The Low End Theory

Starts off a bit slow but really started popping off by the end. Some of the lyrics can be hit-or-miss for me, but the production is amazing enough to carry those weaker verses, real big fan of the jazz-heavy selection of samples used. I'm very, very glad that a song titled "The Infamous Date Rape" did not turn out to be as bad as I would've expected by the name alone. 8.5/10.

Smooth af, lyrics don't really say as much as I'd like but they sure can rhyme. Favourite track: Jazz (We've Got)

8/10 While I'm not the biggest fan of hip-hop, I can still recognize how great this album is. It's full of bangers, and the production is pretty smooth.

"Go get yourself some toilet paper, cause your lyrics are butt" HAHAHA I really enjoyed this album.

bangerssss

Rap, no escuchamos seguido y sin embargo nos gustó, especialmente el bajo. Bueno para el home office, cerca del final puede sonar repetitivo. Te lleva a los 90 definitivamente, buen comienzo.

misogyny makes this imperfect

Ya conocia temas del disco y siempre me sirvio la sonoridad de esta banda. Definitivamente jazz rap tiene la escencia

Damn, this album hits every time. Been far too long. Sofa king good.

Fantastic album! Jazz inspired beats coupled with clean, insightful lyrics. Top notch!

interesting

Very solid record. 4/5

Listened in the car. Really liked it, though the jazz beats were a little bit too stripped down for me. No dumb interludes or skits is a big plus!

Full of good songs, very consistent throughout, great songs at the end

Good if dated old school rap. High 3 maybe 4. The Busta feature at the end is fantastic.

Was torn between a 3 and a 4, but I really vibed with this today. Cool, classic, something to set your day off on the right foot. Looking forward to revisiting.

Listened to this in the gym and loved it!! Didnt expect to enjoy it much cos it's so unlike my usual taste but it's really interesting, well-composed and cool. Great lyrics and lots of jazzy vibes (probs explains why I love it tbh)

1 - Excursions (the album opens with a subterranean bassline followed by a classic boom bap beat. The samples and jazzy horns in the back complement this song's sneaky, lowkey atmosphere very well) 4.5/5 2 - Buggin' Out (I like Phife's voice more on this album than Q-Tip's on this one; the former's voice makes the hooks on this song stand out more in my opinion. This song is more lyrically focused so not too different instrumentally from the opener) 4/5 3 - Rap Promoter (a song about life in show business; not the last one on this album though this wasn't that common of a topic at the time. Short and succinct, this song packs everything Tribe did best in 2 minutes) 4/5 4 - Butter (songs about girls are a lot more common in rap for this era and this one is among the better of them as it offers a different perspective; that of a starstruck but jaded lover. The horns return in full force on this song to put everything together neatly) 4/5 5 - Verses from the Abstract (another song about girls but the verses are generally loose and aren't well connected to each other. The instrumentation complements this with its free-flowing guitar loop) 3.5/5 6 - Show Business (a full, solid beat to open this one with Q-Tip's instantly memorable phrasing and outspoken lyrics about the trials of entertainment careers; an excellent document of alternative rap of this era and this song - as well as the album - have aged very well over the past 35 years) 5/5 7 - Vibes and Stuff (partly a play on words since the vibraphone is prominent throughout this song; the scintillating electric piano midway through adds to the restrained reverential feel the song is going for; a sure highlight of this album) 4.5/5 8 - Infamous Date Rape (Tribe delivers a serious message about the title's subject matter in a detached and casual way; the message goes unnoticed due to how casually it's delivered, but fully reveals itself upon closer inspection, much like the subject matter...) 4/5 9 - Check the Rhime (the jazz horn skronk makes the entire instrumental for me and brings this song up a notch or two. The dynamism between instrumental sections is another highlight. The chemistry and interplay was on full display on this album) 4.5/5 10 - Everything Is Fair (boom bap beats with a singable chorus and the verses talk of a femme fatale type of character. This character study theme is more common in Tribe songs than I initially realized. Another top highlight) 5/5 11 - Jazz (We've Got) - (the chanted hook says everything; they got the jazz. The beat trucks along under the self-referential lyrics. The back half is filling up with these tracks with all the elements coming together perfectly) 5/5 12 - Skypager (a shorter track to offer some breathing room. The lyrics about pagers recall the opening line of Excursions, and possibly offer a glimpse into the future with the robotic voice that features on the following album Midnight Marauders) 3.5/5 13 - What? (a series of questions, some more absurd than others, make up the lyrics held together by a strange, bouncy beat. This functions as an interlude more than a full song) 3.5/5 14 - Scenario (all the elements Tribe has presented across the key tracks in this song come together in full force for this excellent closer. The Busta Rhymes feature is a great high point; to me, he was always their best collaborator in this era. A fitting end to this album) 5/5 OVERALL - 8.6/10

Went in with low expectations and found myself rather nicely surprised. Funny! Nicely paced lyrics so you could anticipate the rhyme, and was caught off guard by some genuinely fabulous lines. Fun!!

good flow good lyrics has busta rhymes not super extraordinary

Tribe is great! Some of the lyrics are cringy/outdated but these guys are poets and Scenario is a masterpiece.

Enjoyed this one quite a bit 4 stars

51# Yesyeysyeys very good

muy buen album

Any song on this album could be someone's favorite. That's a tough bar to hit, but I think it's absolutely true here. Probably the premier hip-hop album of the early 90's, everything that Tribe did here sent ripples through the genre for decades to come. It's full of cool, with stand-up baselines, easy flow, and layered lyrics. It's hip-hop for everyone. As good as all the songs are though, I think the one thing I'm looking for with this is more variance, or changes of pace. But if you're wanting to just sit back and groove for about 45 minutes, then look no further than The Low End Theory. Highlights: Excursions Check the Rhime What? Scenario

Took a few songs to grow on me but by halfway through the album I was really enjoying it. Clever lyricism, catchy beats, nice bass and clean simple rapping

A strong showing of ATCQ! The Low End Theory sounded ahead of its time for 1991 because of its accessibility and incorporation of jazz with hip hop. This is still primarily a hip hop album, but the jazz makes it sound so fresh and exciting. Their social commentary, especially in “Infamous Date Rape,” is ahead of its time, considering the misogynistic hip hop culture of the time, though the broader culture wasn’t much better. I can’t say I’m a big fan of hip hop or that I am aware of the genre’s intricacies, but this album truly sounds like something special. For how easy it was to listen to twice, it’s easily a 4. Also, I counted four (4) references to Arsenio Hall.

4 out of 5. Ok, ok, pretty rare for this genre but this album got me.

intresting, fun tunes.

Badass album, awesomen rapping, beautiful beats.

I love these guys when I was young and now I like them even more I think.

One of my favorite hip hop groups. I love that smooth jazz vibe. I also don't think these guys ever go the credit they deserved in the '90's for some reason or another. Too artsy for the rap community? Dunno, but I love it. Influence 4. Hits 3. Quality 4. Intangibles 4. Stay smooth, fellas 3.

Como he dicho ya muchas veces por aquí, ni el rap ni el hip hop o similares son mi onda. Me cuestan mucho trabajo. Así que el que a los Tribe Called Quest les ponga 4 estrellas, quiere decir que estan tremendamente bien. De los contados del género que escucho con gusto.

Can't go wrong with ATCQ. Thank you, MLB the Show 2008, for putting Scenario on your tracklist and opening my mind a little.

Not a bad album in the bunch and Low End is generally considered their highest high though over time, my favorites have shuffled around & Low End has been bumped from the top spot. Undeniably great, just one of the best sounding albums of the era. Favorite Tracks: Buggin' Out, Butter, Vibes & Stuff, Skypager, Scenario

A massive step-up from "People's Instincts...". The group was really coming into their form here, culminating in what I think is their magnum opus (Midnight Marauders). ATCQ's impact on rap cannot be overstated, especially at a time like 1991 where the sound was changing at a rapid pace.

The beats were a vibe. The lyrics human. Just too explicit for my liking, and didn't like how the album objectified women and sex. Had to skip the date rape song. Good workout album, though! Hahaha

This is a tough one solely because the one dude who keeps dropping misogynist rants into his already weak bars is very difficult to listen to. I'll still give it a 4.

Unbelievably cool. Lives up to the hype.

The backing tracks are interesting and cool and the guys are obviously good at rapping. This is a really good old school hip hop album. For me, it can't get a higher rating because there's no singing on the album. I can appreciate it, but the lack of singing makes it harder for me personally to enjoy or want to revisit.

this was actually good, I'm not a big fan of rap but this was highly enjoyable

Pretty cool slice of hip hop, enriched by some really nice production work that makes it feel like the tribe are rapping over live jazz, giving it plenty of great bass beats and plenty of variety.

Gulderan, östkusten 89-93. Det här är boom bap-perfektion. Trots samma beat lyckas man få det varierat och förstås makalöst svängigt Flowet är första klass, alla MC's våta dröm. Här finns kanske ingen "Can I kick it?" eller "I left my wallet..." som på debuten men å andra sidan är den oerhört jämnbra, kanske ett par spår för lång. Men jag har egentligen bara lovord. Så här ska hiphop låta! Väldigt nära en femma

Hip hop av riktigt hög klass. Ali Shaheed Mohammad levererar bakom skivtallrikarna hur sköna beats som helst med jazzigt anslag, medan Q-Tip och Phife Dwag spottar med självklar övertygelse ur sig rimes efter rimes. Inget flörtande med hitlistor och skvalradiostationer här. Bara ett genuint välgjort hip hop-album.

Alternative hip hop, Busta rhymes, Phife dawg

Love everything about Q-Tip. Flow, Style, lyrics and attitude. The Beats jazzy and funky, really nice.

El ritmo y las letras me hicieron sentir joven de nuevo

I discovered A Tribe Called Quest a few months ago, and I’m curious how I would perceive the album if I didn’t already know it. It’s a bit too monotonous, but it grooves a lot. 7/10

Some of the reviews on this album sound just borderline racist lmao, this is great

A chill time, enjoyed the beats.

Solid headnod.

Ok.

i've loved this album for a long time. it think they perfected things on their next release, "midnight marauders," but this is still a fantastic, classic boom bap album. production is stellar, rapping is really good. what else can you ask for in the early 90s. this is also clearly a super influential record. we wouldn't have hip hop or rap the way it exists now if it hadn't been for these guys.

It was a bit odd. Even though the music would change, something about the vocals made it seem the songs flowed into the next. The last one with Busta Rhymes was the outlier. I still enjoyed it.

Classic, good rhymes over live beats. Most importantly without this album we wouldn’t have Dave Blunts or Yuno Miles.

I’m not a big hip-hop/rap fan, but I must say that this is one of the more enjoyable albums from that genre that I’ve heard.

also a classic banger ass album this was bible when i was a potiessa teenager cutting class and being sooo stoned dude

Good stuff. Chill, groove-centric hip-hop you can relax to. Not my favorite album of theirs - I prefer Midnight Marauders.

Good hip hop

I enjoyed it a lot more that I thought I would. I really enjoyed the simple beats compare to more modern hip hop

RIP Phife Dog. I know that they're in the Hall of Fame, but ATCQ is still massively underrated. The number of MCs and groups inspired by them is mind boggling This album also features my absolute favorite track of theirs. Favorite song will always and forever be Scenario.

Ah, ça fait plaisir ! Il y a un moment que j'avais envie de me pencher sur A Tribe Called Quest. Celui-ci est vraiment un super album, avec des samples très simples, mais hyper efficaces. Le groupe a une grosse personnalité et j'aime beaucoup ce que j'ai entendu. Il faut vraiment que je me penche plus sérieusement sur eux.

Maybe 4.5+, depending on mood -- fun, enjoyed and would do more by them

Honestly kinda loved it. The lyrics were fun and cool and interesting and pretty distinct, hearable words. This is what I imagine rap to be, which makes sense since this is from the 90s. I listened to it on headphones while walking home and felt very cool. There is one very questionable song about date rape that I think I’d just have to choose to ignore, but otherwise the songs are bangers. I’d listen to more

It’s good stuff. Not in my wheelhouse but it is very good.

classique 3.5+/5

It definitely was my first true hip-hop style album, I think? +3 STARS I really enjoyed every single song on the record, although I do must admit that the songs sorta blended together -1 STAR All in all, this is definitely an album I WILL be coming back to in the future. +1 STAR

I wasn’t that familiar with Tribe, but last year I read the excellent Go Ahead in the Rain by Hanif Abduraqib, and that got me into their music. Great album! Favourite track: Butter

I’m inexperienced with hip-hop, but that wasn’t a big problem for me here because this was captivating music from the beginning. The basslines on the first two tracks especially drew me into the flow and the lyrics kept me interested. Mixing the vocal and jazz samples keeps each track sounding fresh. There’s clearly been a lot of thought put into the track order, as each one almost-seamlessly transitions into the next. I didn’t vibe with everything on the record and the first half was definitely better than the 2nd. However, I feel like this might be a great starting point to explore the genre.

This is a great album. Cool and smooth, it has a jazzy vibe to it that is just so damn listenable.

Porządny rap z przytupem. Dobre flow, zróżnicowane tempo, ciekawe teksty. 7/10.

Classic rap album from a classic rap group!

Wasn’t familiar with a A Tribe Called Quest past Can I Kick It. Great 90’s album, listened all the way through no skips

Clearly a building block to R&B and rap of today. Love the beats. Smooth.

I appreciate what they're doing more than I enjoy it. It's impressive. Thoughtful and catchy at the same time. So many things coming together in this -- I hear electronic and jazz with the hip hop. And it's smart. I'm not a huge fan of spoken word over music in any format, but this is good, if not to my taste.

4.5/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/a-tribe-called-quest/the-low-end-theory/ Hiphop classic for a good reason. So many bangers, perfect rap flow, smooth beats.

Vet album! Lekker oldschool maar lekkere flow

I liked it! the songs that came after were also good. This was a nice groovy jazz album

fun

Incredible vibes. My aim is to become cool enough to listen to this without people laughing at me

This has the feel of a verbal slow burn. There's weight in the lyrics, and there's probably equal and more immediate impact in the quality of production. That jazzy hip-hop energy has always been pleasing to me, I like the heavy organic bass lines and the fleeting moments turned into loops, it's the type of idea that sparked my appreciation of samples and their origins in my teens. This sound is the perfected evolution of jazz with boom-bap. A few listens in and the sound is sticky, catchy, there's beats and lyrics that stick to the back of your mind when a silence fills the air. I think ATCQ mark a transition in rhyme style where the cadence feels more natural, but it still feels a little blocky which, on a personal level, takes it down a couple of notches. A lot of the songs are a fun listen regardless, I'm a pretty big fan of "What?" because of how the rhyme scheme forces you to think about what's being said, it turns the experience into something more dynamic. I'd listen again. I'd buy a copy at a decent price. I'd recommend it to anybody looking for a classic oldschool rap album, or jazz lovers looking to get into hip-hop. 4.3/5

Awesome album. Tone is set the moment the bass hits as the first track opens. Funky throughout with brilliant verses, smart lyrics and smatters of humour. The back and forth between Q Tip and Phife Dawg is exceptional as ever, and the Jazz influences were I think unique for hip-hop at the time. There's no songs quite on the level of Can I Kick it, although Check the Rhime is exceptionally funky 8/10

Just great vibes

неплохой рэп с интересными инструменталами, чилл, под расслабленное настроение, вайбы филлерных серий 8/10

Loved it. So many good beats

Love this one

You on point, Phife? All the time, Tip.

4/5. Classic album with great beats, but the rapping style does get old after a while. Not much variation of flow or rhyme scheme.

Haven't listened in ages! Brings back memories

i had listened to this one before! not usually a rap person, but i really like them!

This is #day546 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to my first-ever time listening to A Tribe Called Quest. Now, give me that '90s hip-hop any time. This record is like the Kind of Blue of rap. Vibes and stuff all over. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day547.

Solid album

listening to this for the first time i can hear the inspiration a lot of modern current day artists get from this album. the lyricism from the album unfortunately relates to events happening today. effortlessly cool while spreading the word

I love the rhyming in this style that Tribe has

I liked this - I definitely enjoy the rhythms and humour in New York hip-hop like this and De La Soul.

All the time Tip

Another one of those albums that I can't quite beleive I've never actually listened to before. I've always loved the Tribe vibe, and listened to a lot of their stuff one way, or another. But apparently not the full album. It's a solid 4 off a single listen, it would defintely go up with more time.

this was a fun album obsessed with the cover favorite song: what?

Unexpectedly nice album. Add the song Check the Rhime to the playlist. Love the winds and jazz vibes.

Q- Tips flow is so addictive. 7/10

7.5/10

I was so surprised listening omg the first song is so groovy

Holy shit what an album! Every song hits hard. Brilliant production on some of the best sounding double-bass I've ever heard and class samples. Lyrics are, obviously, class and the vocal interplay between the Tribe artists and the cameo artists is next level. The album seems to gradually swell and expand with each song.

yer

No skips seminal rap album with incredible beats.

Cool and jazzy. My kinda hip hop

Excellent, early 90s hip hop.

pretty good

Cracking album.

Nice throw back to when hip hop could be both intelligent and fun.

As I said with their previous album on this list .... classic!

"Raow roaw like a dungeon dragon" Strong 4.

The jazz inflection to Tribe's sound always gives it such a timeless feel to me. I've always loved Midnight Marauders but appreciate the classic tracks off this album (Check the Rhime, Scenario) and fell in love with a few more tracks on this listen (Verses from the Abstract, Show Business.) A bit sad that however timeless they're sound, misogyny is also timeless given the terrible takes in 'Infamous Date Rape.' You know, these crazy skeezes on the rag and all.

Very nice, flowed real smoothly and gave me quite a few chuckles

Ret fedt, meget 90'er

Buggin out. Lots of 90s love

Very listenable. Some nice brassy sounds and jazzy beats. 'Check the Rhime' has an old soul sample, but can't think what. Can see why this would have been seen as a great album at the time - seems ahead of its time. Busta Rhymes feature good way to wrap the album up.

My second from ATCQ. It took me a track or two to properly get into it but once I did I really enjoyed it. Definitely need to check out more of their stuff. Top Track - Jazz (We’ve Got)

I like this alot. Old school hiphop is something I enjoy listen to, although im not super into the history. The minimalistic approach i liked, leaving more heads pace to listen to the lyrics and it's flow.

Great album!!

Potentially the greatest hip-hop record that had been released up to this moment in time. 4/5

- onneks tällasta musaa on joskus tehty, koska enää tämmöstä ei tehhä, hemo cool levy

Does sound a little bit dated. That makes sense since there are essentially no hip hop albums that sound modern 35 years later. That being said, there aren't a lot of hip hop albums approaching middle age that still stand up as a great project.

Not my go to style of music but recognise it's brilliance, lyrically and the dynamic. It certainly made me conscious how I've stopped listening to entire albums and the concentration it needs to remain focused.

Excited for this. I already know Excursions and Check the Rhime. I liked!

4.5, so good.

8/10

Solid

It's just so dang much fun. "What's America without green and glamor?"

Geluisterd tijdens het schoonmaken. Relaxt, goed te luisteren. Zeker nog een keer afspelen. 9/10.

Production is excellent, love the jazz type beats throughout. Easy to tell how this album became so influential. Some of the lyrics sound dated and the album seems a bit long but the highlights are very strong. Many of these songs will always sound fresh. Overall a very solid album that stands to remain influential for a long time.

(Rating: 7.5) Really good, love how clear their words and the story they tell. I liked Butter a lot, him talking about meeting his match and his point of view on how he treats women. The instruments and noise in the background and are a lot more jazzy and taking up space than most rap songs. Not a big rap person but I would listen to this again.

I really liked this one. Maybe too little melody for my taste but it was the best one so far.

such a fun album, very good memories.

Love the simple beats and the flow. Enjoyed listening to this despite not hearing many of the tracks before at all.

If there is one thing this album really excels at it's THE BASSLINES man. They're so incredible straight from the opening seconds. With their bounciness they create a hypnotizing laid back atmosphere that plays throughout the entire album. There is not a single beat that doesn't bang on this. The drums are also tight as hell and super hard and make the production here outstanding. While I like the rappers in ATCQ, I can't exactly say they kill it on every single song. They don't go below a certain level but aren't always in top form. This doesn't stop this album from being super iconic and defining for jazz rap.

Good

Q-Tip's flow and voice are unreal and instrumental in creating an incredible project. The second half of this album is truly something special. Personally, this is not my favorite A Tribe Called Quest album, but it's definitely a clear 2nd to their 2016 LP. 4/5

the people yearn for the return of hiphop that fucks (this is hiphop that fucks)

Sorry to be the guy that drops this from #1 in the group. This album is strong lyrically. The production style contains innovative samples and highlights those strong lyrics and vocals. It gets repetitive on those tracks that are just basslines and beats though. It’s clearly an intentional choice - I just like beats to have more substance.

An album that I once loved but am now unable to enjoy because of my own inability to let go of a grudge. You see, on a spring evening in early 2017, I was discussing this album while walking downtown. As a non-chalant goofy aside, I said “and Q-Tip is such a great rap name.” Suddenly, this woman emerged from the shadows, a smirk on her face as she relished in saying, “Hate to break it to you, but that’s already a rapper’s name” and then she breathed cigarette smoke in my face I’m not joking this is a real thing that happened. I said “that’s literally what I just said” in a tone that was pretty overtly hostile than was warranted in that situation, but I was pretty pissed off and just kept rattling off Tribe references I’m not joking this is a real thing that happened. Indeed, I am still exactly as pissed off as I was in that moment. Now, 9 years later, I fear that my enjoyment of this album has been permanently sullied by this fucking moron who went out of her way to interrupt the conversation of a complete stranger in order to be condescending. She’s forgotten me and yet I bring her up quite often. I hope she’s having a bad day. Anyway, I am incapable of listening to Tribe without getting irritated and flashing back to that interaction. I’m giving it 5 stars because I used to love this album a lot but now it has bad associations.

track 1: i like the beatt, resalto el bajo y el sample de la trompeta ?, las voces y el discurso en el coro slay, track 2: buggin out buggin out, la tercera entrada me gusto mas q las del resto, le da un cambio al track, mmm please uwu track 3: no mucho q decir q no haya dicho anteriormente track 4: el intro esta increible ?? mm they know who they aree, a qn le escribieron esa cancion jejej, ITS LIKE BUTTER BABYY tmb le da un cambio al track, track 5: rompe con lo demas de los 5 tracks ya q es mas tranquilo y me gustan los acordes de guitarra del fondo :3 muchisimo mas chill, me recuerda a las canciones de 2020 ??? progessions can be made if we separated forever, track 6: rompe con la vibe del track 5, la entrada del 1:30, i was not that cutie JAJAJ, track 7: i think i gotta screeeammm, un poco mas grunge ? im not sure, increible sample track 8: GREAT INTROOO, el final del primer verso >>>, EL SAMPLE DE CYPRESS HILL, u aint going out like thaatt, sigo insistiendo con el bass, crazyylyyy, EL CORTEEE, best traaackk track 9: EL CAMBIO DE BEAT ????, no se pq me recuerda a tyler the creator ??, ik u know who i am, el coro es otra cosaaaaaa, 2:00, back in the dayysss, el finalll lo mejorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr track 10: EVERYTHING IS BETTER WHEN YOU'RE LIVING IN THE CITYY, el piano en el fondo le suma demasiadoo, society torture track 11: LA TRANSICIONNN, we've the jazzz, competition must go from a fair way, EL JAZZ EN EL BRIDGE DAAALE, yeah dont stop, really cool cutting ending track 12: EL BEAT, SAMPLEO UN TELEFONO ??????????????, ns q suena en el 1:20 pero me gusta mucho, thanks for calling track 13: lame as a brain, tututu, again with the bass, what are laws if they're even EQUAL, pense q se habia dañado por el corte jejakje, resalto las lyrics a lottt, take it easy baby WHATT track 14: q manera de cerrar un album, scoobydoo, busta rhymes cuanto lleva rapeando ?? DUN DUN LIKE A DUNGEON DRAGONNN, me gusta la portada resalto en general el bass en cada track jazz vibes i like it me gusta demasiado el buen manejo de los samples

Damn. So good.

very easy to listen to! definitely see the timeless influence from this album

My loves! Not may fave ATCQ album, but Qtip&Phife D are master lyricists and Check the Rime & scenario are BRILLIANT tracks - can still remember dancing to Scenario when it came out and all the guys were shouting out the lyrics - nice memory.

The low, slow rhythm reminds me of double-dutch. Waiting for the perfect moment to jump into the center of the two opposing ropes as they tap the ground in a hypnotic cadence. Tap, tap, tap, tap... Towards the backend, the beat changes, and it's more frenetic and intense, like when a kid would add their own jump rope to the mix while still keeping up with the original two in motion.

Just like Ringling Brothers daze and astound captivate the masses cause the prose is profound...and so is the beats...it's a new year!

Lief gut durch endlich mal wieder HipHop. c

I used to love this band, or wanted to at least. It is such cool music, but it verges on the preachy. I love the edge it brings though. I’ll listen again.

Liked didn’t love

Not too shabby

4/5

Love this one, just good vibes and some really hard hitting lyricism. “Infamous date rape” is a very heavy hitting song. Love the boom bap drums and use of a double bass, it’s impossible not to bob your head to this one. I don’t really have anything bad to say, other than I definitely prefer midnight marauders, but that’s just a personal taste thing.

Great OG hip-hop. Really clean, laid back early 90s vibe. Loved it.

great group. did not hit me quite like the first album does. would probably be a 5 star if I was following generated album order & listened to Guns N' Roses before. but instead I listened to Sam Cooke. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

It’s really good, all their stuff seems to be really good.

Not my fav Tribe album but solid with classic highlights.

Dette er bra, men syns det blir lavmælt litt for lenge. Det er kanskje grunnen til at jeg aldri har kommet helt inn i gruppa.

I've already listened to his album (42).

quite nice if you’re tryna get into rap, an easy listen and gives nyc

Super cool. Love the jazzy additions, and very impressive lyricism in the raps

I reviewed TCQ’s first album a couple of months ago, and I really enjoyed it. I also enjoyed Q-Tip’s The Renaissance when I reviewed it last week. I know I listened to an album by TCQ before I started this project, but I’ll be damned if I can’t remember which one it was (and that’s why I log everything I listen to now), and I have determined it wasn’t Instinctive Travels, so now I’m going to find out if it was this one! This will be my last album from 1991 to review, and I’m feel certain that this album will be a great way to send 1991 off into the sunset. I didn’t enjoy The Low End Theory as much as I enjoyed Instinctive Travels, but it was still a really solid album with some outstanding rapping. Before listening to this album, I read that it was a bit different than its predecessor, in terms of the beats that were used, and unfortunately, I think this album suffered a bit from that change in direction. It took me until “Show Business” to really get into this. The rapping was really great throughout the album, but musically, I felt that the first five tracks really lacked a lot of punch. The lead-off track, “Excursions,” had some great rapping, but I could tell right off the bat that this album would have a different sound to it. However, there was still that fuzziness to the production that I really enjoyed. But once this album got to “Show Business,” I felt like this album really took off. The beats and samples were much better from that point forward, and I really enjoyed the last 2/3 of the album. Lyrically, “Show Business” was one of the best songs on the album too, and the line ‘go get yourself some toilet paper ‘cause your lyrics is butt’ was insanely clever and funny. From that point, “Check the Rhime,” “Everything is Fair,” and “Scenario” were all fantastic. “Scenario” in particular was the best song on the album in my opinion. The Busta Rhymes guest verse was incredible, and the line ‘bust a nut inside your eye, to show you were I come from’ had me cracking up. I really enjoyed the sound of this song, and it was an excellent way to conclude this album. Even though I wasn’t as big a fan of this album as I was its predecessor, I still thought it was a really good album, with some excellent rapping from Q-Tip and Phife Dawg.

A laid back, minimal rap album which brilliantly fuses jazz and hip hop. Grew on me after a few listens.

The album generator has blessed me recently. Controversially not my favourite of theirs, some amazing songs no doubt but they're mixed amongst more songs that just struggle to stand out. Nothing bad, lyrics are tight, just not as hitting.

The instrumental behind the vocals is consistently entrancing in a way not many albums manage to pull off. It's been a goal for years to actually sit down and listen to A Tribe Called Quest and this is probably the best way to launch into it.

Excellent ! Je n’avais pas écouter d’album hip hop comme celui-ci depuis longtemps. Assez chill, les morceaux se suivent bien. Gros coup de coeur pour show business. Je dois réecouter le premier album pour comparer. Un classic du hip hop jazz !

Good vibes good beats good lyrics. It’s good.

bardzo przyjemnie mi sie go sluchalo, ale mimo wszystko nie byl to album, z ktorego kazda piosenka niesamowicie by mi sie podobala. mega mi siadl ten jazzowy klimat, pare piosenek wlecialo na playliste!!

Just bangers

very similar songs with each track but overall love

Word is what?

4/5

For some reason has never clicked like MM. 8.5-9 though

Took some lessons from their previous effort (like, some lou-reed-inspired lessons) and made a more complete album - but is it better? Still some slower parts here, and the highs are not as high, but it's a lot more even. I tend to dislike that, so caveat emptor. On the other hand, it's got Busta closing out on Scenario. I dunno, not sure I can give it the 5 but maybe I'm a mark.

Un àlbum que m'encanta i que em recorda moltíssim als meus primers anys de descobriment musical. Va ser una d'aquestes coses que vaig trobar per internet quan començava a tocar el baix i buscava tablaturas prou fàcils i alhora prou interessants, em vaig passar mesos obsessionat amb Excursions. Amb el temps vaig anar escoltant altres temes i a totes em continuava captivant els samples, el contrabaix i tot i que al moment no entenia gaire les lletres, i encara menys el rerefons polític que ara fa que m'agradi més A Tribe Called Quest, la manera que les expressaven m'agradava. Aquesta crec que ha estat la primera vegada que l'he escoltat sencer i no ha decepcionat. Top 3: Excursions, Rap Promoter, Jazz (we've got) i MH Check the Rhime

J’ai préféré Midnight Marauders mais honnêtement c’est juste chipoter: les samples de jazz sont très propres, et l’écriture de même.

Découverte totale et c'est grandiose, direct dans ma playlist

Yes Yes Y'all! This is some peak 90's hip-hop. I'm a fan of A Tribe Called Quest and the Native Tongues. Positive and fun to listen to, but still had a message, most of the time. Great album by an amazing group.

A fantastic followup to their debut in every way. The beats and jazzy samples are better, the rhymes are better, and Tribe continues to sound super chill. Great guest appearances from Busta Rhymes!

Yah this is just another example of ATCQ being easily one of the greatest rap groups of all time. This album has just got so much spunk to it and it’s got its own sound. The only other group that sounds similar to this is De La Soul, but they changed their sound pretty drastically after their first album. Still I’d say this is easily one of the best rap albums of all time. It has great beats and production and it also has super infectious and catchy lyrics. Seriously, wish I could give this album a 4.5 cause I don’t think it’s a perfect 5/5 like 3 feet high and rising, but it’s so close to being there. Personally it’s just shy of a 5.

4- great album loved the grooves

rule of this website 4080 / anyone who rates this album low is shady...vibey and important but it's so funny seeing what passes for conscious rap at the time because even the progressive takes on date rape are like oh! ok!

omg finally something fun!!!!!! the songs are good but the lyrics are a little scary sometimes LMAO but that's Life and i support them for that.

Verrrrry solid four here. Maybe a 4.5, my main issue is just it being a bit padded, I think? Very good and listenable stuff, just very similar much of the time.

Enjoyed this. Early 90s hip hop.

I knew almost nothing about this group before this. This album is great, each track flowing into the next smoothly. It’s nearly a 5, but kinda blends together over time. Still really enjoyed it though. 4/5

Such a good album vibes beats and soul. I can only mark it down because it’s kinda samey, but that may just be my opinion on rap

Excellent hip hop with sampling that sounds way ahead of its time. Very enjoyable and first thing I have heard from them. Solid 4

A Tribe Called Quest's masterpiece, it has the characteristics that the Tribe are know for, such as intelligent lyrics, positiveness, wittiness, jazziness. The Low End Theory is definitely one of most important albums ever made, regardless what ever genre preference you might have - even if you primarily listen to something completely different like metal or electronic - you should still give it a listen, it's just one of those seminal albums every one should listen to. Below are some lines that really resonated with me, either because of the tone or delivery or the meaning of it: "Float like gravity, never had a cavity" (from Buggin' Out) "Progressions can't be made if we're separate forever" and "My people have been oppressed too long, no more will we be down" (from Verses from the Abstract "Ain't no one your equal, especially on the industry side" (from Show Business) "We know the job is done, when we hear a lot of cheers" (from Vibes and Stuff) "Now here's a funky introduction of nice I am, tell your mother, tell your father, send a telegram" and "Industry rule #4080, record company people are shadyyy" (from Check the Rhime) "Always sweet-scented, if it's business, she meant it" (Everything Is Far) "I'm all that and then some; short, dark, and handsome,"Don't ever try and test the waters little kid, yo mister Busta Rhymes tell 'em what I did" (from Scenario) This album is a example in favour of the proverb "less is more." It really is an extremely great example.

A really solid album, I don’t love it quite as much as People’s Instinctive Travels though.

a few good songs

An awesome album, but I'm only giving it 4 stars just in case their two albums I like better are on the list. RIP Phife Dawg.

This album sounds incredible. Super fun. Amazing production. Busta Rhymes rips on the last song. I am not a hip-hop fan, so the songs started to blend together and it got a little long. But this album gets 4/5 for how great it sounds.

This shit is great. Alt-hip hop is a really underserved genre now, and the early 90s had some good good. This is one of them. The writing and bars are all so fucking smooth. You can hear this style on a lot of artists afterward, and its evolution into the late 90s. For all the hard rap and aggressive sampling that went en vogue in the decade that followed, this is still the shit that hits harder with it's lack of hard hitting. Great shit.

--Excursions...love Q-Tip's flow --Buggin' Out...that bass --Rap Promoter...drum beat mixed with palm muted guitar. sick --Butter...feels like a lesser and longer version of the previous track --Verses from the Abstract...very smooth --Show Business...things were starting to get samey, so they smartly increase the tempo for this one --Vibes and Stuff...very cool production. I like the bell(?) sound --Infamous Date Rape...feels similar to earlier tracks --Check the Rhime...the samey vibe continues but I'm more forgiving of this one. the horns and the light keyboards add a lot --Everything is Fair...fun sample --Jazz (We've Got)...great groove but the similarities between are making this long album feel even longer --Skypager...here we go, this is weird --What?...not sure what that robot guitar sound is in the background but it's fun --Scenario...Busta!

04/11/2025 Check the Rhime bel pezzo

No. 5 The first hip-hop album from the generator. I'm no hip-hop expert by any means; really, I just know the basic artists of the genre, so I was really excited to get to know more musicians. Now about the music, I really love the jazzy vibes and the way they implement the lyrics with the sounds. For example, in "What," "Chill for a minute, Doug E. Fresh said silence (*four second pause)"; that was great to listen to the first time.

I really liked this! Had a very fun Brooklyn walk with this on. Weirdly, I went to a “sip and paint” thing like 10 years ago and we painted this album cover. I can’t really paint, so mine really looked like a crouched, battered woman made of bacon strips. I had that painting hanging in my house(s) until I moved to New York and people would ask… what is that? And I would say “my battered bacon woman”. Looking at the actual cover, this is some really cool art and a really cool album and that’s weird I tried to paint it?

I know Check the Rhime of course, but had never listened to this whole album. Rap is not really a go to for me because I can't work or read to it, but listening to this intentionally was great, and is a different kind of listening experience for me. It didn't move me, but it still felt gooooooood in a smooth way.

Always down for Tribe Called Quest!

I can kick it.

Funky

I liked this a lot. The beats were really cool, good lyrics. Jazzy samples.

Don’t remember this album coming out at all. Enjoyed it. Diamond D that’s a name from the past. Wow. I’m old. Ha ha

This is good, but my lord does Midnight Marauders do it for me like the other ATCQs don't.

First 60% of the album is incredibly good. The last 40% is alright. Overall 8/10 because the whole album is a 90s vibe.

4.5 Man the memories - I had this CD over 20 years ago, it’s still here somewhere. I played the hell out of it and am so happy to see it’s on this list, especially after two days in a row of 1 rating albums. The Low End Theory is so smooth and funky, I love the jazz samples and drums throughout that Q-Tip and Phife Dawg flow over with laid back ease using conscious lyrics regarding the entertainment industry, relationships, partying, society, etc. Their contrasting styles on the mic complement each other very well (the Abstract and the Concrete). Also shoutout to them for producing and writing most of the album themselves. And these beats are a little darker and harder than you’d expect, making them even more magnetic. This whole album of prime 90s east coast boom bap flows perfectly with not one skippable song. You can leave this on in the background all day and never get sick of it. Another perk of this project: it brings old classics and favorites back into your rotation. I guess the only thing keeping this from a pure 5/5 is the low fi, dated, muffled quality of sound.

Funky, jazzy, smooth. Some of the best of hip hop.

There’s a whole song on here devoted to a pager!

very good jazz-rap 8/10

This is like a 4.5. 🧈

They rhymed a lot of things with Arsenio but that’s not the only reason this was great.

I agree that DateRape song is weird, but the rest of the album really feels like the 90s in a wholesome way. They still excel with the sampling and the lyricism in this album. 3.5 rounded up

The flow and boom bap is top notch. The album could use a little more variety in sound and style, but since they're doing what they're doing so well, it's still a 4

I'm not sure it's quite a perfect, no-notes, 5-star album. But this was still quite good. The flow was good and the guest stars know what they're up to. My only quibble is that the songs do start to sound a bit same-y from song to song. But at least when they sound this good you don't mind the same-ness too much (That and the date rape song. That's a mild yikes from me bro.)

I used to like this a lot, but it’s been a while and I haven’t been much into rap lately. But I’m glad to say it holds up.

Not my favourite quest album but very good fun funky

The only thing holding back this album, in my opinion, is the lack of more stand alone hits. But the album flows so damn well and it's got a great sound.

I enjoyed this. It was interesting as a bridge between Public Enemy and a more modern hip-hop sound. I liked the choice of samples and the different styles of the vocalists.

I like the laid back vibe, strong jazz influences (particularly like the double bass I think was used for a lot of the beats), and relatively minimalist approach to the style. Lyrics were well delivered, the cadence and flow fit the music and both lyricists play off each other well.

As far as hip-hop goes, this is awesome. I'm just not a /massive/ hip-hop fan. I really like the jazzy beats on this album, the lyrical delivery is awesome too. I just don't reach for albums like this very often, so it's a 4-almost-5.

[Gordon Ramsay voice] Finally, some good fucking music. Smart lyrics with clean beats infused with jazz, this is great hip hop. Only minor critique I have is that a few of the sounds and references are a bit dated, which is to be expected from a hip hop album recorded in 1990, but Phife & Tip are so charming and smooth that you won’t care about any minor flaws. Super socially conscious material, humor, and the infectious grooves all combine to make this a great listen. A solid 4/5

Fire album Almost every song hit Didn’t blend together

At first it seemed a bit monotonous and definitely over long. However the second half was much better and overall I really enjoyed this album. Intelligent lyrics and interesting production. Will come back to this. 5 stars from Check The Rhime onwards but let down a little for me by the first side.

Third album I've already listened to in a row, I've listened to around 200 total how does this happen, but still great hip hop

Great classic Rap Album. Liked it!

Microphone check one two what is this? The five foot assassin with the roughneck business I float like gravity, Never had a cavity Real classics on this one. Young Busta to close it out. Some of my all-time favorites in "Excursions", "Buggin' Out" and "Scenario". Some of the middle tracks feel dated, but overall a great one.

Most of the songs kind of sound the same but the lyrics are EXPLOSIVE

Okay

Very good.

Catchy. interesting lyrics

Tribe's best album and one of the best hip-hop albums of all time. Jazz samples, funky drums, (as expected) great flow and intelligent rhymes - also, the tracks get better the further you get into the album. Best Tracks: Excursions; Check the Rhime; Everything is Fair

Funky from beginning to end. Check the Rhime is easily the best song here but not a bad moment

Good conscious Hip-Hop with some powerful messages. Loved how smooth it all flows together.

Excellent lyrics and harmonious rapping. Only gets a point docked for getting samey by the end. A couple more varied instrumentations or rythms could have helped to freshen things up

1991. Cohesive and consistent. This is Tribe's best album and stands up as a display of lyrical jazzy bassy talent. Easy to enjoy.

8/10

Good album laid ground work for modern hip hop. Nothing hard to listen to. But nothing ide come back to 4.1

A classic!

Classic.

bars. can see why it's a classic favourite track: Jazz (We've Got)

Jazzy hip hop, lovely vibe. Lyrical content is fairly clean too which makes a change from a lot of hip hop and means I don't get told off for playing it around the house.. Will probably take a delve into the rest of their catalogue.

I thought it was cool

that was a fun listen!

Otroliga vibes och samples

Jazz och Hiphop är bra combo!

A bangin' album, and I'm not even into rap.

I'm not a hip hop guy and even I liked this

Love the grooves, some really great wordplay here. Date Rape song seems a little bit ehhh.

4.4 one of my fave hip hop albums from the 90s faves: jazz, buggin' out, excursions

Good vibes, good flow, good beats, and the sun is shining in London.

Every track is a bop. It’s impossible to listen to this and not nod your head

Great

Yep, there was a reason tribe called quest got so much hype in the early 90’s. The flow , beat were ahead of their time when comparing it to other hip hop. Less angry that PE, Ice Cube, or the first 2pac. Im on the line between a 3 and a 4. Let’s call it a low 4 star.

I kinda just wish the double bass thing had been carried through a little harder? Bars go crazy though. 4*

Generational work, both in the sense of its influence and in the fact that if just a few things went wrong or with the wrong timing I could see this being seen as woefully uncool. Who gives a shit about all that when you cap things off with Scenario

I really enjoyed the beats on this, the drums and bass were putting in work. The lyrics fluctuated in quality throughout. Tribe has always been a vibe for me, this album is no exception. A few songs on this could have been trimmed out onto a B-side or something to refine this. Highlights; Butter, Excursions, Buggin Out, Check the Rhime, Jazz (We’ve Got)

Undeniable masterpiece that loses out on the 10 on it simply not being my thing alone. 8/10

This was quite good. I’m not generally a hip hop fellow but I enjoyed this quite a bit. The lyrics are solid and the performances are pretty good as well. This is a good album

The musicality is really wonderful, the spitting feels purposeful to the point of clumsy.

Wow

Great old school hip-hop album that I've listened to often. I really enjoy the fusion of jazz into the mix.

Love the jazz vibes in this hip hop album. Tribe is great all around.

Amazing. You already know. Tracks 1,13,14 are my fave

Just from the opening instrumental notes, you can feel the jazz. A flag bearer for Now York hip hop, and for a reason. Super tight, cohesive set list, and a head bopper from beginning to end. Recomended listen for everyone, and a very good gateway album into 90's hip hop. Very smooth and silky, you jst feel cool listening to it.

Un album de hip-hop plutôt réussi, qui s’écoute facilement malgré mon manque d’appétence pour ce genre musical!

Very cool listen. Maybe a but samey but fife dog and q tip sound so good over the jazz in the background. Album gets maybe a whole extra star for the Busta rhymes verse in scenario.

Banger after banger

I always liked Q-Tip's flow from hearing him guest on tracks--particularly The Beastie's "Get It Together." Though, when "The Low End Theory" came out, I was not a fan of old school hip hop. I’m still not a fan of old school hip hop, but I wasn’t then either. So I overlooked the early evolution fostered by bands like A Tribe Called Quest. I wish I had listened to the album when it came out. Super solid and groovy.

not my favorite from the native tongues era but still a damn good album

Jazz & hip hop what a glorious mix

Everything is Fair stood out. Great album!

*AIRHORN NOISES* You KNOW as a white 20 something I am fucking JAZZED to see this one. WOOOOOOO. Heavy bass samples await me. Some slightly dumb rhymes, sure but did I mention double bass jazz samples??? I feel like I could review this one from this side of this listen. Sometimes my opinion gets changed, but seeing the amount of green checkmarks (Sp**ify reference) on this bad boy, I’m in for a hell of a day. Excursions - THE PROPHECY HAS BEEN FULFILLED. This sample rips, Q-Tip is so incredibly cool and proves it with this smooth delivery out of the start. The saxophone jumping in as well? This is so far ahead of its time. I forgot that we saved “Phife Dawg” for the next track. Well, consider me as they say “addicted to the beat.” Buggin’ Out - UGHHH it’s the best. This is one of the top 5 hip-hop beats ever. So simple, so incredibly hard. Phife Dawg’s delivery is so electric. Always attacking the beat full-on as a stark contrast to the more cool & collected flow of Q-Tip. Man there are so many quotables. Has to be one of my favourite rap songs ever. Rap Promoter - Why can’t people do this anymore? Despite my noticeably white skin, I feel like I listen to a decent amount of hip-hop and this beat doesn’t come around every day. Like what is going on with this? Full chills. So unbelievably heavy. Butter - The review writes itself. That transition was smooth like uhh it’s on the tip of my tongue. I’ve lost it. Anyway, we’re listening to a story about how the rapper is a player. Not sure about saying “I used to abuse em’” but I suppose we love an honest rapper. Verses From the Abstract - Busta Rhymes is here. Supposedly. His name was mentioned, but I think it’s awhile before we get the infamous “chickity choco the chocolate chicken” bar. Ron Carter was here. This is the obligatory shoutout track. Show Business - Probably too many features here as the other rappers couldn’t really clean the microphone of the main two guys here, but this is a fun multi-rapper track. Love Phife Dawg’s verse here. So devastatingly funky. I mean the toilet paper line is a little cringeworthy, but the ferocity is so good. Vibes and Stuff - A quieter track. Almost feels like a break of sorts as we prepare for the avalanche of classics coming near the end. Nothing here is even close to bad. Still an enjoyable track. Infamous Date Rape - Uh oh. I’m hoping we will be on the right side of history here. Ehhh. It’s a little woman-blamey at parts. Just a weird departure. Waste of a fantastic beat. Check the Rhime - You on point fly MC who is very brave? Why, yes, yes he is. This is so quotable. The whole thing. The “on point” exchange with the conversational pauses and inflections is so god damn fun and will be stuck in my head for weeks. It always gets that way. Everything is Fair - What about living in a tenement structure in society Georgia? Is everything fair there? The answer may shock you. I have no idea. I would be more intrigued if the US state of Georgia seceded into a communist state. I would win a LOT of money. Jazz (We’ve Got) - The epitome of a jazz rap song. Raise up squire is the type of dumb word combo that I live for. There are just so many fun quotes I recall from this record. They roll off the tongue. I even like the shoutouts. I usually find them to be funny, but they have such a wholesome, cool quality here. Skypager - I still have no idea what a skypager is. Do you just use it when you want sexual relations? That seems overly simple. Loving the Duracell product placement on this one. What? - Some of the questions of our time. Scenario - The classic party track. Home to one of the best atmospheres ever to grace a rap LP and to be fully honest, some of the worst rhymes ever put to tape. Can you imagine writing the words is a “wow now how now brown cow” or “scooby doo ba doo boo” or whatveer and not only keeping it, but recording it in a studio. If I wrote that earnestly, I would be so embarrassed, that I would burn the notebook and never write again. The song still goes hard though. Obligatory praise for Busta Rhymes absolutely destroying at the end there, even though he brings his fair share of dumbass bars, he murders it. Q-Tip and noted short king, Phife Dawg are just so great. Are there hip hop records I enjoy more than this? Yes. Is this still a seminal hip-hop/jazz rap/East Coast/Boom Bap etc. record. Oh hell yes. The lyrics are hit or miss, but the beats are incredible and the delivery is electric. This thing is a monster. A million years ahead of its time while still being firmly rooted in the old school. Damn near perfect and a complete revolution for this type of music. 4.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Excursions, Buggin’ Out, Rap Promoter, Check the Rhime, Jazz (We’ve Got), Scenario

It's a good album with some dated lyrics

One word repeatedly came to mind listening to this: tight. On each track the vocal performances have this beautiful flow-like cadence that syncs up so nicely with the beats. Alongside the occasional jazz elements it all just clicks, track after track. Another hip hop gem I’d revisit thanks to this list. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kick ass

I liked this a lot it was catchy and very fun to listen to

An interesting, relaxed rap album. The piece entitled Jazz was particularly memorable

Some of the songs reminded me of Doechii's music. I wonder if this group is one of her influences. Fun rhymes and cool instrumentals, sampling from diverse genres. Didn't like "Infamous Date Rape" or "Butter."

First song is pretty good, afterwards it's becomes fine as the album moves along.

This was really good, I felt like I got more into the album as it went on too.

Good stuff

Even better than the last Tribe Called Quest album but still not a 5 cos it’s a little repetitive

Love these guys and the work they did. So much music during this period was HARD, or wanted to be. Tribe could be on point without being gangster and I really appreciate it. Amazing beats, amazing lyrics, great hooks.

Good vibes, slick rhymes. It's good, that's for sure.

There are only a handful of hip artists that I come back to regularly. ATCQ is definitely one of them. People's Instinctive Travels is my favorite album of theirs, but this one is solid too. Buggin Out is my favorite here. 4/5 #158

One of the best

A Tribe Called Quest was on heavy rotation in my late 90’s house party scene in PDX. Their music always brought a bit of a brightness…good vibes, and I admired their unapologetic approach and spoken-word style, which stood in contrast to a lot of the other hip hop dominating the time. I remember being both shocked and encouraged when they tackled taboo subjects like date rape and abortion - topics that my generation (and others) were quietly navigating. For me, Tribe bridged a gap as entertainment as much as music for human connection. They offered a [me] perspective that felt real when so much of rap’s ‘lifestyle’ image felt distant and didn’t always land. They carried a confidence, style and clever turns of phrase that I always found charming. Along side De La Soul, they were among the favorites that truly informed my ‘hip hop’ tastes.

Favourites: Buggin' Out, Butter, Verses from the Abstract, Vibes and Stuff, Infamous Date Rape, Check the Rhime, Everything Is Fair, What?, Scenario

Is not in my top 3 tribe albums, but is still very good. Good vibes, sounds great. I like less than others, but not really sure why

very nice

13/03/25 - morning 4.5/5 When I saw that today's album was the Low End Theory, I immediately knew I was in for a treat. As a well established fan, I believe their work to be the magnum opus of 90s hip hop. Highlights from this album include 'Jazz (we've got)', 'Buggin' out', and 'check the rhime'. The flow and lyricism is one component which makes this album work so so well. And a moment for the album design which is simple, yet so effective. Devastatingly cool and smooth (to use another reviewer's words), this is an album I expect to find myself replaying time and time again

Maîtrisé et habilement tourné. On sent le côté old school sans toutefois que ça sonne daté, ça tient très bien la route.

Fantastic. I've never heard anything quite like this. I don't know a ton about rap history, but this sounds like a bridge linking 80s and 90s era sounds. Every track on this album was an absolute banger.

Jazz and hip-hop just slide together here like they were born that way. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - Excursions - Buggin' Out - Check the Rhime - Jazz (We've Got)

This is interesting hip hop. Love it when the music is interesting, the rappers aren't 100% angry, and the lyrics aren't limited in the scope of their topics. That's very old-white-man of me, but I'm an open book here. Great bass lines throughout, from the opening track to 'Scenario' the closer. Couldn't find a credit for the bassist other than Ron Carter on the one track. Just made the connection between the title and those bass lines, by the way. Not just an old white guy, a slow old white guy.

Best beats in 90s hip hop. A couple songs are a little problematic and dated.

Classic 90s fare.

I've always heard about A Tribe Called Quest but never got around to giving them a listen. I love how jazzy and smooth this album is. "Excursions" is an all-time opener in my opinion. 1. Jazz (We've Got) 2. Excursions 3. What?

I think what I'm learning on this album journey that I didn't realize before: I actually really love the beats of 90's hip-hop. I didn't even realize this IN the 90's, when I was alive! (Although hip-hop had a lot of different connotations back then, especially in the South where I grew up.)