The Low End Theory

I liked this album more than I thought I would. Lyrically interesting, musically pretty boring.

I mean it's prime Tribe.

Feels unfair to say it, but this didn't land with me at all. Almost certain that I listened in the wrong mindset and wrong environment, but it left me cold. Dull, unremitting, and not quite as smart as I hoped it would be.

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.

Not a rap fan

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.

I gotta get me one of those pagers, they sound cool HL: "Check the Rhime", "Show Business", "Excursions", "Scenario" March 20, 2023

De har gjort 2 hyggliga låtar. Ingen av dem är med på detta album.

Peak of rap

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

Avant-garde. Textes positifs, optimistes. Promotion d'un panafricanisme. Album de rap très, très jazz.

Astounding. Amazing. Legendary. One of my favourites. Love love love

Chull

This being the first hip-hop record I really listened to probably explains why I like it so much, but man, it’s just such a fantastic record. Timeless beats from Ali Shaheed Muhammad and the signature playful yet pointed lyrics from Q-tip and Phife Dawg, who now has come much more into his own as a sideman compared to their debut, making for a balanced and entertaining trading of rapping styles. I often find certain lines or phrases from the record repeating in my head, sometimes not even realizing where they’re from. From the attention-grabbing bassline and introductory narrative that starts things off to Busta Rhyme’s career-making verse closing things out, it’s a joyride the whole way through

Den här skivans trummor, bas, samples, låter helt härliga... dammiga... Kunde vara typ 2 låtar kortare... för att sammanfatta: Det är tyvärr ingen Spit on a Stranger EP. Super solid 4

Undeniable classic. From lyrics to beats to the cultural impact, this will forever remain an all-timer. Rest in Power Phife Dawg.

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

Hmmmm not me

Great album! Mixture of Jazz and hip hop is immaculate.

Meh

Really great flow on everything

It’s pretty hard for a rap album to remain relevant and listenable over time given how much styles and sounds change. It’s crazy that this album is over 30 years old and still sounds so fresh. The raps from Q-tip and Phife are poignant and powerful and surprisingly don’t sound dated. The jazz production is timeless and love the fact they used a real bass player. Probably one of the best early rap albums.

I'm usually not very into old rap albums but this one just doesn't sound dated. This is a pretty fun album with a lot of interesting sounds and song concepts. Standouts include: -Buggin' Out -Verses from the Abstract -Check the Rhime -Jazz -Scenario

I'm not a big rap fan and this didn't seem like a good example of the genre Last couple of tracks were ok but I'd already lost interest by then

One of my favorite hip hop albums. They perfect their style here, with no second feeling wasted. They get straight to the point, with one song immediately getting to the action and leading straight to the next. It's harder to find a more consistent album. I felt excited for every song with tons of highlights that stand out as some of the most iconic songs hip hop has to offer. The jazz samples and beats sound incredible, deep and dark, distinctive from what everyone else was doing. It sounds really cool on top of Q-Tip's and the others' raps. Q-Tip is by far my favorite rapper. He's funny and conscious, clear and precise. His flow is smooth and aligns with the samples. I'm obsessed with his cool voice. But the other rappers aren't bad either. They contribute to a vibrant and lively vibe, and several of them give a passionate performance without coming off as too grating.

Goat

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

An easy 4, could have been a 5 prob if I 'enjoyed' the album more. It's obviously great, but just not 'my thing' enough to bring me back to it. I loved this listen, but that's prob enough for a while. The "jazz samples over heavy/deep bass and beats" aesthetic is really awesome and was probably quite a revelation when this record was released. Def it's easy to hear this record in later stuff by The Roots.

Liked this album back in the day, love it now.

A very nice old school hip hop album, nothing to add about it.

Pretty different from what I am used to listen, I also really like the production on this album!

Some incredible production, great rhymes, but the album does tend to get a bit repetitive. Good vibes, but overstays its welcome for me.

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

I *love* the production on this album, but occasionally the flow is... A bit cheesy sounding. I think it's mostly an artifact of the times, and no doubt this is an essential listen, a hip-hop classic... But it does keep it from getting the 5 from me. I don't think that'll change for me either, I've listened to this one a LOT (and will continue to, it's a great album). 4.5 rounded down.

A classic.

Classic

Best: Jazz (We’ve Got) Worst: Skypager people gotta stick their nose in the business

3.5

All time great hip hop album, an absolute masterpiece

Just absolutely amazing hip-hop.

So so good. Great hip hop, 4/5

From Excursions to Scenario there's not a bum song in the bunch except maybe Butter's content. I love the sound, energy and overall vibe of this record. Lyrics that are singable and worthy of study. It is peak Tribe.

I wasn't aware there was an alternative hip hop genre, but I likes it.

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

Great hip hop album

One dimensional, same tone rapping over the same beats

Fairly tedious by numbers hip hop.

One of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. From the first subdued seconds of "Excursions", with its iconic basslines, to the blast of "Scenario", here's a record that ages like fine wine--the sort of jazzy rap album that even foretells Kendrick Lamar's forays into similar subgenres decades after the fact. Other reviews in here just perfectly encapsulated how essential this album is. Just to give you one example, "(We've got) Jazz" is proof that this record looks into the past while being of its time, and yet can still be considered timeless. And almost each track from this masterpiece shows those sorts of assets. As I'm writing this short assessment on my phone, a friend of mine just looked over my shoulder and said: "Oh this is *The Low End Theory*, by A Tribe Called Quest, right?". It just took him two seconds to recognize the cover. This is how iconic this album is for a whole generation (and hopefully, for many others to come). Number of albums left to review: 655 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 173 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 82 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 96

solid album, similar beats but it all flowed really well with good lyrics too

Awesome rap. 4

Love this album. I haven't listened to it as much as Midnight Marauders (my favorite tribe album), but this album is still super solid. Its not a usual front to back album for me but most of this album is probably still in my constant rotation of songs I listen to regularly. Excursions, Butter, Scenario are the favorites.

Fantastic.

Never really ever crossed paths with Tribe. I was aware of them but never really listened. I really enjoyed this.

Superior hip hop that grooves along, and no skits. A couple of bangers away from a 5. Best song Excursions

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.

Så jävla bra

One of the best albums there is!

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.

Incredibly influential album. This absolutely deserves a spot on the list.

I really enjoyed the bass and drum grooves on this album.

Awesome jazzy hip hop. Q-Tip is a cool cat, and this fuzzy-sounding record is nearly a 5 in my book.

A Tribe Called Quest, and Q-Tip in particular, really paved way for a new era of hip hop with The Low End Theory blasting it’s way into the 90’s. The beats are kept to a jazzy minimal with Q-Tip and Phife Dawg providing almost flawless lyrical performances one after another. When it comes to hip hop, Quest truly is something else.

It was one of the albums of all time

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

Must try and listen altho my entire being recoils in disgust.

I was but a small child when this was released (9 to be precise) and really would have only heard this from the environment around me. In discovering Tribe in college, I spent more times with Midnight Marauders than this one, but always thought this was a classic. Nowadays, I think it is a matter of my mood as to which one I prefer. Regardless, a classic album without really any weak points. An album that's certainly among my 20 favorite hip-hop albums of all time, this is an easy one to score and rate.

A classic. No notes.

I am very much a hip-hop newbie (especially since I was a whole 2 years old when this album came out) so I am not very good yet at articulating what I like about different albums. I am really enjoying this one though, I recognized a few of the songs so I must have heard them I passing. I think my favorite part is the jazzy instrumentation behind a lot of the songs, especially the bass.

My first full listen to what's considered as an all-time classic album, and I can see why. Phife & Q-Tip have great chemistry and the beats are on point! favs: Check the Rhime, Jazz (We've Got), Verses from the Abstract, Scenario least fav: What?

One of my all time favorite hip hop albums. I don't know if it was the first, but it was the first one I noticed a real Jazz influence in. This was the peak of golden age beats and lyrical invention.

I have heard of A Tribe Called Quest and I have heard of this album, although I think I may associate it with another band maybe? Nice flow, good beats and bass lines! Sounds like a double bass on the first two tracks. Samples are good throughout. Each member plays really well off the other, excellent lyrically. Fuck what you heard. 4 stars!

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

Way better than the first one we had.

This album is better than the first, tighter and better production. Not sure why they are both included, I think one album accurately represents them as there are not major differences between them.

FUNKY, FRESH, and an absolute CLASSIC. Happy to listen through this album again, it's good vibes every time. Rest in peace Phife, modern day masterpiece.

so good from beginning to end. smart lyrics, interesting/creative form of each phrase

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

Love them

Excellent, jazzy rap. Fantastic beats on every song. The production is really crisp and clean. I was convinced there was a lot of newly recorded live instrumentation on this but looking at the credits, there doesn’t seem to be much. I’m impressed that the sampling is clean enough that the music sounds like a live band in the studio. The album also closes with “Scenario,” one of my all-time favorite rap songs and probably a top 100 song of any genre. Such a fun jam. Busta Rhymes’ verse is classic.

Super cool band and super cool album. I love the sound, and I can hear so much hip hop looking to this act as a foundational source of sound for the genre. I really dig the jazz influence and overall production. I love the flows specifically- they are really so pleasing to sit and focus-in on and also to have in your ear while relaxing and not so focused. I think listening to A Tribe Called Quest in 2023 will make me hear their influence in other hip hop and rap groups that are around today, like Kendrick Lamar is one that pops out as probably being influenced by this them. This album is an easy 4/5 for me.

Favourite tracks: Rap Promoter, Jazz (We’ve Got), Scenario

The low key beats, the flows, the whole package. What more do you want?

Enjoyed this a lot. Nice beats, but a few problematic lyrics that feel very much of their time.

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

Enjoyed it less than DMC so 2 stars.

Chill vibe, laid back and jazzy. Clever and fun. But perhaps just a touch too, how shall I say, consistent?, throughout. 3.5 rounding up for the album cover art.

Enjoyed the first half, but the second half felt disjointed, and had some questionable songs such as the 'dare rape' one.

Back in the days on the boulevard of Linden We used to kick routines and presence was fittin' It was I, The Abstract And me the five footer I kicks the mad style so step off the frankfurter Yo, Phife, you remember that routine That we used to make spiffy like Mr. Clean? Um, um, a tidbit, um, a smidgen I don't get the message so you gots to run the pigeon One of the best. Rhymes like literally no one else has ever produced and the purest east coast hip hop that the 90s ever had. 5/5

So good

Amazing hip hop album from the 90s and golden era. Countless tracks that are now classics. Love it.

Smooth and funky

Great stuff. Nice to chill out to or get some work done.

I've listened to this album enough to know it's a five-star. It speaks for itself. RIP PHIFE DAWG. 5/5.

Chock full of classics. Didn't care for the android tour guide though. Four sticks of butter. 🧈🧈🧈🧈

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

Groovy

I’ve never been the biggest hip hop fan, but Tribe has always held a special spot for me. So good.

Awesome samples, great flows, classic 90's hip-hop record for a reason. 4.5/5

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

3.5

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

Very cool, very smooth. Clever lyrics and a great vibe. Not too many standout songs, but you can jump into any part of this album and you will enjoy it. The only criticism I have is that it can be a little repetitive in parts. 4.5 stars

Never heard a full album from Tribe Called Quest. I loved it

A distinctive jazz sound and creative rhymes make this a worthy listen. It's also a celebration of the dawn of the '90s!

I really dig this groove.

Funky and jazzy early 90s hip-hop. Very enjoyable.

I enjoyed this! Interesting to listen to with some good rhymes.

An incredible melding of hip-hop and jazz, each track flowing seamlessly into another. A Tribe Called Quest adeptly make social commentary both fun and funny.

I'm not a great Hip Hop fan but this is good. The stripped down jazz with full acoustic bass rocks along and Q-Tips intelligent clean rhythmic non sweary delivery is excellent. Will probably return. Excellent 3.75

Eu ouvi The Follow End Theory quando era bem mais novo. E é incrível ouvir de novo.

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.

Epic sheesh good already listen

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.

These Jazz sonorities really are hitting hard. The Bass is so groovy this really puts you in the mood. The flow is also super catchy. The prods tend to be on the minimalist side though and yet they manage to be efficient. The voice is really used an extra instrument which gives a nice result. This is a vibe from start to end. Listening in one go might be a bit repetitive but I guess this is a bit symptomatic of the boom bap prods. 4.5 / 5

Hehe 5/5

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

I'd heard of TCQ but never given em a go, really enjoyed the album.

beats and bars stripped down raw

Hadn't listed to Julian Cope before. This is decent.

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

P good would give 6,75 out of 10

Easy to listen to as an intro the style/genre. Definitely needs another listen or 3 for the lyrics to really hit home.

Another one of my favourite albums, and one of the best hip hop albums ever in my opinion. The instrumentals and samples throughout this album are flawless, particularly the bass and drums. Love the live jazz feel! The rapping is great also, and has a lot of variety between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg sharing tracks, and also the several guests featuring here and there. There are a few lyrics that haven't aged well, but not as many as other albums from the same era. The "gold digger" trope rears its head a bit in a few songs, and "Infamous Date Rape" starts off very well but loses its way a bit towards the end. Maybe men weren't really ready to talk about menstruation in 1991? At least they tried, I guess. On another note, "Skypager" aged poorly in an amusing way. Kids listening today probably have no idea what's going on with that track. Overall though, there's fantastic songs all over this album, and it's both relaxing and fun to listen to. In my opinion it's the best hip hop album from this scene, and it's interesting to follow this branch of the hip hop tree as it grew throughout the 90s and 00s.

Loved it

Overall a really nice listen. The beats are extremely simple but still well produced and do the job that they’re supposed to. The jazz mixed in is really on point and subtle. Rhymes by both Q-Tip and Phife are quality as well. 8/10

Great 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?"

HOT DIGGITY DAWG! THIS ALBUM IS HOTTT!! These guys just got the flow, their rhymes and the beat oh my. The rhythm is bumping and the lyrics go hard. The album cover is dope too. So good. 55/5

Levyllä on hetkensä ja on loppujen lopuksi ihan oikea albumi eli kokonaisuus - hyvin vaihtelua biiteissä ja aiheissakin sopivasti. Ei silti herätä suuria intohimoja minnekään suuntaan.

Potentiaalista mutta hieman liian yksitoikkoista ja jazzahtavaa.

Didn’t listen would like to tho

Not no Parkay Not no margarin Strictly butter Strictly butter

This passed me by back in the day. This is the sort of hip hop I think I like, clever, jazzy, strong beat, funny, melodic.

Absolute classic hip-hop album. Their bears are next level.

A hip-hop classic from right before the genre got super gangsta. Smoothe flows, jazzy beats and thoughtful rhymes.

Really fu album that del8vers the kind of flow that I personally really vibe with in hip-hop, even if not all the lyrical content was up to current standards. ATCQ are undeniably makers of the game and I could listen to this era, this sound pretty much all day.

Didn't really get TCQ before. this is a great album. pity wasn't more mainstream and drive the direction of hip-hop in the 90's

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

one of my favorite old-school hip-hop albums and I think it’s safe to say A Tribe Called Quest is my favorite old-school rap group (Lauryn Hill is my favorite old-school solo rapper) just an amazing album so much to appreciate here too good to rate

alto

Hear before, iconic album, not a huge fan.

10/10, best rap album of all time

4.0

Can see how so much came from this

recommend for johnlei

Snappy.

They start a beat then someone talks over the beat. Rinse and repeat. It's not offensive like gangster rap but it's boring and it's not music.

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

Banging. So good. One of my fave hip hop records

I like to think I like a lot of Rap but this just does nothing for me. Monotonous, drumbeat and occasional keyboard makes you concentrate on the lyrics but there's nothing of any interest. Day-to-day musings and worries of someone I have no interest in. I know it's not 'cool' to not like this but I don't like it. Leave it to the hipsters.

Are we serious? 2 albums in a row by these guys? Ok. I gave them the benefit of the doubt yesterday, but no dice today. The music itself has been stripped down to basic drumbeats and basslines, really uninteresting. Lyrically it's still begging me to care about things I don't care about, as if to say "rap isn't just about violence, misogyny, homophobia and drugs!". You're right, maybe it isn't... but let's be honest, that's what it does best. 2/5.

See review from 3 days ago

Great record from both a lyrics and a beats standpoint. Just solid all around.

A classic rap album from the 90s that showed how awesome Tribe was. Their sound was influential and plenty popular for years to come. The jazz rap with the cerebral style rapping makes Tribe a unique rap group and one of the best. Low end theory is probably their most artistic album and some say their best. I find all three to be pretty equal as they each have their own strengths. Phife and q-tip are solid on this one together as they flow together as nicely as the jazz Instrumentals throughout. 7.8/10

Very good! 👍

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.

Excellent album! Je crois que j'en avait jamais écouté avant! Un peu répétitif à la fin, mais excellent amalgame entre jazz et hip hop!

Thoroughly enjoyed the album as a whole. Despite almost exclusively listening to hip-hop, I've only tried one album from ATCQ before. I don't remember finding it very easy to listen to, so wasn't sure how I was gonna feel about this one. This album, however, was easy for me to get into. Will probably give some of their other albums a shot and also check out what a solo Q-Tip album is like.

What is there to say about LET that hasn't already been said. Foundational hip hop. Smooth, soulful, insightful- eminently groovable from top to bottom. Worst thing you could say about it is that maybe some bits and pieces lyrically have not aged well- but I don't think that's worth nitpicking over in the face of the rest of it. Phife and Tip were kings of the craft.

What an insane vibe. Gives me nostalgia for a time I was not alive for. Super fun listen.

MOTHER FUCKING TRIBE I've heard this a thousand times over and will listen a thousand times again. The most influential hip hop album of all time and for good reason. 5/5

My first true love. Where it all began for me.

A Tribe Called Quest has a very smooth style of rapping. I often don't listen to the lyrics and focus more on the flow, which makes their music good for background music imo. The songs cut off super quick at the end, making it hard to discern the end of one song and the start of another. Favorite song: Butter Worst song: Scenario or What

All things Go, sick, good stuff, a draw though?? Also that was kinda scary, also how do I feel about that? Front for bleachers, mediocre diner

So good! A true hip-hop classic.

pretty chill - 3 stars

Turner out I had listened to it before because hannah told me about it. Really quite like the vibe of it, low fi hop hop rnb.

A classic. Very good addition here. Happy to have been nudged to listen to it again.

I sport New Balance sneakers to avoid a narrow path

4.5 stars. (My 5 stars would be reserved for Midnight Marauders)

Excellent album.

A lot to say. Really fun. It’s something that makes me want to google associated stuff… just not something I’ll likely stick on randomly.

What can I say that hasn't been said about this album? One of my favs from this era, probably my favorite A Tribe Called Quest release, and I love pretty much everything The Native Tongues collective did during this period. It made me want to listen to more from the time and I'm still angry none of De La Soul's early work is on Spotify.

One of my all-time favorites!

I want to be cool enough to like ATCQ but it just doesn't really get me excited.

A nice chilled out 90s album but the songs didn’t really interest me much in this album. Don’t mind a few of their songs but none were in this album. Although it was a chilled album it didn’t interest me enough.

Listens: 2 Enjoyed: Yeah The beats on this were something special. The two MCs complimented eachother excellently however I didn't personally connect with any of the lyrics. I'm going to give this another try though and delve into their back catalogue

one of the best rap albums oat

While I don't knowbas well as other how revolutionary it was for hip hop, I had a lot of fun with this record, Q-tip and Phife are obviously very talented MCs and the beats were killer, a couple of the tunes were not as memorable but that's me trying to not be too lenient on what's a five star. A great record

A driving beat and repetious rhythm are the defining features of this album. The true 1001 status is probably found in the lyrics but as I can't discern many of the words, it's all a bit lost on me

Mid

Really boring

Hard for me to rate a hip-hop album as I don't know much about it - I'll definitely need to give it more time once I go through more rap albums. For now, I really enjoyed the minimialist jazzy beats and double bass. It made other instrumentals stand out more and allowed for more focus on the lyrics. I loved the first song - Excursions, both intrumentally and lyrically, I think it's one of the best openings to any album I've heard so far. Overall, 3.5/5 for me personally, +0.5 for the cult status this album has due to its apparent significance to the genre.

I feel rude for rating this low because I don’t think it was bad but it wasn’t my thing. I was kind of vibing but I was also waiting for it to be over.

Just a great vibin' album

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.

Awesome mix of hip hop and jazz with some killer tracks. Ends incredibly strongly with Scenario.

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

Tribe Called Quest are an iconic staple in the 90s hip hop era and this is just another example of their incredible work

Well I quite enjoyed that. Intelligent and intelligible raps that are generally NOT shouted at you. The understated raps are accompanied by further understated instrumentation that sound like REAL instruments. Generally pretty stripped down to a drum beat, again sounding like REAL drums, a nice bass line and subtle washes of keyboard or guitar or horns. The feel is more jazz that hip hop I would say and the spare arrangements sometimes put me in mind of beat poetry. And best of all 14 tracks clocking in at just over 48 minutes with only three songs at over 4 minutes, this album and the individual songs do not over stay their welcome as most rap albums I've heard do. I'm really tempted to give it 5 stars but it does suffer a bit from a samey ness. I really liked it though and would search out rap that is similar in style. I'm definitely going to listen to they're other albums. If anyone reads this and knows other similar bands, hit me up. exliontamer1977@gmail.com. 4.5 stars

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Buggin’ out, butter, Verses from the abstract, Check the rhime, Everything is fair, What?, Scenario

Groovy

Decent. Laid back background music. Very early 90s basement beats and jazz samples. Incredibly early 90s rhyme schemes. Flows well, bit repetitive with very basic looped drums

good beat

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

2.5. One of the best I’ve heard from them.

Loved this; has and rap go so well together. Amazing sophomore album for Tribe

Love how the tension builds throughout the album. The music seems sparse at first, just vocals and beats, but it allows the background/additional sounds (guitar, synth, horns, etc.) to stand out when they occur. Lyrics are pure poetry.

Okay album. Solid, just mostly not for me.

A must-listen, often replayed.

What a great album. I haven't heard a bad album from A Tribe Called Quest. Every song is good and my favorite song "Scenario" they've saved for last. Give it a listen!

Nope

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.

Unexpectedly nice

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

Its quite seminal in its field, but there is so much name checking, ultimately, it has very little to say for itself

This is one of those albums I had been meaning to listen to for ages and it somehow didn't happen. I can't say I was disappointed, I had always liked the individual songs that I had heard and I have always thought that Q-Tip was great. Ultimately I really enjoyed it but not enough so to give it a 5 yet. I think I'll have to relisten a few more times to decide if it is a 5 to my ears. It's certainly worthy of it for its influence but I just can't personally give it one quite yet. Really good album.

When this album came up on the generator, I knew what rating I had to give it. A quintessential classic in the hip-hop genre and a all time classic album of the 90s. Being introduced to this record all those years ago whilst confused about my musical tips (hehe) was the push I needed to not only get into hip-hop but into jazz as well, as Tribe's cutting up, sampling and incorporating of various jazz legends (Ron Carter is on the bass!) does more than the work necessary and required for the album. From the 91 decade to the 2000 decade and beyond, The Low End Theory remains a significant part of the Tribe lore and one of the greatest albums of all time.

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?

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

Very, very good.

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.

Lekkere 90s rap. Niet echt mijn ding

Pretty nice sound. Good vibes for working.

In die tijd inventief. Jazz-rap maar dan beter dan al die andere. Muzikaal. Maar niet mijn ding.

Q-Tip is too smooth. No major critiques, slightly repetitive.

Absolute genius, from a band who knew for sure who and what they were.

Really enjoyed the easy flow of the music

La producción, los beats y los flows son irrepetibles. Un álbum sin un solo skip.

Really chill. I loved it.

Tribe is always a good choice to chill out!

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

Great album, I have been a big fan of A Tribe Called Quest for awhile but have never listened past songs like Scenario and Can I Kick It? I think the first few songs are a bit slow but it picks up towards the end. Some of my favorites: Bugging Out, Vibes And Stuff (fav), and of course Scenario

Don't think it's their best

Awesome to hear

slay

Liked this one a lot. I’ve always enjoyed the groove and lyrical creativity that 90s hip hop brings, and I feel like it’s epitomized here. Great flow and I also liked the political commentary. I’d listen to this again.

Nooooooo

-Heard of A Tribe Called Quest but never really listen to before - Can see the influence they've had on hip-hop and rap, think of artist like Quelle Chris -Butter: like This song -nice relaxed flows, feel good, and good political commentary -Verses from the Abstract: like the jazz beat and feel - Show Business: really good, the problems with record deals and taking advantage of young poor artist, still relevant today. ahead of its time -Check the Rhime: sick funky beat, good flows -Everything is fair: cool fun beat, like a lot -What?: super funky beat, one of favs -Scenario: one of fav, has brown cow line so if GOATed Overall: The influence on modern music is very apparent, fun, passionate, upbeat and honest music. not afraid to experiment and start conversation on 'taboo' topics. Fav Tracks: -Scenario -What? -Check the Rhime -Everything Is Fair -Butter Least Fav: -Skypager? - not a lot to dislike about this album, all very solid tracks

Easy listening clean hip hop.

cool track in fairness, it got me thru work

Real good

Wow, great beat and rapping from A Tribe Called Quest.

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)

good

5.0 + There are hip hop records I like better but none that brings the flow, bars, beats and bangers with such consistency. This is a record that's equally effective in the front-and-center as it is in the background. There's not a single bum rhyme or questionable moment on this record. I love the nods to jazz legends that make this heady, sophisticated fun.

J’adore cet album. Je pourrais écouter Q-tip pendant des heures, son flow est tellement naturel. Cette formation utilise aussi beaucoup de sample de jazz, en plus d’engager Ron Carter pour jouer la contrebasse sur une pièce. Ça, ça me rend heureux. Finalement, les sujets abordés sur l’album sont intelligents et exempts de violence gratuite ou de propos sexistes.

Un classique que j'ai découvert tellement trop tard, grâce à la série Hip Hop Evolution sur Netflix. J'écoute régulièrement cet album qui est brillant et tellement bien fait. Mon meilleur du groupe.

chef's kiss

Transformational album for hip hop and jazz both. People have come close to deifying this album and for good reason. It's great to listen to, cause the verses are clever, the beats are solid, and the instruments are live; including the DJ. Subject matter is a little all over the place is my one criticism of the album, it listens more like an experiment than an album. Overall fire though.

This was way more jazzy than I was expecting and it’s so good.

Influential instrumentals and one of the smoothest MCs to do it, Q-Tip and Co. just dance over these beats

Ok some hip hop. I have heard this album front to back many times and it's a classic. Giving it another spin. What a banger album. I gotta find this one on vinyl too. Just makes you want to nod your head. 5/5

Nothing too special. Not into hip-hop really.

Punchy and funky, great album. Well ahead of it’s time

Welcomed change of pace from the previous few albums. Love the lo-fi vibe of this album, the jazz samples and the smooth flows. Really enjoyed from start to finish. One of the best closing tracks of all time.

Now this album is what's up. Happy to see it pop up. Excursions - great opening song. I'm already in a better mood. I love their cadence. Instantly recognizable as a Tribe song, in a good way. So smooth. But then it all kind of blends together by the end. Still enjoyable. Busta coming in growling was something though.

These guys were singing about real life at the same time that others were telling stories about the "gangsta" lifestyle. I listened to them in the beginning but they didn't resonate with me. Maybe it was too real. I get it now. It all feels like "The Wire" to me. I feel like the album played a little slow then they really found their voice. Legends.

bra for sjangeren men fortsatt dårlig

Качественно

Fine, for an old school hip hop album. I was pretty bored to most of it, but there were a few alright moments. I liked the occasional jazzy instrument.

LOVE ATCQ. Really the first rap group that I ever really good into. This album is always considered a classic, and while I really like it, I still prefer a few others slightly. Scenario is an absolute banger. 4/5

love TCQ, not my favorite album of there but still pretty great

I’ve only had two rap albums so far and one of them was the other tribe called quest album so I guess it’s a bit of a shame that i’am getting this quite early on… I like how a tribe called quest opens their album with excursions by basically introducing the kind of music you’re gonna get for the next 48 minutes and in both openers the beats have slowly built up as they go along. The depressing bass groove works perfectly backing bugging out it’s a very good song already the album is slightly darker than the last album which is good. Rap promoter is good very cool beat and the lyrics are on point it’s just a little short to be fair. But the flow into butter is amazing another song with a great rhythm I love that it’s a song about finding love great 1,2 punch of tunes! Verses from the abstract is good, the sex verses are a bit awkward to listen to but it doesn’t matter much as it’s so well written and put together. Show Business is a banger it’s probably one of the more aggressive/fast paced tribe called quest songs by a tribe called quest which works really well as I think a song with this speed was what this album was lacking! Vibes and stuff is good it has quite a “loungey” sound to it that works perfectly but I don’t think it’s one of my favourites from the album. The infamous date rape is great a bit short song but the lyrics are solid I guess. Check the rhime is one of those songs with a top groove but it doesn’t really tell a story ( something I usually like about a tribe called quest) as it’s just Q tip and phife saying how great they are for the most part. When it’s not saying “ everything is fair when you’re living in the city” everything is fair is a good maybe filler compared to some of these songs but still good. Jazz ( we’ve got) does again have a very repetitive chorus but it’s much faster than the last songs chorus so it works it’s just a top song. It flows perfectly into skypager its a shortie but still great. What is a little funky song great groove but not the most substance. I think scenario is going for a close with a banger thing which would work because it’s certainly one of the album’s best but i don’t think it works as the closer. Yeah this is another 4 for them it doesn’t reach the heights of the last album ( which I also gave a 4 to) but it’s more consistent and I’am glad it’s not all skits and interludes.

Mixing jazz with rap was a good call.

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

this aint it chief

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

One of my all time favorite hip hop albums. This is one of the albums I always tell people to listen to when they’re starting out with the genre. 5/5 Tribe is one of my personal favorite hip hop groups of all time Favorites: Buggin Out, Check The Rhime, and Scenario

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

I listened to it five times in two days. What a revelation! Undeniably booty-shaking. (Prior rating)

-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

I'm hard pressed to think of a more perfect hip-hop album. The flows and wordplays are sublime. The subject matter of the tracks covers a range of substantial topics with a perfect balance of seriousness and humor. The backing tracks are a genius fusion of jazz, break loops and samples and an art form unto themselves, which have influenced countless artists and genres since. An absolute gem!

Classic beats, with a twinge of jazz and funk. Classic rhymes and bars from tip and phife. Check the Rhine is top 10 rap songs of all time and there are amazing features from an upcoming Busta Rhymes, and honestly this album is a easy 5. If your not into stripped down rap though this might not be your thing.

what is cereal without milk what is a bat without echolocation what is my mamma if she ain't fat what is rubber is it don't have no hose and what is this album if I don't rate it _shrugs_ it's was pretty gud.

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.

Not something I would listen to, but I can appreciate it as art.

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

Absolute MASTERPIECE. Oh boy. This is one of the most breakneck, flawlessly funky rap albums ever. I'm convinced "Scenario" is the most fun I'll ever have listening to a rap song. "Everything Is Fair" is also a highlight, and features one of the MANY heart-stoppingly infectious samples/instrumentals on this album. Perfect!

Not mind blowing but some fun jazzy raps

Hip hopzao nask

Intelligent hip hop

Dang, these guys can rip! I’ve actually heard a number of these songs before but have never heard of the band before. Great album.

Bueno

idrember

Not much to say but I like it

Rap… never my favourite, but then in this case, mixing it up with cool jazz and soul, making it groovy here and there

Not my thing. Very slick. 6/10

Great beats, really well mixed, laid back vocals - a really effortless listen, just one to enjoy!

good . Loved the beats and all the lyrical references to the industry

“On the point Tip – Yea, all the time.” A little leaner and straight-up funkier than first record, but not quite as chill, fun or boldly creative. Awfully strong all the way around, especially or a second outing so soon after the first, speaking to the Tribe’s high professionalism.

Excursions es una joya.

Moreish. I'm going back in.