The Low End Theory

I can see why it was a big album, but can't imagine relistening much. 3.5

Absolutely cracking album, wish I had heard it in my late teens when I was getting into Hip Hop as this would have been in constant rotation. The production is insanely cool, definitely shaped a lot of beats to come and the rapping is smooooooth, absolutely the right group of people came together to make this. Favourites - Buggin' Out, Check the Rhime, Jazz (We've Got), Scenario

I, too, once had a fetish for some booty. This is a very strong album. Great lyrics, great flow, well produced beats. There’s not a single ‘banger’ on here as I find is usually the case with a rap album, but every song is of a decent to high quality and the album as a whole listening experience was thoroughly enjoyable. Somehow spawned a song with ‘Date Rape’ in the title and yet there’s still a song in existence with that in the title that I prefer?? Big up Sublime. Excursions (8/10) Buggin’ Out (9/10) Rap Promoter (7/10) Butter (8/10) Verses from the Abstract (8/10) Show Business (9/10) Vibes and Stuff (8/10) Infamous Date Rape (7/10) Check the Rhime (8/10) Everything is Fair (7/10) Jazz (We’ve Got) (8/10) Skypager (7/10) What? (8/10) Scenario (9/10) 7.9/10

I never know what to expect. I had no idea that this album was going to be hip-hop. It is so good!! How have I never heard of any of these groups.

Big fan of these guys - remind me of Souls of Mischief, and group a used to listen to at school. Enjoy the jazz influence coupled with strong meaningful lyricism

Good classic hip hop. Laid back, a bit jazzy, entertaining.

I had actually never listened to this one prior but I really enjoyed it!

I don't even listen to hip hop usually but this was dope! Smooth at times, jazzy, nice beats, and catchy. I didn't pay much attention to the lyrics because I wanted an overall listening experience, but I feel like next time it's a must.

Really cool

The high end album

Je lui donne 4 car ce n'est pas mon pref de ce groupe. Mais maudine que c'est bon!

Avant y'avait des hippies. Mais là astheure, y'en a pus : astheure c'est des hips. C'est jusse des hips! Partout le gars y dit : "Es-tu hip?" Non, chus pas hip. "Ben, si t'es pas hip, t'es un rat. Hip, hip ou rat."

This is such a solid album. A few songs dragged for me, so not a 5.

Un poco monótono pero entiendo que fuese increíble en su época

Revolutionary sound blending vintage jazz bass lines with complex hip hop production and rap delivery. Not my favourite album of theirs, though the importance of the record can not be understated. Best Tracks: - Buggin Out - Everything Is Fair Worst Tracks: - What? - Infamous Date Rape Rating: 8.5/10

Funky jazz and bossa nova sampling.

Smooth rhymes delivered over a jazzy beat.

Not really interested

4/5

yeah this rocked

I feel cool listening to this. Vibe, chill. The beat is on point. How can you not dance to this.

This is the kind of hip hop I like. Nice beats. Smooth lyrics. A message. Good stuff.

Another album of cool, laid-back, effortless rhyming from Quest, enjoyed it a lot. Love the bass backing in Buggin' Out, loved What? generally. Shout out to the reviewer who gave a 2 star review and said "it is impossible to follow the lyrics unless you pay attention all the time" for having just the worst possible take on hip hop, congratulations.

Enjoyed this a lot, first half especially.

torn between a 3 and 4 star review here- this is obviously a great record- and I love the mood of the music- the jazz samples are great, I like that there are no catch r&b choruses, no skits or nonsense, just beats and lyrics. I just wish they had more to say topically, most of the album is about personal stuff and the rap game itself. it's not bad, just not great. still, if I had to pick a rap album to listen to- this would be a good choice.

I mean, it's maybe nothing that hasn't been redone and arguably improved upon by later acts, but Tribe have always been funky as shit and this remains just an excellent groove.

Damn that's a funky album. I lost track of the plot a bit through the middle, but Tribe can always get a few minutes of my time when needed. And Scenario is still great.

Butter best track, all a cool vibe though

The lyrics were so smooth they melted like butter through my fingertips. The beat so groovy you could scrub barnacles with it. Gotta love a quality hip-hop album. 4 stars.

I understand why people see this album as one of the greatest albums of all time and I do appreciate what it has done for hip hop and its musical craftsmanship. It’s a good album, a great one even. I really love the heavy fusion between hip hop and jazz, the rapping over the minimalist jazz grooves is something I love a lot. Just for some reason the album doesn’t quite fully do it for me. I think I just don’t quite get it all the way. But I know this is good stuff and I’m able to appreciate it regardless, it’s just not quite my groove.

Hip hop

Jazz samples with breakbeats with 90’s hip hop ?????? And you gonna say someone rated this under a 4???? Insanely good the bus ride was baller !!!

Honestly, surprised. These guys did the basics brilliantly and produced such an incredible hip-hop album. The jazz elements work a treat, showing that these two genres fit well. Didn't appreciate the misogyny in there, however, such a brilliant album, and shows that I appreciate hip-hop more than I give it credit for.

Great album that has withstood the test of time.

Such a great album!!

4/28/2025: great bare bones beats and baselines freeing up room for lyrics + Busta Rhymes debut!

The Low End Theory — другий альбом A Tribe Called Quest, став не просто поворотним моментом у хіп-хопі, а й культурним рубіконом, після якого говорити “реп — це лише музика для вулиць” стало неможливо. Якщо дебютний альбом заклав джазову основу - то ця робота пішла ще далі - глибокі басові лінії легкі джазові снейри, контрабас. Усе послуговує тому, щоб цей альбом звучав камерно та «інтимно». Ну і звісно сам флоу та ритмічні малюнки стали набагато складнішими. Навіть не поглиблюючись в тексти, його дуже приємно та цікаво слухати. Але при цьому - читати тексти все ж дуже бажано - вони тут стали більш абстрактними, філософськими, а подекуди навіть пророчими. Наприклад, гурт зміг передбачити те до чого незабаром дійде музична індустрія у своїй жадібності. Це зрештою і призведе до її стрімкого падіння через піратство на початку нульових. Назва The Low End Theory — не лише про «басовий звук». Це маніфест уваги до тих, кого не видно та не чутно - про бідні райони, про молодих темношкірих чоловіків, які виростають під гуркіт сабвуфера. Саме тому «бас» тут настільки важливий та відіграє роль своєрідної «метафора присутності» - навіть коли він приглушений, все одно залишається панівним елементом. Цей альбом, в тому числі є предтечею того, що пізніше назвуть abstract hip hop, та conscious hip hop. Та якби не цей альбом, навряд ми б отримали інших геніальних виконавців в цих піджанрах, таких як Common, чи Kendrick Lamar.

So good and I'd never listened to this!

Groovy listen.

I see why this is such a classic. Good to listen to and enjoyable for someone who is not a hip hop fan. Great album. 7.9/10

Shit gas Top 3 Excursions Rap promoter Butter

The jazzy elements really help this album to stand out, in addition to the skilled rapping. Overall, a very good album. Favorite track: "Check the Rhime"

fire

Bangin

Certified CLASSIC

What is a compound withOUT a element

Q Tip might be one of the top 5 best rap lyricists in hip hop history. And he’s not #5 or #4.

Really enjoyed this. First time hearing this album in its entirety. Can’t believe I missed this one when it came out 35 years ago! Love Q-tip….smooth!!!!

Another never before listened to album (just heard a smattering of the songs over the years) but I was pleasantly suprised how it kept me captivated throughout

Still holds up. My favorite hip hop group of all time and my second favorite Tribe album. RIP Fife

Let Q-Tip clean out your ears. Jazz rap rules, especially when the production is so carefully thought out and the MC talent is on point. I think Midnight Marauders has better individual songs, but they’re similar enough to me to play as side 1/side 2.

Je suis un hipster (ou un inculte au choix), je préfère leur précédent album.

Listened to this a lot in high school and I still love it. The beats are a little too repetitive and it feels a bit dated for that reason but it's a classic.

Like most hip hop I enjoy the instrumentals more than the rapping, and this album is no exception. What differs it from a lot of other hiphop is that the instrumentals are amazing, much thanks to having Ron f'ing Carter on bass. Also the rapping is pretty cool but I didn't have time to investigate the lyrics in depth.

Bumped this the whole day at work. Always been a Tribe fan so this was fun!

very great production!!!!! my ears were happy

Musically, the Quest is on the rise 1001 Albums Generator 2 Oftentimes, after a successful or acclaimed debut, an artist will struggle to follow it up. This phenomenon is so common, the phrase “sophomore slump” has become a common critique in music circles. A Tribe Called Quest not only avoided this fate, but surpassed their debut (and subsequent) albums with their 1991 sophomore offering. The Low End Theory is quintessential 90’s hip hop in all aspects. The chill, jazzy, sample-heavy beats, the “hippity hop” vocal delivery, the occasionally questionable lyrics. Every aspect of this album oozes the sound that would dominate the decade that would follow. The finest aspect of this album is Q-Tip’s production. The sound of a jazz bassline is as key to this album as it is to any “true” jazz album. Hell, they got jazz legend Ron Carter to play live bass on Verses from the Abstract. ATCQ’s sample choice throughout also shows their depth of jazz knowledge. From Art Blakey to Lonnie Smith, Jack DeJohnette to Weather Report, even non-jazz legends like Funkadelic and The Doors show up on this album's WhoSampled page (seriously go read through this page, it is fucking amazing to see all the elements they pulled together for these songs). The way that the beats often open up during the choruses (expemplified on Excursions, Vibes and Stuff, and Check the Rhime) show that Q-Tip is doing more than just looping samples. The attention paid to the layering is something special on this album. With all this said, it turns out this album isn't an instrumental hiphop album. Tribe has two primary MC's: the aforementioned Q-Tip and Phife Dawg. As I mentioned previously, this album exudes 90's hiphop energy, which can certainly feel outdated when done poorly. Lyrics like "Go get yourself some toilet paper 'cause your lyrics is butt" and "What type of crap is that? Yo, how's about a smack?" do not have the swagger that they must have had back in the day. Although some songs on the album, such as Everything Is Fair and Rap Promoter, do deal with conscious themes, this is not a typical heady, triple-entendre rap album. However, I think that this album is one of the best examples of this style that I have ever heard. So many albums from this era end up being "My name is Joey and I'm here to say / bitches love to blow me, every day"-core. While there is some of that on this tracklist, The Abstract and Phife are able to embrace this style while not taking themselves too seriously. Now, this is not to say that this album is parody; no, this is very much a labor of love for the artform of rap (and jazz), but at the same time, the lyrics and delivery do have a bit of a cheeky feel to them, which saves this album from falling into the trap that so many old school hiphop albums fall into. It is able to perfectly straddle the line between humorous self-awareness and serious artistry. Even in this, as with their beats, they mimic and pay homage to jazz legends such as Charles Mingus and Sun Ra, who were also known for incorporating a level of non-seriousness in their serious art. While a couple of songs near the end do not hold up to the rest of the tracklist, The Low End Theory is a must-listen for anyone that is interested in hip-hop. The beats and lyric delivery are among the best the genre has to offer. Favs: Excursions Check the Rhime Scenario Least Fav: What?

has aura. cool vibes to the end pretty peak for 1991 and something i enjoyed getting to listen to

Dogs have no sense of rhythm. I suppose animals, in general, don't have a sense of rhythm but I can PROVE that dogs don't. How, you say? Well I took my dog for a walk with a bluetooth speaker playing this album and he didn't bob his head once.

++: Butter, Show Business, Vibes and Stuff, Infamous Date Rape, Check the Rhime, Everything Is Fair, Jazz (We've Got), Skypager, What?, Scenario +: Excursions, Buggin' Out, Rap Promoter, Verses from the Abstract 9,0/10

4.5 stars. Such excellent early wrap, feels extremely influential.

Yeaaa good vibes all around. 4 stars.

Vrolijke deuntjes

good listen, but kinda feels like a time capsule

Och, ik ga proberen om hier objectief over te zijn, maar ik hou echt heel erg van Tribe. Ze zijn voor mij de perfecte mix tussen jazz en hiphop. Q-tip is oprecht de beste producer uit die jaren als je het mij vraagt, en dan ook nog eens een fantastische rapper! Ja dit album is dus ook gewoon heerlijk om aan te hebben. Ik denk dat ik hun debuutalbum misschien nog wel beter vind en anders We got it from here, thank you for your service. Eigenlijk is Tribe voor mij gewoon consistent ijzersterk. De dikke beats, de laidback flows, het hit gewoon. Dus? Dit is een makkelijke 5 sterren dan toch? Toch niet, ik leun toch net iets meer naar 4 sterren. Het is super relaxed, en toch betrap ik mezelf erop dat de beats net ff te meh zijn en de flows van Q-tip en Phife net iets te veel van hetzelfde zijn. 5 sterren is een vrijwel perfect album. Dat is dit gewoon niet, begrijp me niet verkeerd, het is een fantastisch album! Maar net geen 5 sterren. Mijn god, speciale shout out naar die fantastische Busta verse aan het einde van Scenario. Ge-wel-dig! Wat een knaller om te eindigen! FAVO: Excursions, Buggin out, Show Business, Check the Rhime, Everything is fair, Jazz(We've Got), What?, Scenario

Great, but not quite 5 stars

Good, Grooving vibe, flow and beat hit on the point. 7.8/10

[4.5]

Smooth like butter I don’t really like a lot of rap or hip-hop or whatever (my stats in this will confirm) But I really like this. I guess it’s all the new shit I dislike.

There’s this pretty unsubtle, absolutely excellent (perfect?) moment in “Everything’s fair” as the front-of-the-mix Funkadelic sample meets the bass line in the crossfade then disappears, leaving us with Q-Tip telling a story about unrequited lust, ambition and money. (But in a way that’s never more dramatic than “casual”.) I mention this moment specifically because a) driven by a beat I can only, feebly and in awe, describe as “sick”, it slaps, and b) it feels like a nice little metonym of what’s so spectacularly cool about this record and Tribe’s whole thing. The nods back, the moves forward, the feeling of effortlessness about it all; the knowing you’re in safe hands, so letting your guard down and having a dance. The 90s that this record helped to shape might not have been “my” 90s – unless the vibe they cultivated had any bearing on Space Jam or upstream influence on The Fresh Prince? – but here in 2025 this record still feels sharp, organised and focussed. That this is a great record feels evident in it being as available to me while I’m making pizza on a Saturday night as it was while waiting for a bus on an early Tuesday morning. You don’t need to be in the mood, because it’ll transport you. Props.

One of the crown jewels of classic 90s boom nap rap. Plays like one long jam, with each immaculately produced track seamlessly flowing into the next.

good vibes 4/5

Enjoyable flow and fun rhymes. I really liked this, but I will admit every song sounds the same.

Excellent. And now I know where that line in the Barenaked Ladies song "One Week" came from.

Incredible rap album and all energy throughout, great features and lyrics.

Man gillar ju ändå detta. Det är najs beats. Sen är det ju lite väl outdated. Men det är lite för skönt för att bara ge en trea. Skulle lätt kunna sätta på denna skiva å köra från början till slut.

Bra skiva för sin tid. Även om produktionerna är lite primitiva är de bättre än normalt och detsamma gäller texter och flow. Check the rhime är lite av en föregångare i hur de väver ihop varandras verser.

Great chill late night vibes

Excellent hip-hop. Whole album

Excellent hip hop album.

Before hip-hop established the rut of topical clichés of guns, hoes, and drugs, the potential was limitless. Though the golden age of rap appears to have occurred in the mid-90's, before then the style was a bit more free-form. The chorus may just be a musical interlude, or there may not be any chorus at all in leiu of a steady flow of lyrics. Def Jam was introducing scream rap with samples of hard rock guitar, and the Fresh Prince made up goofy stories about Freddy Krueger and Mike Tyson. Tribe elevated the art form by adding jazz and multiple samples to the groove, and approached their rhyming in a conversational, laid-back style that Snoop Dog would take all of the way to the bank a few years later. And behind the scenes, Bob Power revolutionized mixing techniques that made him legendary in the music studio. This isn't a 'singles' album. Just put it on and let it play. I'll bump the 3.5 to a 4 for innovation and keeping things fresh and positive.

Clever, confident, unbothered, and wise, especially for how young they were here. I especially love Q-Tip's brainy-cool verses and vocals: sharp but with a smooth flow. I don't think I had ever heard any of these tracks before, and I found the listening experience delightful. 4.5

Great listen.

Butata

Sounds like the birth of true hip hop. The beats are fresh and bassy. The samples are choice. Up there with J5 and NWA.

I’ll say at the outset that I’m not a fan of the “rap” subgroup of the “hip hop” genré. I’m used to the hard, nasty, curse laden words that are so harmful to women, and other marginalized groups. But wouldn’t the worst of worst rap groups like Two Live Crew, NWA, and Tupac NOT be included in the 1001 albums that you need to hear before you die? Wouldn’t these groups be considered too rude, lewd, and socially unacceptable to be considered to gain entry into this vaunted list of “The 1001 Albums that you need to listen to before you die”? But A Tribe Called Quest is a bit different from these more raucous rap groups. They appear more refined, uttering poetry rather than raw aggressive lines. This poetry is articulated clearly and defines a story. This is what makes A Tribe Called Quest stand out from the rest of the hip hop community. While the group can’t resist throwing in an explicative here and there, especially on some of the songs like “Butter,” and “Infamous Date Rape.” A Tribe Called Quest proves that not all hip hop is created equal. One must keep an open mind, and decide for oneself if this group is truly a “cut above the others.” I think it is. I give “The Low End Theory” Four out of Five stars.

Needs another listen. Love the songs I knew, but not the ones I didn’t.

Scenario lives rent free in my brain since this album came out. I'm really impressed how most of this hold up, probably due to a jazzy influence. It's smooth, which is unlike a lot of hip hop at the time. The name dropping of Ralph Tresvant, having Busta on board--it's really great. Maybe a 3.5 for me, but bumping for when Scenario hits at the end.

Groovy. I like the baselines. I like the lyrics about dedication to writing. “Keep the vibes goin”. Will listen again. Cooking breakfast in a sun filled flat.

3.5

I enjoyed this more than a thought, simple, good production easy to hear the lyrics which is often my hip hop gripe. I’ll come back to this 3.75/5

Can’t believe I’ve never listened to this before. A lot of fun throughout and will definitely be returning

Tricky, I get it, I like it, 3, no… wait, I love it, wait again, do I? Yes. 4. Can’t seem to give it a 5… could it be possible that I’m not cool enough?! Ha ha Wait again again, way better LOUD, at volume 11, or on the swanky headphones. Possibly 4.5 if I could.

I remember when this album came out, it was blown away by the neon cover of it. Sadly, I think I’ve listened to it maybe once or twice with little interest at the time. We listening to it now I realize how powerful this band in this album really is. Key tracks, most of them honestly, were Show Business and Check the Rhime. I loved the interplay with the smooth rap weaving between the members and the jazz-based flow. They were the apex of the Golden Age of Rap, hitting controversy without being controversial in their delivery. I can going to come back to this one again.

Random thoughts: * This is the best Tribe album. * I did not really listen to Tribe in the 90s. What a shame?! I really missed out. I was too much of a west coast hip hop guy. * Check the Rhime and Scenario were my two favorite tracks. * Is Busta Ryhmes debut one of the best ever rap debuts on Scenario? * Q-tip, while not the most technically proficient rapper. He is one of the most distinctive and is silky to the ears. I could listen to him rap all day. He's definitely one of my top 10 favorite rappers. * Adding this to a more regular rotation. 4-stars!

Amazing. at least the Spotify radio based on this album was amazing so by association I rate this high

brilliant

didn't finish but so good. can see why so influential

Du rap sur des boucles un peu jazzy, ça devrait être un non direct, mais les samples sont cools et on est vite pris par le flow. Je comprends un peu d’où Massive Attack tient son son quand j’entends des choses comme ça. “Check the Rhime” et son sample connu, “Scenario”... Ca s’écoute avec plaisir, même si parfois un peu monotone.

What decade are we in again, didn’t catch you the first time you told me it was the 90s. And we out Go get yourself some toilet paper because your lyrics is butt I listened to this when Kendrick was performing I would assume These songs end so abruptly Skypager What? Is so fun

happy to revisit. highlights include "Excursions" "Buggin' Out" "Check the Rhime" "Jazz(We've Got)" "Skypager" "What?"

I like the groove of this group. The lyrics can get cheesy at times, but the lyricism is normally great.

A classic, didn't love it as much as the first time

Funky hip hop. I was in from the start.

God damn, amazing. Can't wait to relisten

This one is a decent record. I enjoyed their smooth vibe and their great lines, very good work. It wasn't amazing though, especially if I compare it to other rap albums from this period. A weak 4.

9/10

Yeaaa good vibes all around. 4 stars.

A jazzy hip hop album.

I liked it, but not life changing.

Such a chill album

1. Skypager 2. Excursions 3. Butter

This has to be one of the best albums from A Tribe Called Quest!

beat de hip-hop clássico, flow bom de escutar; músicas: check the rhime; scenario (tem uma linha de baixo maneira)

6.5/10

Solid record. No real skip tracks.

Smooth as butter. Without A Tribe Called Quest the Hip Hop puzzle would not be complete. This record is full of songs that make you wanna cruise with the windows down. Some even made me feel like I was on a subway going around NYC. Favorites: Buggin Out, Check the Rhme, Jazz (We’ve Got)

Lyrically and culturally a high point in hip hop. Beautiful jazz beats

Love it 4/5

Pretty groovy!

Classic for me. Butter is my favorite

This was good. I'm on a hot streak right now. Everyone knows Can I Kick It, but that's where the knowledge ends.

decent jazz rap

Like one unbroken track of flow, funny, clever and rude as hell

yuuuuup. best beats of any tribe album? mixed so well. kind of their most fiendish

Really enjoyed

Nice vibe

8/10 A straight up excellent hip hop album, extremely well produced, good rap, good features, a considered and consistent sound. Musically this jazz influenced style of production is not my favourite, but they were hardly going to be doing 2020s alternative hip hop styles back in 1991… Best: Scenario

The Low End Theory actually turned out to be a really good album. Oddly enough, the thing i most judge rap albums for (the lyrics) could be pretty hit or miss but i still ended up liking it for some reason. This was mainly due to other factors that mainly helped skyrocket the album into being something great. Those things are the instrumentals with some incredible beats and melodies that fit the songs very well and sounded real cool and while the lyrics were indeed hit or miss, the flows were mostly just hits since they felt so smooth that they became so enjoyable to listen to. I really wasn't expecting this much of a step up from People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm but this album ended up being just that. Best Song: Show Business Worst Song: What?

This is a really good album. Highlights are Scenario and Ron Carter's guesting on Verses from the Abstract. 4 stars.

I don’t get much rap and hip hop. But this, I get! it is one of the few hip hop albums that I have really enjoyed in this list. I’m not likely to put them in the rotation because it’s just not my favorite genre. However, if someone asks, I can tell them that I’m cool with A Tribe Called Quest. And that I like The Tow End Theory.

Liked, but didn't love.

Great album

classic hip hop

Also a fun album, good grooves, fun lyrics.

Mix of old school hip-hop and jazz with some interesting samples. Highlight: Buggin' Out

One of most influential rap albums ever made Incredible lyricism and flow Straightforward beats with some jazz influence

Best: Check the Rhime Worst: What? Liked songs: 13/14, 93% Low 4, 80/100 A perfect representation of 90s hip hop. You can definitely tell how dated it is just by nature of the rapid growth of the genre, but once you get used to the sound, the album really comes alive. The flows are really smooth and the jazz elements are just fantastic, and are in my opinion the main driver of the album. The lyrics are solid, but not as spectacular as everyone says in my opinion, though maybe that's my lack of experience in hip hop showing. Either way, still a really amazing album and one I'll be coming back to pretty regularly.

Really good hip hop

Jazz rap!!!!!!!!!!! 8.5/10 Fave track: Check the rhime

this shi bougie af, loved it

Bassline, Witzige Texte, nicht allzuviel rückgewandte Lyrics.

For the first time I've actually been impressed by hip hop

I just love the production across this album. It bangs where it needs to and then it's also smooth in all the right places. Q-Tip is a huge talent but it's also fun to see the burgeoning talent of a young Busta Rhymes emerging. They switch up lyrical styles often enough to keep it fresh and keep your attention but there's a strong vibe running right through it with some just fantastic basslines.

Jazz (We’ve Got), What?, And Scenario are my standout tracks. I’ll definitely go back and listen to this again, this is one of those albums you can out on in the background and just vibe to

9/10 Almost all of the songs are perfect, but I don't see the vision of the album. It seems to me more like a mixtape

I was grooving to this. There were a couple of times I thought it might be slipping off the tracks and then they reeled me right back in. Great jazzy vibe and the rap flowed smooth. I dug it.

Real good

Very nice. Rap from a time when you could understand and relate too

This is a great album. I come back to this occasion.

Not as varied and special in my opinion as People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, but A Tribe Called Quest grooves are welcome anytime. Dang diggy dang gi-dang gi-dang diggy diggy.

Olipas se mukava kokonaisuus, alku huomattavasti parempi kuin jälkimmäinen puolisko, mutta ei yhtään huonoa kappaletta, alussa jopa oikein mainioita ralleja.

Delightful lyrics and satisfying social commentary. I wish more hip hop was like this

It’s hard to deny the massive influence this album must have had on rap music. You can hear it in the lyrics, the beats, and the flow. However, I consider this overall kinda boring rap. It’s intellectual rap music, music that makes you think and ponder the poetry but not necessarily enjoy the experience of the music. There are some standout songs here, “Show Business” and “Scenario,” but I like both of them because they’re a bit bigger and more bombastic then the majority of the quieter and jazzy tracks. All of that said, I do like this album. I think it’s really listenable and you can likely take something new away from it each time you do. I saw A Tribe open for Kanye West, and did not respect the moment of how cool that was to see live. Now I do.

A great and solid hip hop album. I adore the punchy jazz undertones I was getting while listening. The raps are smooth as hell and its a crazy fun listen. Favorites were Verses from the Abstract, Show Business, and Scenario

90s hip hop vibes

This is a great album, will definitely be revisiting

Great vibe.

I always have some trepidation when I’m about to listen to an album that’s heralded as an all-time classic. Thankfully, this album is really good, so it’s fine. Looms large over the genre to this day, and for good reason. Effortlessly cool.

Not a fan of rap but I can see how this had a strong influence on the genre.

Highly rate this album, a lot of good songs. Can’t go wrong with that classic tribe called quest sound

This is some hoppin' stuff! Not really my style of music, but it is pumping hip-hop from the 90's and if you like that, you either already know this album or you should. :-)

Yehh this is it. Love Tribe

I mean objectively this is good, but I’m never really listening to this kind of conscious music.

An influential piece of work made all the more compelling by the inclusion of a track dedicated to date rape at a time, and in a genre, where the subject was rarely considered. Actually, rarely considered still.

Scenario was a great blast from the past. Rounding 3.5 up.

Laid back beats and socially conscious lyrics. I'm into it!

I can never fully get this, I'm not the right demographic for the lyrics but musically (and production in particular) this was top class. Perhaps the lower end of 4* but kept me interested throughout

Great album but not really the day for it

Such a great album. This is one of those foundational hip hop records that set the stage for hip hop to come. I think I like People's Instinctive Travels more, but I really love the rhymes in this one. It's more *rap* and less experimental, definitely more simplified. Drums and very simple samples. This feels more like a folk album than anything. Its pretty raw. You can tell they're just having fun with this one and focussing purely on the lyrics and rhymes. There are a few songs that don't totally do it for me and even some where they missed the mark on what they're trying to communicate, but other songs are visceral and poignant.

This is good stuff, laid back funky hip hop

actually love this so much! ive never really listened to this type of music before but i love the beat and the rap so much

Now that's what I call hip-hop. Head-bopping beats and lyrics that are not just word salad.

Good album, I loved the vibe of the songs and A Tribe Called Quest is probably one of the best bands of all time.

Un classique pour une raison. 8/10

Lovely stuff. 4.1

I'm not a huge Tribe fan, but they always have smooth and funky production and good lyrics. It just doesnt stand out too much for me, but thats a personal gripe, I can see why they're so venerated.

Lots of great songs on here and some songs that haven’t aged very well. This isn’t my favorite album from Tribe but it IS a classic

Smooth jazzy flowy hip hop. Some of the lyrics are a little questionable in 2024 but putting that to one side, this is one hell of a chill album

Great album. John Safran was totally wrong about Tribe and I blame him for preventing me from listening to this for so long.

Liked it a lot, very jazzy, lots of stand up bass. Good beats.

Very nice and smooth hiphopalbum. I don't understand all the rhymes, but it slaps.

Pretty good album. Not the greatest hip-hop fan, but this one sounds different. A bit jazzy even. 3.5

real emcee shit. Ong.

First album doing this! Liked this a lot very progressive for 1991, jazzy funky samples and Beats, funny and social commentary lyrics, little known Busta Rhymes at the end. Get the toilet paper because your rhymes are butt. Smooth

jazzy sophisti-pop hip hop beats to lounge to. wild that this dropped in 1991

Incredibly consistent and punchy yet maintaining a relatively laid-back atmosphere The Low End Theory is low tempo - held up by masterful beats and lyricism. The initial laissez-faire vibe is noticed before the constant jazz-influenced undertones set in. They’ve got the jazz. They’ve also got everything else you could possibly ask for in a hip hop album. Listening idly, the entire 48 minutes could be one song. It seems to be easy for them. An easy confidence oozes out from each MC’s flow, forming fourteen tracks that each stand out with their own minor quirks, and form a hip hop album for all time.

A whole new adventure in sounds.

this album, through and through, is just fucking cool. this is the hip hop you throw on when you want silky smooth lyrics over a beat that just carries them along. this album just oozes fun, confidence, and swagger. the only reason this doesn't get 5 stars in my book is I do feel the beats get a bit stale around the mid-point of the album. Check the Rime, Infamous Date Rape, and a few other songs sound like they use the same drum samples and there isn't much variation on that front. But this album is awesome. Easy 4 stars.

So many slick beats, which is a staple for Tribe. I’m interested to look into the samples that have been used on the album and who has sampled these songs since. The delivery can be very dated at times, but we’re further away from the release date of this album than this album was from the invention of rap, so what exactly do you expect? So many great tracks and ending with Scenario goes so hard. This was the first time I’ve listened to music in like a week since the world ended in WNC and it was so great to have a different form of entertainment, but I don’t think that’s impacting my rating too much.

Awesome album! I had a really good time with it. I didn't recognize any of the songs, but I feel like I knew some beats.

Low End Theory is a classic rap record that everyone should hear. Tribe was introduced to me by my mother who had their greatest hits CD. I grew up loving all of the hits and the hits on this record are some of my favorite rap songs of all time. Tribe is influential in Jazz Rap which led to my favorite album, To Pimp A Butterfly. As much praise as I have for the influence and a handful of tracks on this, it’s a bit repetitive. Some of the deep cuts are skips for me, because it’s the same Jazz beat with the same style of flow over it. I love the style, but it gets old after a while. It’s great for what it is, and a must listen for anyone wanting to get into rap. I think of it every time I have a Dr Pepper. RIP Phife!!

adom a jazzes hiphopot, legjobb album a héten!

This is a good album. The end is absolutely the best

"Low End Theory evokes the essence of classic New York City rap, with A Tribe Called Quest serving as a sonic time machine that transports you back to the golden era. Ron Carter’s bass lines anchor the album, embodying the deep-rooted connection between jazz and the origins of hip-hop."

One of my favourite hip hop albums as it was one of the gateways into the genre. There is a bit of a lull in the middle but excursions is a great opener and scenario are superb bookends as the songs decline and improve again per track. Even the meh songs though are better than a lot of rap today. 8.5/10

Ett album där bara anblicken av omslaget ger mig speciella känslor. Den svarta bakgrunden och de skarpa färgerna gör att mina inre trummor spelar jazz samtidigt som huvudet börjar gunga i takt till basgången. Legendarisk klassiker. Hip hop som gör en lugn. Hade hört 'Buggin' Out' och 'Verses from the Abstract' förut, och resten av albumet håller absolut samma kvalité. Bäst är det när Q-Tip och Phife Dawg "byter verser" - som det heter - som i 'Buggin' Out' och 'Check the Rhime'. 'Excursions' perfekt albumöppnare. Hi-hatsen som kommer in i Q-Tips verser i 'Buggin' Out'!!!!!! Och basgången! Utöver dessa är 'Vibes and Stuff', 'Jazz (We've Got)', och 'Scenario' väl värda att nämna. Vääldigt nära en femma, men vissa svagare spår, som 'Infamous Date Rape', drar ner betyget en aning. Bästa låt: Buggin' Out.

FIRST LISTEN: 06/13/2023 thought it was kind of overrated on first listen. but i still enjoyed it. my main exposure to jazz rap is from more modern artists like The Alchemist, Madlib, MF Doom, etc. who tend to sample jazz for their beats. This album feel like Jazz rap in the literal sense. No instrumentals are bad, but they're all really minimal, resulting in a lot of beats on the album sounding very samey to me. The rapping is pretty good I guess. I wish i enjoyed this album more if im being honest, but i don't really get it tbh

4 great songs and some filler. But we are much much better in this world for having Tribe!

Listened Before? N Another banger from ATTCQ! I love this early 90's hip hop style. I miss it. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Scenario

Excellent

Hip hop. Pretty good, I liked the jazzy production and the lyrics were clever. It did feel a little repetitive in style near the end and one song didn’t really stand out as great?

Fun stuff.

This shit fye lowkey, exactly what I needed for my rap playlist. Good flows and rythm.

Said it before that I’m not a huge hip-hop fan, but if I need to listen I would choose Tribe Called Quest! I enjoy the old-school hiphop with the laid back vibe. 3.5/5 but rounding up as it was nice chillin’ with the Tribe today

i just wanna go real hard i just wanna die real fast blessings like counting stars blessings like counting stars

Really great but lacks something that I can’t quite define to make it a 5.

Back to back fantastic albums! I forgot there was a Busta Rhymes feature on this one, so many great tracks on this album.

3.7 listened 3x - great bass and beats

Elska þetta væb. Drullugott dilli-chill.

I might be Buggin’ Out, but I think this one melted like Butter in my ears. The Rap Promoter did good to get these Vibes and Stuff out to the world.

A Hip Hop classic

Like an edgier De la Soul. I got a thing for early 90s hip hop

Thoughts before listening: One of the better hip-hop groups. I never paid much attention in the 90s when they were releasing these albums but I love everything I've heard from them. I know this is one of their classic albums. Review: I like A Tribe Called Quest quite a bit. Their laid back, jazzy beats and slow drawl of a vocal delivery click a lot of boxes for more. There are some great songs here: "Buggin Out", "Scenario", "Jazz", and "What?" are all going on the playlist. That being said, as I said on my first review for the group, all of these songs sound very similar without a lot of variation. This keeps the album from being a true classic to me. I'll stick with the 4-stars I gave to their first album.

4☆/5 08.27.2024

yayyyy excursions- i love the bass 7 buggin out- 6 or 7 rap promoter- "i want chicken and orange juice thats whats on my rider" genius. 7 butter- 5 or 6 verses from the abstract- 7 show business- 7 or 8 vibes and stuff- 7 or 8 infamous date rape- :/ check the rhime- 7 everything is fair- 6 or 7 we got the jazz- 6 or 7 skypager- 7 what- 7 or 8 scenario- 6 or 7 favorite track- show business or what

I liked how it was basically one long song. It was a good song but it lost a bit of novelty by the end. Barebones hip hop with a bit of an experimental edge.

Great album; was putting off listening to it for whatever reason. Great lyricism, awesome vibes.

Absolute classic that set a standard for the genre. Excellent samples create a jazzy atmosphere that match up with the great lyrical team up of Q-Tip and Phife Dawg.

So so so so so so so so good.

Now this I dig.

While I didn’t find any individual songs so amazing that they became one of my favourites, at least on this first listen, l still enjoyed this from start to finish. So many hip hop albums I bounce off of because I find the drum machine beats in the background too repetitive. But this had more melodies and other instrumentation that drew me in. Plus the lyrics are pretty great. 4/5

This album was my first exposure to Tribe back in 2014 or so - listened to it and MM a ton over that summer. Reminds me of driving to late night hockey games. Happy to have this back in my rotation :)

Smooth. 4/5

Another good rap album from the 90s. Pleasant surprise!

Loved it from the day it was released.

Favourite tracks: skypager; what?; everything is fair

4 爵士饒舌，非常新穎，很放鬆

A classic hip hop album.

Great stuff. Love the bass.

Tribe really knows how to blend clever lyrics with smooth, head-nodding beats. Their writing always has that tongue-in-cheek edge to it, and the production here is clean, jazzy, and laid-back without ever feeling boring. I didn’t like this one quite as much as their debut, but it’s still a solid listen. Songs flow well, the vibe is tight, and the whole thing feels polished without losing its soul.

Bit of a lull in the middle but first and last thirds are really really good.

4.5

Favourite Song: Show Business

Really good A strong 4

Such a great time in hip hop!

I wasn't particularly into this at first listening but I was semi comatose second time around, feeling a bit ill and somehow I stayed awake for the whole album again and it dug it's way into my brain. It's a damn cool album which I've listened to a few times now.

I prefer Midnight Marauders honestly, this album is still a great classic

Really liked this one- great beat and bass-lines with a real jazz feel mixed with some of the smoothest flows from any hip-hop album I've heard. The lyrics seem a bit dated now at times, but honestly that kind of adds to the charm.

No notes.

Great lyrics!

IDK what anyone says, this shit DID NOT hold up. Sure the beats are fun and cool, the production specifically I'd top notch. But these lyrics?!? I get it's the 'conscious' 'afrocentric' vibe but cmon, this is nursery rhyme bullshit. Look, I love Tribe, had this record when I was 12, but it plays like grandpa rap

Groundbreaking, authentic

Really enjoyed this one! Clever rhymes and good rhythms. I don’t have much knowledge of hip-hop and have not been a big fan of some previous albums in this project, but would definitely come back to this one.

You could isolate either the vocals or the instrumentals and either one would be a good album on its own. So fun to listen to, very upbeat, and you just want to bounce along.

Good album P jizzy

Probably the best flow on a hip hop album I've heard so far, and consistent maybe to a fault. Kinda wish they took a little more risk creatively

Not a HipHop fan but this was good 👍

Very good

Masterful east coast rap. It must be one of the first hip-hop albums to incorporate so much jazz too. Not all songs hit, but the ones that do really hit. Also has one of the best closing songs of any album. Best Songs: Excursions, Butter, Check the Rhime, Everything is Fair, Scenario Worst Songs: Infamous Date Rape, Skypager,

Oddly enough I had this just one week after the other tribe album on this list. I do think the rapping on this one is a lot stronger, better usage of Pfife, but the production seemed to go down. If you could put the best elements from both albums together it’s an easy five, but I don’t think it’s all there on either album.

Glad I finally listened to this one. It’s been hyped through multiple reviewers and deserves all the acclaim. A stage setter for future rap/hip-hop.

4.5 This great and I really wanted to give it a five but couldn’t

Liked it a lot!

Strong hip hop.

The first Tribe album came up long enough ago that I can’t say for sure if I prefer this one, but I think I do. It’s pretty consistent and both music and vocals are super smooth (like butter). I wouldn’t say the ‘jazz’ thing is inherently better or worse than other types of hip-hop production, but these guys make it work in a big way. The double bass-led tracks are particularly ear-catching.

3,5

Another first time listen. From a great era at the start of a brilliant decade for music. Well constructed, produced, performed and worded. This is another on the ‘must investigate further’ list. Who knows what doors this may open. Can I kick it? Apparently, I can…

Nostalgic to hear this again

Opzich kan mijn review van De La Soul hier ook zo worden toegepast. Ik kan met veel hiphop niet goed uit de voeten maar door deze vette fusion van jazz en hip-hop heeft het album een heerlijke groove. Dat komt ook dat - net als bij De La Soul - de rap niet zo luid en agressief is maar meer als instrument past bij de groove die eronder zit. Dat ligt mij beter dan al die 'rapbattles van tegenwoordig'. 8/10 Highlights Excursions Verses from the Abstract Scenario

Old school hip hip that brings me back. Some fun and clever stuff.

Solid classic rap.

I never knew I liked early 90s hip hop till today. Great!

Pretty solid hip hop rap album. The lyrics were pretty solid and I liked how they actually told stories for a lot of the songs. Kinda sad to see where hip hop has gone since this album.

one of my favorite rap albums and thats thanks to the beats. the songs are all so short that the beats never get boring and every one is unique and groovy. 8/10

Yeeeessssssss

How do you rate an album that was formative to your tastes, but that you rarely revisit any more? I’ve had a really hard time trying to gather my thoughts on The Low End Theory. It was the second hip-hop CD I ever bought, right after Ready to Die. I know this album like the back of my hand. Once I started to drive, it was the one CD that never left the CD changer. It was maybe the first album where I had to research what the lyrics meant, because the references were to things that happened 2 years before I was even born, and also because I am very white. Along with DatPiff, it’s probably the reason why I was actively on the hip-hop blogs in the late 2000s. As an introduction to hip-hop, this album taught me not only to love the genre, but *how* to love the genre. It shaped my teenage love for backpacker hip-hop, and also nudged me toward jazz before my ears were probably even ready for that genre. It is the definition of a 101 Course on hip-hop, and remains the best example to throw to someone who “likes everything but rap and country.” But I’ve grown a lot since then. I still love hip-hop as much as ever, and I listen to basically all of its subgenres, from modern cloud rap and trap to Golden Age to Bling era 2000s rap. And I like a *lot* of “conscious hip-hop,” both classic and modern. But something about this album on a relisten rubbed me the wrong way. 
Objectively, it’s good – Tip and Phife are excellent rappers, with strong pens and great flows. The beats hit, the features are cool, and the style of mixing jazz with hip-hop still sounds modern, even if the mixing feels a bit quiet for my loudness war ears. There are some standout songs – “Buggin’ Out,” “Jazz,” and “Scenario,” plus “Skypager” as a personal fav. So why the hesitation? Maybe it’s the fact that the mere existence of the unlistenable, homophobic “Georgie Porgie” gives this record a certain stink that makes me realize maybe it’s not as socially aware as it claims to be. But critiquing an album for a song that isn’t there is dumb. Maybe it’s all the inside baseball talk about the music business, which feels very lame and very omnipresent when compared to the less-frequent but more impactful story-telling songs like “Butter” or “The Infamous Date Rape.” Maybe it’s the fact that Q-Tip gets over 20% of this record all to himself, which feels…egotistical, and kinda weird? Maybe it’s the built-in censorship, and while I know it had to happen to get Ron Carter’s immaculate bass playing, it still feels a bit holier than thou. And that’s maybe the issue. The Low End Theory just feels…preachy now??? Like, I got into rap too early to get on the “rap is crap” train and complain about its vulgarness, which is all based in racism, internalized or externalized, but there’s a sheltered nature here that The Low End Theory can appeal to, especially to white listeners. It feels deep and complex, and in some ways, it is, and on some tracks, it is, but it’s also not *that* deep, and has some complex problems baked in. And acknowledging those issues doesn’t make it a bad album, or even unlistenable, but it also brings it down a notch from the canonized pedestal I placed it on when I was 12. Because I think sometimes it’s totally fine to think an album is good, great even, and still feel like you’ve outgrown it. Besides, Midnight Marauders and We got it from Here… are both better albums, easily, and I stand by that statement because they’re both still heavily in my listening rotation, while The Low End Theory just isn’t.

Loved this. It was so catchy and I found myself dancing along. Best lyrics: “All I do is write rhymes, eat, drink, shit and bone.”

So, some of this hasn’t aged well. And what are the odds that 2/3 of the NBA players name checked on a song called “infamous date rape” are infamous for sexual indiscretions that came to light after the song’s release? But apart from problematic sexual politics, this is such a fun album. I feel like you could put this on at any party and it would work. It’s on point (phife) all the time (tip).

4+

So fun and sing songy.

Excellent, I know nothing about this group, but have heard the name for years. Excellent chill hip hop.

I could understand the words!

3.5/5

I really liked it! Kinda spaced once I got used to the flow but I enjoyed it!

I love A Tribe Called Quest, this album is incredible. 4/5

3.75

Was sitting around with a bunch of guys who aren't into hip hop and I put this on in the background and even they enjoyed it.

Super fun album. Enjoyed it much more than I expected to!

This album is wild. It almost feels like it could just run forever with one song. The lyrics are so casual and then so poignant all over the place. I could see a dozen very different people all love this for different reasons. Masterful album but I'm putting it at a strong 4 vs weak 5.

Incredible 90s rap, has a great flow in the lyrics and seems to filled with passion and love for the music their making. Has a heavy focus of Black culture and position in American society, plus cool jazz vibes to go with it. Super fun and intriguing listen.

Second favorite Tribe Called Quest record. Flow is unmatched and the 90s Tribe is all about the damn vibes!

Has some low points but I do really enjoy this album. Favorite track: Scenario

Nice HipHop

I already had this album on my spotify favorites. It's really good, reminds me of younger days. I'm sure I will listen to this again.

Really solid, although I’m always more partial to Midnight Marauders.

Man, A Tribe Called Quest was such an awesome influence on early hip hop. Great music, wholesome messages (Infamous _ _ comes to mind). I like the jazz samples within the beats on this album! I also didn't know this was where Scenario came from. I think a 4.5 for me.

influential and obv really good and chill record, its not in my top records but doesnt take away from the enjoyment

Stripped down sound, giving the lyrics some breathing space. Listenable for sure with terrific, hypnotic beats. All this and Ron Carter(!).

Quality beats and flows, somewhat repetitive but a distinct sound

A timely follow up to Nevermind- both of these albums released in the most important year of 1991. “The Low End Theory” is great 90s hip hop, very enjoyable! Four stars

Not really my cup of tea, but enjoyable nonetheless

Favourite song - Jazz we've got

Fresco y funky, beats relajados

Enjoyed reading the wiki on this album, enjoyed the hip hop more

Not my favourite album by them but still banging

You know it’s the nineties when they tell you in every song.

Good stuff! 4.

Great hip hop album. Love the jazz influences. It still sounds fresh even now.

Smooth, sharp, tight, beats and rhymes with a soupcon of jazz thrown in to top it off. Very nice.