Beats, Rhymes and Life
Encyclopedia
Beats, Rhymes and Life is the fourth album of the hip hop
group A Tribe Called Quest
. Released in 1996, it followed three years after the highly regarded and successful Midnight Marauders
. This album is a departure from the joyful, positive vibe of the earlier albums and is regarded as the group's darkest album in content. It reached number-one on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B Albums charts.
a group that was composed of Q-Tip
, Ali Shaheed Muhammad
, and Jay Dee
. One topic on this album was the Death Row vs. Bad Boy rivalry. This album also features Consequence
, cousin of rapper Q-Tip, frequently on the album.
It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
in 1997 and contains a single titled "1nce Again
" that was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
the same year. It was certified platinum by the RIAA on October 27, 1998, even though it was not regarded as highly as the group's first three albums.
The video version of "Stressed Out
" has Phife Dawg
rhyming on the second verse instead of Consequence. However, Phife's verse does not appear on the album.
In the song "Keeping It Moving," Q-Tip responds to the dis comments made about him on Westside Connection's
song "Cross ’Em out and Put a K" by saying that comments made about the West from some time before the album were not intended to dis the west coast and that people should not misinterpret his lyrics.
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
. Released in 1996, it followed three years after the highly regarded and successful Midnight Marauders
Midnight Marauders
- Additional credits :- Accolades :The information is taken from Acclaimedmusic.netand other website links below. designates lists which are unordered.-Cover art:...
. This album is a departure from the joyful, positive vibe of the earlier albums and is regarded as the group's darkest album in content. It reached number-one on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B Albums charts.
Background
The album was also the first to feature production work from the UmmahThe Ummah
The Ummah was a music production collective, composed of members Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, and the late Jay Dee of the Detroit-based group Slum Village. Occasional members included Raphael Saadiq, and D'Angelo...
a group that was composed of Q-Tip
Q-Tip (rapper)
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...
, Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Ali Shaheed Muhammad is an American hip hop DJ, rapper, producer who enjoyed a great deal of fame as a member of A Tribe Called Quest. With Q-Tip and Phife Dawg, the group released five studio albums from 1990 to 1998....
, and Jay Dee
J Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
. One topic on this album was the Death Row vs. Bad Boy rivalry. This album also features Consequence
Consequence (rapper)
Dexter Mills , better known as Consequence, is an American rapper. He is the cousin of rapper Q-Tip of the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, and was formerly an affiliate of Kanye West's GOOD Music family. Consequence debuted in 1996 on A Tribe Called Quest's album Beats, Rhymes, and Life...
, cousin of rapper Q-Tip, frequently on the album.
It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums with rapping at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
in 1997 and contains a single titled "1nce Again
1nce Again
"1nce Again" is a song by A Tribe Called Quest, released as the first single from their fourth album Beats, Rhymes and Life. It contains samples of "I'm Your Pal" by Gary Burton and "Untitled" by Cannonball Adderley , while the chorus is sung by Tammy Lucas. The song was the first ATCQ single to...
" that was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group was awarded between 1991 and 2011, alongside the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance....
the same year. It was certified platinum by the RIAA on October 27, 1998, even though it was not regarded as highly as the group's first three albums.
The video version of "Stressed Out
Stressed Out
"Stressed Out" was the second single from A Tribe Called Quest's fourth album Beats, Rhymes and Life. The song featured Faith Evans on the chorus and production by The Ummah.-Music video:...
" has Phife Dawg
Phife Dawg
Malik Isaac Taylor , better known by his stage name Phife Dawg, is an American rapper of Trinidadian descent, and a member of the acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest with high school classmates Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad...
rhyming on the second verse instead of Consequence. However, Phife's verse does not appear on the album.
In the song "Keeping It Moving," Q-Tip responds to the dis comments made about him on Westside Connection's
Westside Connection
Westside Connection was an American gangsta rap group consisting of Ice Cube, WC and Mack 10. The group's debut album, Bow Down, reached the number 2 position on the Billboard 200 in 1996, going platinum that year.-Biography:...
song "Cross ’Em out and Put a K" by saying that comments made about the West from some time before the album were not intended to dis the west coast and that people should not misinterpret his lyrics.
Track listing
| # | Title | Producer(s) | Performer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Phony Rappers" | The Ummah | Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Consequence | 3:35 |
| 2 | "Get a Hold" | The Ummah | Q-Tip | 3:35 |
| 3 | "Motivators" | The Ummah | Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Consequence | 3:20 |
| 4 | "Jam" | The Ummah | Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Consequence | 4:38 |
| 5 | "Crew" | The Ummah | Q-Tip | 1:58 |
| 6 | "The Pressure" | The Ummah | Q-Tip, Phife Dawg | 3:02 |
| 7 | "1nce Again" | The Ummah | Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Tammy Lucas | 3:49 |
| 8 | "Mind Power" | The Ummah | Q-Tip, Consequence, Phife Dawg | 3:55 |
| 9 | "The Hop" | Rashad Smith | Q-Tip, Phife Dawg | 3:27 |
| 10 | "Keeping It Moving" | The Ummah | Q-Tip | 3:38 |
| 11 | "Baby Phife's Return" | The Ummah | Phife Dawg | 3:18 |
| 12 | "Separate/Together" | The Ummah | Q-Tip | 1:38 |
| 13 | "What Really Goes On" | The Ummah | Q-Tip | 3:23 |
| 14 | "Word Play" | The Ummah | Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Consequence | 2:59 |
| 15 | "Stressed Out" | The Ummah | Q-Tip, Consequence, Faith Evans | 4:57 |
Samples
Source: Rap Sample FAQ- "Phony Rappers"
- "Blind Alley" by The EmotionsThe EmotionsThe Emotions are an American all female soul and R&B singing group. The group was formed in its current hometown of Chicago, Illinois originally consisting of the three Hutchinson sisters, all the children of Joseph and Lillian Hutchinson....
(from the 1971 album "Untouched")
- "Blind Alley" by The Emotions
- "Get a Hold"
- "The Visit" by The CyrkleThe CyrkleThe Cyrkle was a short-lived American rock and roll band active in the mid-1960s. The group charted two Top 40 hits, "Red Rubber Ball," and "Turn Down Day"...
(from the 1967 album "Neon")
- "The Visit" by The Cyrkle
- "Motivators"
- "Sound Pieces" by Michal UrbaniakMichal UrbaniakMichał Urbaniak is a Polish jazz musician and composer born in Warsaw, playing mainly the violin, lyricon and saxophone during concerts and recordings...
(from the 1973 album "The Beginning")
- "Sound Pieces" by Michal Urbaniak
- "The Pressure"
- "Get Off Your Ass and JamGet Off Your Ass and Jam"Get Off Your Ass and Jam" is a song by Funkadelic, track number 6 to their 1975 album Let's Take It to the Stage. It was written by George Clinton, although the lyrics are made up entirely of repetitions of the phrase, "Shit! Goddamn! Get off yo' ass and jam!", interspersed with lengthy guitar solos...
" by FunkadelicFunkadelicFunkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
(from the 1975 album "Let's Take it to the Stage")
- "Get Off Your Ass and Jam
- "1nce Again"
- "Untitled" by Cannonball Adderley (from the 1971 album "Black Messiah")
- "I'm Your Pal" by Gary BurtonGary BurtonGary Burton is an American jazz vibraphonist.A true original on the vibraphone, Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the usual two-mallets. This approach caused Burton to be heralded as an innovator and his sound and technique are widely imitated...
(from the 1967 album "A Genuine Tong Funeral")
- "Mind Power"
- "N.T." by Kool & The GangKool & the GangKool & the Gang are an American jazz, R&B, soul, and funk group, originally formed as the Jazziacs in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964.They went through several musical phases during the course of their recording career, starting out with a purist jazz sound, then becoming practitioners of R&B and...
(from the 1972 album "Live at P.J.'s")
- "N.T." by Kool & The Gang
- "The Hop"
- "Bumpin' Bus Stop" by Thunder and LightningThunder and LightningThunder and Lightning is the twelfth and final studio album by heavy-rock band Thin Lizzy, released in 1983. Guitarist John Sykes was hired to replace Snowy White after 1981's Renegade, and Sykes helped to provide a heavier sound and guitar tone than Thin Lizzy had used on previous albums...
- "Soft Spirit" by Henry FranklinHenry FranklinHenry "Skipper" Franklin is an American jazz double-bassist.- Biography :Franklin played on Hugh Masekela's 1968 number one single, "Grazing in the Grass," as well as with Masekela's band at the Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967...
(from the 1974 album "The Skipper at Home")
- "Bumpin' Bus Stop" by Thunder and Lightning
- "Keeping It Moving"
- "Roadwork" by Howard RobertsHoward RobertsHoward Roberts was an American jazz guitarist, educator and session musician.-Biography:Roberts was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and began playing guitar at age 8. By the time he was 15 he was playing professionally locally....
(from the 1971 album "Antelope Freeway")
- "Roadwork" by Howard Roberts
- "Separate/Together"
- "Funky DrummerFunky drummer"Funky Drummer" is a funk song recorded by James Brown and his band. The recording's drum break, performed by drummer Clyde Stubblefield, is one of the most frequently sampled rhythmic breaks in hip hop and popular music; indeed, it lays a strong claim to being the most sampled recording ever,...
" by James BrownJames BrownJames Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
(from the 1986 album "In the Jungle Groove")
- "Funky Drummer
- "What Really Goes On"
- "Make It Funky" by James BrownJames BrownJames Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
(from the 1972 album "There it Is") - "Pain" by Ohio PlayersOhio PlayersThe Ohio Players were an American funk and R&B band, most popular in the 1970s. They are best known for their double #1 hit songs "Fire" and "Love Rollercoaster".- Biography :...
(from the 1971 album "Pain)
- "Make It Funky" by James Brown
- "Word Play"
- "The Watcher" by Rodney FranklinRodney FranklinRodney Franklin is an American jazz pianist and composer.At the age of six he took jazz piano lessons at Washington Elementary School...
(from the 1980 album "You'll Never Know")
- "The Watcher" by Rodney Franklin
- "Stressed Out"
- "Good Love" by Anita BakerAnita BakerAnita Baker is an American R&B/soul jazz singer-songwriter. To date, Baker has won eight Grammy Awards, and has four platinum albums and two gold albums to her credit....
(from the 1988 album "Giving You the Best That I Got")
- "Good Love" by Anita Baker
- "Jam"
- "Dirty Old Bossa Nova" by Howard RobertsHoward RobertsHoward Roberts was an American jazz guitarist, educator and session musician.-Biography:Roberts was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and began playing guitar at age 8. By the time he was 15 he was playing professionally locally....
(from the 1963 album "H.R. Is A Dirty Guitar Player")
- "Dirty Old Bossa Nova" by Howard Roberts
Album singles
- "1nce Again1nce Again"1nce Again" is a song by A Tribe Called Quest, released as the first single from their fourth album Beats, Rhymes and Life. It contains samples of "I'm Your Pal" by Gary Burton and "Untitled" by Cannonball Adderley , while the chorus is sung by Tammy Lucas. The song was the first ATCQ single to...
"- Released: July 1, 1996
- "Stressed OutStressed Out"Stressed Out" was the second single from A Tribe Called Quest's fourth album Beats, Rhymes and Life. The song featured Faith Evans on the chorus and production by The Ummah.-Music video:...
"- Released: November 11, 1996
Album
| Year | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|
| Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
Top R&B/ Hip Hop Albums |
|
| 1996 | 1 | 1 |
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
Hot R&B/ Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
Hot Rap Tracks Hot Rap Tracks Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single... |
Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes... |
||
| 1996 | "Stressed Out" | — | 56 | 15 | 3 |
| 1999 | "1nce Again" | — | — | — | 30 |
See also
- List of number-one albums of 1996 (U.S.)
- List of number-one R&B albums of 1996 (U.S.)