The Low End Theory

According to my Last.fm stats I've heard the first song from this album some time ago but it was my first time listening to the album in full. While I do enjoy the general vibe the album failed to make me pay attention to individual songs, they kind of blended together for me and started sounding samey after a while. I get that it's an important and influential album but it's... just not for me. 2/5

Quite repititive to me

J'écoute très souvent de la musique par albums depuis quelques temps. J'aime bien cet album, mais par morceaux individuels. Je ne sais pas si je pourrais vraiment l'écouter en entier, je fais quelques pauses car les morceaux se "ressemblent". Point trop n'en faut ! (J'en suis aux trois premiers) Sur Butter, le cuivre à la fin, dinguerie ! J'étais triste quand ça a changé de chanson :( Bilan: c'est sympa mais sans plus, je pense pas pouvoir l'écouter en entier d'une traite

Pretty accessible to me, not being a hip-hop fan. Overall pretty good, I like some of the jazz samples and beats. 3 stars

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.

Iconic 🔥🔥🔥

Not a massive Tribe fan. Good album though. 7/10

More wordy wrapping hood. Entertaining at times. Dreary for the most part.

Great album

Liking the jazzy and funky flairs added to some of the songs. Not a big hip hop fan, but I can appreciate it. Need to read up on the meanings behind the songs, but rn it's a 7/10

Once again, an album that starts off very strong with two great tracks with amazing beats, but then slowly falls off into the abyss. By the last 10 minutes I was dozing off, with the beat and rap becoming quite stale and generic. It's interesting that the three singles from this album were actually below average compared to the rest of the songs, in my opinion. I have to say, I never seen something like this before.

Alternative Hip Hop, which combines drums, jazz bass line and vocals in a way working for me as background music for a few tracks. I found myself bored after 3-4 tracks though especially as Hip Hop mostly appears as more speech performance than music to me.

classic hip hop

Fantano avait vraiment hype l’album, faque j’étais très ouvert d’esprit devant cet album Hip-Hop au excellent cover, je tiens à le préciser. Malheureusement, à part être plus plaisant à l’oreille que la majorité du catalogue de rap, je me suis retrouvé à reproduire le GIF de John Travolta à la fin de l’album, ma manière de communiquer à Fathony Mentanos ma déception devant cet album ma fois correct. Décidément, ya quelques choses qui marche pas dans ma tête quand j’écoute du hip-hop/rap

Lyrics from a time when everyone was proving their foothold in the rap world. Good times, nostalgic to that era.

Also a fun album, good grooves, fun lyrics.

not hip hop fan

DAMN this starts so well, I love it from the first song! Jazzy hip-hop? Yes, please, sir!

You can't trust people that don't like tribe.

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

Your basic rap album. Nothing new to see here. Move along.

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

already listened to it, wasn't big on it

me gustó pero me aburrió un poco

this shi bougie af, loved it

Bassline, Witzige Texte, nicht allzuviel rückgewandte Lyrics.

Fantastic - Jazz is an all time classic

Jazz and 90s rap is a good match

Incredible stuff.

Flyest beats and flow in all the land, though some of the lyrical content can get a little predictable, and at their worst, slightly cringey. With that said, there aren’t many rap albums I can listen to all the way through, but The Low End Theory is one of them. Any points taken away for their bars is easily replaced with the flawless, buttery flow and the incomparable jazz beats. 4.5/5

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

Either there's something I'm not getting or I just don't like this. It didn't click with me whatsoever. It's meant to be a jazzy rap album. But for me that just means it's simplistic, ridiculously boring and very very repetitive. I could barely tell any track apart. Isn't jazz meant to be interesting, melodic and full of variety? It never seems to get out of first gear. This is probably blasphemy to some, but I just don't click with hip-hop at all. A full album with such little variation is obviously too much for me. Didn't enjoy this at all and maybe it's harsh but I'm giving it 1 star. Very cool album cover though.

Classic 90’s rap!

Просто нет

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

My kind of hip hop

Not for me.

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

More props than Arsenio Hall, you say? On point!

Rhymes and rhythms smoooooth as butter

Good rhymes, good beats.

Bit samey and not really my thing.

I like the bass, guitar, and horn parts. The rap is good but not my preference. The beats are a bit repetitive and not very dynamic. The drums are the least favorite part of this record.

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.

Yeah I don't know. I get that people love this, but I've never made it to the end of the record. I dig the vibe and the positive energy, but it's too simple and too much the same from song to song.

Smooth jazzy hip hop with a repetitive rhythm I find more accessible than contemporary rap. Unlikely I would reach for this to play but I enjoyed the spin.

Real good

Second album de ce groupe, après "People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm" qui avais échappé de peu à la note minimale. Malheureusement l'album commence mal. Le premier morceau, après quelques secondes de contrebasse encourageantes, tombe immédiatement dans tous les travers du hip-hop : dès que le chant rentre c'est comme d'habitude long, répétitif et ennuyeux. Même constat avec le second morceau. Le son de contrebasse est excellent, mais la boucle répétée à l'infini présente peu d'intérêt. Je ne suis pas allé au bout. =>1/5

2/5 cause I love the older slang. Didn't finish though, just not my thing

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

Easily the best Tribe album. After my 20th re-listen, I am still finding tracks that I forgot I loved. A Tribe Called Best

90's hip hop is just so much fun. This album has a great energy and flow throughout. The beats are also infectious, I love when jazz and hip hop mix. Mid 5.

Great album!!!

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

Classic East Coast hip-hop, not sure I have much to add.

I don't think that it's a bad album at all, but it's not my type. However, it did feel a bit different than the other hip-hop albums that I know of, and there was a bit of two that had my attention. But is it special? Hard to tell for me. Hesitant, unsure, 3/5.

Heard many people talk up this album but I ended up just thinking it was okay. Wanted to like it more though.

It was ok, but not something I would seek out to listen to.

Not for me.

Hmm, I guess I just don't know what to think of this. It was fine, but not really my thing.

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.

I enjoyed this, although perhaps not as much as their first album. It did seem a little monotonic, but nonetheless an enjoyable mix of rap, hip-hop, and jazz.

Found a few of the songs interesting, but not that exciting overall.

The epitome of cool. The low end theory defines and encapsulates the Jazz & Hip Hop blend so distinctly well, that the artistic movement that came after was defined as the soulquarian movement. Which gave way to Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Questlove, D'angelo and so many more. Tribe's playful adlibs, rhyme schemes and destinctive voices all add to the "jazz ambiance" of this album. Its seriously good jazz inspired hip hop. Laid back and cool as all hell.

Thoroughly enjoyable

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

No

90% Best: Excursions; Buggin' Out; Verses from the Abstract; Vibes and Stuff; Check the Rhime; Jazz (We've Got); Scenario Must-Hear? Yes

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

Very mediocre Hip Hop. Not bad, but nothing spectacular here. I've heard of them, and I assume that they were instrumental in the early days of hip hop, but this one bored me after the third nearly identical song. People make fun of all hair bands sounding the same, but the songs on this album had nearly the same music and lyric sytle on every song.

Another silly early rap album. Kinda goofy.

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

It’s a jazz-rap classic that has aged exceptionally well. Every beat sounds great. Scenario introduced the world to Busta Rhymes. The lyrics are fun and it’s just guys being dudes for most of it. One of the first hip-hop albums that doesn’t sound “old”. So relistenable.

Hip-hop amb bases jazz, molt guai!

Absolutely love this. Positive, inventive, playful and life-affirming. Great production, and Q-Tip must have one of the most alluring and distinctive voices in Hip Hop.

I'm sure this is great, but I wasn't in the right frame of mind. It's a mistake to listen to such a lyrical heavy album when you are... reading yourself.

Faded into the background a but a groovy fun time. Standout track: Show business

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.

I can appreciate that this may be good, but I don’t enjoy listening to hip hop at all.

Not my cup of tea

Wanted to like this, and I appreciate the impact it had on hip-hop, but I just don't get as much out of this as expected. Far from my favourite style of hip-hop. Oh well!

This is good!

3 - I liked to begin with but it just starts to feel samey

Smooth like butter. Tribe are so good at producing catchy beats and charismatic flows with the simplest of ingredients. Engaging with it more consciously I appreciated this album more than ever before. 4.6/5

GOATS.

Classic 90s hip hop that is ridiculously listenable and great for vibing. What else can you ask for? Flows and rhymes on fleek.

I'm pretty biased because I love this style of hip hop. This album is proof that you don't need anything fancy to make enjoyable music. Just a beat with crispy drums and some smooth lyrics over top. I like artists that start with what sounds good and work backwards to make music out of it.

Good vibes; would need more time to listen on a daily but loved the lyrics and the way the songs and voices had a way of making it sound all the more deep and very powerful

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

Chill rap sorta thing. It's okay

Yeah I don't know this shit all sounds the same to me. Coz I'm see through I'm that white

Absolute banger and a classic. At one point in life this was one of 3 albums I had on repeat, I hold this album very near and dear to my heart. Funky, smooth and jazzy, what's not to love

It may not have suck a nigga on it, but this sucka loves these niggas!

Love it!

It’s ok but a lot of the tracks sound the same. Makes good background music. 3

Fuckin love this album!

p665. 1991. 1 star. Hip-hop/rap. Every track sounds the same. Tedious beyond belief.

Great

A perfect record. Funky and fun and awesome.

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. :-)

pretty good ATCQ album, more of the funky jazz influence at times on this album. lyrics from Q and Phife come through on this that makes 'smart rap' good and cool.

A solid hip hop album

Love it!

Yehh this is it. Love Tribe

That was smooth. But not sure I’d listen to anything again

ATCQ !!

Fick lite bad vibes av the infamous date rape.. jag fattar vad de försökte göra och eftersom de alla är män då blir det ganska fokuserat på mannens perspektiv istället för att nämna något om hur det påverkar kvinnan lixom. Idk.. Jag gillade jazz we've got. Inget jag hade gått omkring och lyssnat på.

I first heard this as I went backwards in my discovery of the Native Tongues. Deserves its 5 Mics for what it meant for the soundscapes and the era. But what they started here was perfected on Midnight Marauders.

own

Definitivamente el hip hop no es lo mío. No le pongo 1 porque objetivamente no es basura, pero no pude escuchar el disco entero.

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.

It might be my failure, but I didn’t hear much of interest. I liked their first album better.

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

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

It's fine. Not my sort of music. All the songs sound pretty similar.

Rap, Drums/Perc, 1991 -> 2

Magnificent

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

OK. Repetitive. Nice background beat.

Excellent album, some of the best hip hop to come out of that wra.

The goatiest goat

Great album but not really the day for it

- Endlich A Tribe Called Quest!! Ein fucking Phänomen!! - Ich habe mich irgendwann schonmal hingesetzt und das Album von vorne bis hinten gehört, weil mir bekannt war, dass das Album als eines der besten (wenn nicht sogar das Beste) Hip-Hop Alben gehandelt wird. Ich erinnere mich an die Bezeichnung "Das Sgt. Pepper des Hip-Hop". - Was soll ich sagen. Ich kann gut nachvollziehen, dass es im Hip-Hop Olymp steht. - Ich finde die Gruppe unglaublich faszinierend. Habe mir zu der Zeit, als ich das Album durchgehört habe auch den Dokumentarfilm über die Jungs reingezogen. In einer Zeit, als Gangsta Rap das gesamte Genre übernimmt und alle über Schwanzvergleiche, dicke Karren und Knarren rappen, machen die Jungs einfach fucking Kunst. Rappen sozialkritisch und philosophisch über die Themen der Zeit (bis heute aktuell) auf Jazz Samples und Oldschool Beats. Einfach so, wie es ein Albumtitel auch besagt: Beats, Rhymes and Life. - Geile Texte, geile Samples/Beats, geiler Flow - Großartiges Albumcover Rating: 4,5/5

- nichts, was total heraussticht, aber im Ganzen super wegzuhören

not really my type of music, enjoyed the lyrics tho

Classic

One of the best rap albums I have ever listened to. I really have to confess this.

This is such a sick record. I love the beats and the jazzy aspect of it. It flows well and is a pretty easy listen but it also has stuff to sink your teeth into.

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 was my album today, and my partner had Dr. Dre “The Chronic”. Listening to them back-to-back, I have to say I like Dre’s better because there’s a lot more variety of sound and style. Still, Q-Tip is awesome.

This is good stuff, laid back funky hip hop

Enjoyed it very much!!

It’s alright.

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

I absolutely love this album. I love the beats, I respect each member of ATCQ. Each one of them brings their talents to this album to make something amazing. Easy 5 stars.

I still don't quite "get" the music, but it started to grow on me a bit and wasn't unpleasant. It just doesn't grab my attention like I'm used to rap songs doing. Probably warrants a more active listening experience than I'm willing to give it right now.

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

I could have sworn that I already had this album suggested but that might just be because I have it in semi regular rotation in my personal collection. This record is so damn smooth and buttery, a bona fide staple of early hip hop and also absolutely timeless. For a laugh, check out "Rap Promoter" if you want to hear what Kid Rock tried to rip off..

Wanted to like it more especially cuz the first song was good, but couldnt get into it

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

i'm still a firm tribe called quest defender, and just like the last album i listened to quite a while ago, this one is just as good! poetic and clever rhymes are perfectly blended with the coolest beatflips you've ever heard in your life. it is physically impossible to listen to this album and not bump your head to every single beat. these guys are a master of their craft. from beginning to end, this album is a hip hop masterpiece.

issa classic one of the best hip hop records of all time

Un classique pour une raison. 8/10

Enjoyed it!

Excellence. Fantastic jazzy hiphop beats with socially concious raps. This is so good.

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

The Good: jazzy hip-hop The Bad: doesn’t age well The Ugly: annoying drum-machine I really wanted to like this, but the damn drum machine is getting on my nerves so badly, that I fear there’s a 1* rating heading towards the Tribe This has NOT aged well at all. Give me Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) and I will give it a 4*, but this… 1*

- Bars/lyrics are significantly less mysoginistic and violent than the East/West Coast gangsta rap coming out at the same time (The Chronic, Doggystyle etc). IMO, that helps the record as a whole stand the test of time and encapsulate the black experience of the early 90s - Combine that with the slick beats/production and overall incredible flow, and it’s no wonder ATCQ is still one of the best known and respected rap groups of all time

Good, groove hip-hop. Straight to the point. Kind of music you imagine a thug tuning in his car while driving through the hood. I like it, good vibes.

Average

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

I prefer other albums from them. This is solid tho.

Minimalist hip-hop with heavy jazz influence. Easy, infectious grooves. Feels natural and unforced.

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

It’s like butter, it’s like butter, baby.

I do not like this style of music

it was Ok.

5/10

3/5

This is my second A Tribe Called Quest album. The other one was great; this one, unfortunately, was not-so-great. It was too repetitive, and the lyrics didn't hit me as well as their other album(and I'm still stunned by "The Infamous Date Rape"). Favorite Track: "Buggin' Out"

Top tier hip hop. Really. The flow. Jazzy samples. Love it.

Old school hip-hop, with intriguing beats full of low-end and jazzy samples. Nicely crafted with well-thought lyrics. Interesting

Nope, not my thing!

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

10/7/24. Classic rap album that still carries its weight. Love this.

I really love rap. My biggest regret on this project thus far is giving Stankonia 4 stars when it clearly deserved 5, and I will not let another hip hop masterpiece go by without its rightfully deserved 5 stars. This is one of those albums that makes the rounds in the music nerd subculture as a must listen, and rightfully so. Well produced, smooth, well written, and influential for essentially every other hip hop artist that followed. Incredible.

real emcee shit. Ong.

Amazing.😻

I always liked this album for standouts like "Buggin Out", but once I gave it a closer listen I came to appreciate how the sound and details of the deeper cuts make this a very complete sounding album.

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

I liked it! It was fun and accessible!

Such a dynamic hip hop album, very fun to experience!

Love this album already.

Chill Hip Hop, but nothing that got me really hooked

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.

I thought they had one good song.

A whole new adventure in sounds.

A banger the whole way through, not a single skip on this album. Epitome of the 90s hip-hop vibe.

Such a great album. I didn’t even need to listen to it this time to know it would be five stars, but I did because I love this album so much.

5/5: A classic

First 5. This album is so fun, the jazzy-hip hop samples flow well, the back and forth raps can pack a punch, and the album as a whole can fit several moods. Pretty influential for 1991.

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.

Classic but outdated imo. Still can’t rate it below a 3.

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!!

No thanks. Too much going on.

Elvibe-olgattam rajta, de már úgy a harmadik számtól borzasztóan egysíkú (vannak egyáltalán különböző dalok?). Az utsó oké, de hát az koprodukció.

adom a jazzes hiphopot, legjobb album a héten!

Quite interesting to listen to. Old School type of rap…

To this day, I’m not sure why, but an older kid I vaguely knew took me aside and handed me the first two A Tribe Called Quest albums in the locker room at school. "Listen to these, give them back when you’re done." At the time, these albums were unlike anything I’d ever heard—instant classics. The Low End Theory in particular was a revelation, with its deep basslines, minimalist beats, and live jazz instrumentation offering a sound that was both raw and smooth. It broke away from the heavier, sample-driven style of its era, creating something that instantly felt timeless. The heart of the album is the incredible chemistry between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg. Tip’s laid-back, cerebral flow perfectly complements Phife’s punchy, no-nonsense delivery. Their synergy is effortless, shining brightest on tracks like “Check the Rhime,” where they bounce off each other with precision and style. As for its legacy, The Low End Theory reshaped 90s hip-hop, proving the genre could be introspective without losing its edge. And let’s not forget—it introduced the world to Busta Rhymes, whose explosive verse on “Scenario” set the stage for his breakout. Those CDs still sit in my collection. The guy never asked for them back, and it’s become a running joke for me to message him every few years on social media to ask if he wants them returned. Did/Do I own this release? Kinda still do Does this release belong on the list? For sure Would this release make my personal list? Definitely Will I be listening to it again? No question

Nothing says "timeless classic" like name-checking Arsenio Hall a half dozen times, and an entire song dedicated to your beeper.

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

One of the greatest of not the greatest Hip-Hop albums of all time. Nothing more to say.

Meh. Demasiadas referências nas letras e o rap não me agrada muito.

Now here's a funky introduction of how nice this is. I already know the greatness of this album, but I'm more than happy to listen to it again. A milestone record in the history of Hip Hop. The chemistry in this group at this time was uncanny and Tribe truly set themselves apart with their content, production, delivery and cadence. You can tell how much fun they're having with creating it and presenting it to the masses. It's energetic, positive, fun, and entertaining. Absolutely love this one. Easy five stars.

"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

No idea how people call this album boring. There's a lot of variety in there. Really liked this one, big fan of this Jazzy Hip Hop in general.

Hip Hop & Rap leiern fast 45 min herunter. Irgendwie ist das für mich uninspirierend und irgend eine Art R&B nie mir überhaupt nicht gefällt. Ich werde dieses Album nicht vermissen.

Hard work. Not a massive amount of variety, sure this would make great background music for a hot day in the ghetto, but not great for a rainy day in the office. Somewhat tiresome, although a great snippet of influential early 90's music.

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.

Smoother than a mercury milkshake

Steady listen.

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

Hip hop isn’t my thing - never was. This had a couple catchy songs and some fun lyrics- But overall it was really repetitive rhythmically.

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

Jazz jams, hold the gangta.

Good start. Really liked the cool grooves. Sounds like it would be good when high

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

An album that not only features one of my least favourite music genres - Hip-Hop - but also combines another two music genres that I dislike into a new one - Jazz-Rap. It may be clever lyrically, but musically it's not for me.

Early 90s hip hop, yes

Definitely on my short list of best hip hop albums of all time. This one settles into a groove a maintains it all the way to the end. Five stars.

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?

Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa

Hip Hop.

Not my thing.

goat hip hop

Fun stuff.

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

"The Low End Theory" is the second studio album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. East Coast hip hop, alternative hip hop and jazz rap are the Wiki-listed genres. It is further defined as "a minimalist sound that combines bass, drum breaks and jazz samples." That's better. The lyrics are social commentary, word play and humorous interplay between rappers Q-Tip and Phife Dawg. DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad rounds out the band on this album. The album was produced by Q-Tip and Skeff Anselm. Critically, it is considered a mile stone in alternative hip hop that bridges the gap between hip hop and jazz. In 2022, it was put into the Library of Congress for its artistic significance. And, commercially, it hit #45 in the US and #58 in the UK. A sample by Art Blakely opens "Excursions." Q-Tip comes in ultimately stressing be true to yourself. A drum beat sample from Shades of Brown and a horn sample from the Last poets are also inserted. "Buggin' Out" gives us humorous interplay between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg. Layered drum beats. More of a hip hop beat and pretty chill. "Check the Rhime" uses clever samples from Minnie Rpperton and the Average White Band. More back and forth between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg as they rip the record industry and comment on the inner city. The message is to just enjoy the jazz, the music, in "Jazz (We Got)." Samples in the melody from Jimmy McGriff and the drum beats from the Five Stairsteps' "Don't Change Your Live." The third and final single "Scenario" closes the album. Q-Tip, Phife Dawg and a host of other rappers are on the mic. One of those other rappers is Buster Rhymes and this appearance helped to kick start his career. The overall tone of this album is pretty chill. The selection and use of the jazz sampling partcularly in the drum beats and bass helped that. Very strategic placement of those samples too. The interaction between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg is fun and humorous. The lyrics cover the record industry, drugs and violence of the Inner city, date rape, rap and violence and to just enjoy music. There are some very clever and funny pop culture references (Arsenio Hall, Ralph Cramden and Duke Ellington). This is one of my favorite hip hop albums and a strong recommendation.

the combination of jazz and rap has been and always will be one of the coolest combinations. Total trailblazers that didn't get their due at the time and are now the precursors of some of the greatest rap albums of all time.

One of the best of all time.

Albumi #44, 10.09.2024 Yksi kaikkien aikojen hienoimmista rap-yhtyeistä ja kenties heidä hienoin albuminsa.

10/10

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.

Is this possibly the peak of hip hop jazz sampling? Stunning album all around, the beats/samples and the excellent lyrics. A masterpiece for sure.

One of my favorite albums from the 90's. For some reason the line, "I want chicken and orange juice, that's whats on my rider" has been in my head since the 90's and I frequently blurt it out at inopportune times to the consternation of my family. And, of course, one of the best Busta guest tracks ever!

3.7 listened 3x - great bass and beats

Elska þetta væb. Drullugott dilli-chill.

Some solid hip hop here with a couple of great baselines. 3.5 stars.

I like the music behind it, but the flow of the rapping seemed oddly slow. The lyrics were fun, and very clever in bits. I would listen to it again, but wouldn't go out of my way to find it.

This was so good. No wonder it's a classic

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.

Now this is an influential album right here. My first A Tribe Called Quest experience was with their first album just under a month ago. I'm a bit miffed that there wasn't much time between the two (as well as the sheer abundance of repeat artists I've gotten as of lately), but those feelings are strongly outweighed by my positive feelings on this album. Every piece of praise I had for their debut applies here, but to a stronger degree. The jazz influence was certainly there in their first album, but it is in full swing on The Low End Theory. They even acknowledge that in the first song on the album! Speaking of songs, there's some great ones on here. Of course, you have the classics like "Check the Rhime" and "Scenario" that are obviously great. However, the deep cuts from this album like "Skypager" and "What?" are pretty good as well. There aren't really any bad songs on this album, which is good. The rapping is even better on here than the debut. My big complaint on the debut was the lack of Phife Dawg. Fortunately, there is no lack of Phife Dawg on The Low End Theory. He is here and he is great. Q-Tip still does great as well, and even though he doesn't rap, the work that Ali Shaheed Muhammad provides on this album is essential to what makes it so great. The sound is excellent, the writing is enjoyable, and the pacing is much better. This album has aged magnificently and its influence remains in and outside of hip-hop to this day. The Low End Theory may not be my favorite album to release on September 24, 1991. I personally liked Nevermind more. But there is no denying that this is a legendary album that deserves all of the praise it has gotten over the years. Light 5/5.

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.

No es mi estilo.

yas this album was so sick. so vibey and jazzy and just fun to listen to. definitely need to relisten to pick out some favs bc they all sort of just flow together rlly nicely

Una piccola bomba hip-hop. Da ascoltare coi finestrini abbassato per fare brutto con stile.

Not for me

Not really into hip hop, but this was pretty good.

phenomenal album

Nope. Doesn’t speak to me

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 should have payed more attention to hip hop back then. This is awesome.

Albummet er gennemført, det er hipt, og det er let at hoppe til....... Men det gør ikke rigtig noget for mig. Jeg kan dog godt anerkende det for at være nybrud inden for hele hip hop lyden, og klart nogen danske grupper som har trukket god inspiration fra det bas tunge, og minimalistiske i lyden.

Det starter stærkt ud. Excursions er på en gang et simpelt nummer og utrolig kompliceret. Det er old-school Hip-Hop. Simple beats og jazz samples. Q-Tips flow er laidback. Det minder en del om Nas. Desværre taber det ret hurtigt min interesse lige som de fleste Hip-Hop albums gør.

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.

3 stars

Classic

Q-tip er den rapper med den bedste stemme til den slags jazzede beats, de bruger her. Pfife er en virkelig god kontrast, trækker energien op men bliver aldrig for meget (ulig fx flava flav). Synes det er sjovt hvor ofte han nævner hans højde, short king 👑 Busta Rhymes vers på Scenario GOAT, både fordi det er Busta men Q-Tip har også nogle fantastiske lead-ins. Det her er første gang jeg hører den hvor jeg ved, hvem Peter Tosh er, fordi han tidligere var på listen!!

Nogen af de bedste beats nogensinde, og virkelig gode flows. Pladens bedste vers er det sidste (Busta Rhymes på Scenario), men det er nok et top 10 hiphop vers nogensinde Teksterne er nogen gange pænt datede. 90er-raps forhold til kvinder var lidt for meget delt op i to grupper, "alle kvinder er klamme ludere!"-gruppen og "kvinder er fantastiske, bortset fra dem som er klamme ludere, men de er ikke rigtige kvinder!"-gruppen.

have i been sleeping on atcq? yes yes i have.

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.

5/5

Tribe arrived fully formed with Instinctive Movements and they followed it up with another classic just over a year later with a sound all their own. Incorporating jazz samples and continuing the lighthearted humorous lyrics, this one holds up to this day as basically perfect.

FINALLY!! On day 138, this generator gave me my first perfect 10 album! This is in my top 5 albums of the 90s. Probably top 3. 10 stars!

A hip hop classic, truly amazing.

Okay for 1 time listening

So so so so so so so so good.

Now this I dig.

This album is pretty good. The jazzy elements have really stood the test of time, but the flows and lyrics haven't aged as well. 3/5.

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

Some very chill beats, but the songs get a bit same-y after a while.

Awesome album. A Tribe Called Quest were really a force to be reckoned with.

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 :)

Although talent wise, these guys are in the upper echelon, musically it’s not my thing. I’d group this in the Fresh Prince and Arrested Development class where I’m just not into the clean rap/hip hop. They do have sprinkles of explicit lyrics but it almost feels like it’s forced. So if you’re looking for something to play during a garage sale or while cleaning your car next to a school, this will do but maybe stay away from a handful of songs. Choice cut: Butter

Zulu nation would be proud

I had heard this album in pieces at various stages of my life, but had never sat down and listened start to finish. It really blew me away- the clever wordplay, juxtaposed serious tone with sillier lyrics, the music sampling- the all came together to create a powerhouse. I can see how the album was so influential to so kany artists, and helped define the sound of hip hop as a genre in the 90s. Overall- a masterpiece of a hip hop album.

Jazzy and smooth. Couldn't really find anything that stood out though.

Dr. Pepper and the music whore tried. I find it really funny how early hip-hop had some absolutely random lyrics. For early hip-hop it's a good album I guess, and even today it's listenable. For me the best part was the Busta Rhymes' verse, and maybe when one of them finally changed the flow in Infamous Date Rape

the beats had me head bobbing at times but it wasn't that good imo

Passed me by without leaving a mark. Strange for a hip hop album, but hey.

Pretty good

Bored from beginning to end.