The early-1990s advent of A Tribe Called Quest represented one of the key evolutions in rap music. The New York group signaled a shift from the boisterous braggadocio of the old school to a more laid-back, fun-loving form buoyed by sophisticated production and thoughtful, positive lyrics. The Tribe's hallmarks were all in evidence on their debut: the low-key delivery of lead rapper Q-Tip, the jazzy instrumental touches, and the oddball samples. Over the next few releases, the group showed major growth, musically and lyrically, pushing the boundaries of hip-hop and influencing a new generation of rappers in the process.
No Description Available No Track Information Available Media Type: CD Artist: TRIBE CALLED QUEST Title: LOW END THEORY Street Release Date: 09/24/1991 Domestic Genre: RAP/HIP HOP
Product Notes
De La Soul are remembered as the premier Native Tongues posse, those rappers who got low-key, self-consciously thoughtful, and jazzy in the face of gangsta''s hardcore threats. But A Tribe Called Quest may have been even stronger, especially on their excellent second album, the bass-thumping, heavily jazz-sampled The Low End Theory. According to the opening "Excursions," rapper Q-Tip''s old man says the disc''s jazz-rap "reminded him of bebop," and Q calls himself "prominent like Shakespeare." But if Charlie Parker had ever written poetic couplets and backed them with funky-drummer and Ron Carter-on-bass grooves this irresistible, he might have been as big as the Bard and Brother James combined. --David Cantwell
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