February 25, 2014

A Tribe Called Quest "The Low End Theory" (The Source, 1991)


"What do you do for an encore after making one of the most ground-breaking unique and outstanding hip-hop albums ever? Instead of moving ahead to an uncharted musical plateau that may be over everyone’s head, the Tribe have veered off to the side, molding their jazz-infused samples with fat hardcore beats to give their progressive sound a streetwise edge. The most prevalent theme on this record is the Tribe’s disillusionment with the music industry. Song topics address shady promoters, bootleggers and the greedy, insensitive record labels that rip-off artists. Meanwhile, Tip and Ali drop some more fat loops from their secret sample vaults. The tracks are kept simple and feature the type of fat drum beats that can be heard from a boomin’ system three blocks away... They add the right touch - whether it's a live bass with singing on Q-Tip’s "Verse From Abstract," or the jazzy sax loop on Phife’s "Butter." Q-Tip has already proven he is a highly skilled lyricist with his own distinct style and once again he flows lovely, dubbing himself "The Abstract Poet. Those who questioned Phife’s microphone techniques on the first album will swallow those doubts as he practically steals the show on this one. Phife provides a more straight-up b-boy approach to complement Tip’s mellow vibes. Other outstanding cuts include "Buggin’ Out," an uptempo jam with a catchy bassline, "Rap Promoter" with its chunky guitar samples, "ShowBiz," featuring Brand Nubian and ex-Ultimate Force member Diamond D, and “Scenario” a duet with the Leaders Of The New School that feature some incredible lyrics from Busta Rhymes. There’s no sophomore jinx to be found here only real hip-hop." - The Source (1991). A well-earned 5-mic review!



You can save a copy of The Source's Low End Theory review below...