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REVIEW
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One of the greatest hip-hop LPs of all time
Q-Tip, Phife Dawg and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, AKA A Tribe Called Quest were around for a long time when they were together. They released three classic albums that were some of the best in the 90's. First came their debut album 'People's Instinctive Travels' way back in 1990 which I admit have not yet heard but is supposed to be very good.
A year later they returned with 'The Low End Theory'. This for me, is one of the best hip-hop albums I've heard. From the first few lines of the opening track 'Excursions', I new this was going to be dope; Some smooth flows delivered from Q-Tip with a jazzy yet dark bass line to back it. I listened to this track nearly all the way through but I wanted to hear all the other tracks too.
Tribe continue to impress with the next track 'Buggin Out', the beat is in the same style as 'Excursions' but Phife steps up to the mic with a fly first verse. Here is a few lines:
Yo, microphone check 1,2, what is this/
The 5-foot assassin with the rough neck business/
I float like gravity, never had a cavity/
Got more rhymes than the ?Juanas? got family/
The rest of the album just carries the same kind of vibe along throughout. Most of the vocals are said by Q-Tip who is a dope MC on this album and when Phife appears he never fails. Such as 'Butter', only Phife raps on this cut and he never slips in his flow and brings some humor into his lyrics.
Out of 14 tracks however, there are 1 or 2 that have died of old age. 'Everything Is Fair' still has a fairly hot beat but Q-Tip's delivery seems too dated and does not appeal to me. So not every track on the album is good, but it's classics like 'Jazz (we've got)', 'Buggin Out', 'Show Business' and 'Scenario' that are the height of dopeness which make up a CLASSIC album.
Their last album 'The Love Movement' was apparently below par and felt like the end for Tribe, but when you hear albums like this it seems like a big disappointment and that A Tribe Called Quest are the missing piece of the hip-hop jigsaw puzzle.
'The Low End Theory' may be a little to old school for some, but the true fans of hip-hop should strongly agree with the title of this review. One of the greatest hip-hop LPs of all time.
OVERALL RATING: 5/5
REVIEWED BY: lippdogg
ADDED: 2002-06-10
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