While most of the players in the jazz-rap movement never quite escaped the pasted-on qualities of their vintage samples, with The Low End Theory, A Tribe Called Quest created one of the closest and most brilliant fusions of jazz atmosphere and hip-hop attitude ever recorded. The rapping by Q-Tip and Phife Dawg could be the smoothest of any ap record ever heard; the pair are so in tune with each other, they sound like flip sides of the same personality, fluidly trading off on rhymes, with the former earning his nickname (the Abstract) and Phife concerning himself with the more concrete issues of being young, gifted, and black. The trio also takes on the ap game with a pair of hard-hitting tracks: "Rap Promoter" and "Show Business," the latter a lyrical soundclash with Q-Tip and Phife plus Brand Nubian's Diamond D, Lord Jamar, and Sadat X. The woman problem gets investigated as well, on two realistic yet sensitive tracks, "Butter" and "The Infamous Date Rape." The productions behind these tracks aren't quite skeletal, but they're certainly not complex. Instead, Tribe weaves little more than a stand-up bass (sampled or, on one track, jazz luminary Ron Carter) and crisp, live-sounding drum programs with a few deftly placed samples or electric keyboards. It's a tribute to their unerring production sense that, with just those few tools, Tribe produced one of the best hip-hop albums in history, a record that sounds better with each listen. The Low End Theory is an unqualified success, the perfect marriage of intelligent, flowing aps to nuanced, groove-centered productions.
Even if Tribe never recorded a second album, they would still be regarded as Hip Hop royalty. Luckily, the group, which was now a trio, dropped, The Low End Theory. Tribe perfected the sound they were looking for on their second album. The beats are minimal but effective and Q-Tip and Phife really hit their [...]
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THE CULTURE WARSPosted byfatirah Contributed by fatirah[Col. Writ. 3/20/05] Copyright 2005 Mumia Abu-JamalWhen I was a young Panther, one of the worst things to be considered was a cultural nationalist. Members of the Party used that term to deride their critics of the Black nationalist movement, and to distinguish themselves, called themselves revolutionary nationalists (that is, until Huey P....
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Are You Kidding? The Greatest rhyme of all. This is God's stash son
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Even if Tribe never recorded a second album, they would still be regarded as Hip Hop royalty. Luckily, the group, which was now a trio, dropped, The Low End Theory. Tribe perfected the sound they were looking for on their second album. The beats are minimal but effective and Q-Tip and Phife really hit their [...]
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Who?The Queens-based hip-hop trio are one of hip-hops true legends, comprised of Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. In a time when gangster and party rap was on the rise, A Tribe Called Quest managed to make noise by creating what you might call jazz-rap and spitting socially-conscious rhymes.And I Care Because?- That new-old sound. "Daddy don't you know that things go in cycles?" Q-...
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Updated from A Tribe Called Quest's 1991 classic The Low End Theory, "Buggin' Out" gets a (hyphy) color-scheme and bigger, buggier-eyed verses from Consequence and Kid Cudi, both on GOOD Music, better known as Kanye's label. But I guess Cudi is ducking out before he even debuts his album. No, don't go, we need you! This one can be found on J. Period's mixtape The [Abstract] Best.On the wordsmit...
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Actually its just the web site, gotta love the new 80's feel it has. At the time of writing this The Bamboozle Festival website has been hacked/hijacked by 80's throw backs Van Stone. Check it out here http://www.thebamboozle.com/
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The radio show is streaming for only this week so don't miss it! The 2 hours include an in depth interview with Q- Tip and a recent live recording from The Roundhouse in London. Here's the link to the show.Track List:Fever Bonita Applebum Electric Relaxation Scenario Check The Rhyme Getting Up Vibrant Thing Award Tour Life Is BetterMore:Q- Tip OfficialA Tribe Called Quest Official
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Uhhh, Uhhh, Uhhh, Uhhh...Uhhh, Uhhh, Uhhh...Easily one of my favorite Tribe albums, though I think Midnight Marauders beats it out by a hair.
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THE CULTURE WARSPosted byfatirah Contributed by fatirah[Col. Writ. 3/20/05] Copyright 2005 Mumia Abu-JamalWhen I was a young Panther, one of the worst things to be considered was a cultural nationalist. Members of the Party used that term to deride their critics of the Black nationalist movement, and to distinguish themselves, called themselves revolutionary nationalists (that is, until Huey P....
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I was chatting with a friend about the usefulness of music as a device for breaking social barriers. A Tribe Called Quest is one of the groups that helped me dissolve barriers whose existence I may not have even aknowledged in the past.
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Well when something instantly induces a great mood and sounds as good as ever after 17 years, that is pretty fresh. Going all 1990's with this HHT!
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* cues trumpets *let me flaunt the style/i think that the times near/that we drop studs/there will be no duds here/rappers play the dumb/kinda on the space tip/but when they hear the jam/they be on the dillsnick- q-tipHere we are 17 years later and that shit still gives me the chills. This is my favorite song on my favorite album (depending on the day) of all time. That should tell you how muc...
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--- - |- Well, this made my day. Unkut has unearthed an unreleased version of one of my favorite hip-hop songs of all time. This version of A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario" features unheard verses from De La Soul and Black Sheep. As Nah Right puts it, "it's not everyday that something with this kind of historical significance pops up."mp3:a tribe called quest :: scenario (unreleased)(via) ...
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[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFZLq6R-ZtM 425x355]Above is the LP version of the ATCQ song, "Scenario," that most of us have known and loved for years without even knowing about the original versions that were left on the cutting room floor. Courtesy of the boards, and unKut.com, here is an unreleased version of "Scenario" featuring De La Soul, Black Sheep & Leaders Of The New School. ...
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The Washington Show is this weekend. It's on Yall
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Are You Kidding? The Greatest rhyme of all. This is God's stash son
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Excursions |
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| 2 Buggin' Out |
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| 3 Rap Promoter |
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| 4 Butter |
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| 5 Verses From the Abstract |
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| 6 Show Business |
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| 7 Vibes and Stuff |
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| 8 The Infamous Date Rape |
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| 9 Check the Rhime |
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| 10 Everything Is Fair |
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| 11 Jazz (We've Got) |
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| 12 Skypager |
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| 13 What? |
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| 14 Scenario |
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 "The Low End Theory")
