talking about influential hip hop acts and all that jazz. The art form of rap hangs mostly in the lyrics and cool turns of phrases, with innovative rhimes and intonations. This record has a variety of deep and silly lyrics, making it an enjoyable listen with good vibes and stuff. The beats are fairly similar from song to song, as there is some repetitiveness on the surface but everything is fine because even with that, I was bobbing for most of the record. Especially when a heavy bass or a sax shows up, it gets me buggin out. As exampled by Show Business. I knew it was my favourite track within 4 seconds of it coming on. I feel cool listening to this album.

Been a fan of this album for a while. Love the jazzy sampling and the minimalist beats - this album is about the "vibe". The lyrics are great; meandering from silly to serious, the wordplay is always on point. Q-Tip and Phife are so in-sync here, the flow between them is unreal.

As someone who isn't really interested in lyrics most of the time, there is very little on this album to take my attention. The music backing up the rap is token at best, with few interesting beats or attempts at supporting melodies. There is little structure in these tracks, it's mainly just rap verses without many choruses or other changes to the formula. The album has nearly the same tempo for every song as well. All of this combines for an album that is largely interchangeable tracks that fails to get my attention and disappoints when it does.