The Low End Theory
Encyclopedia
The Low End Theory is the second album by American hip hop
group A Tribe Called Quest
. Released on September 24, 1991 through Jive Records
, the album produced three singles: "Check the Rhime
," "Jazz (We've Got)
," and "Scenario."
(1990), Jarobi White
left the group to study culinary art
. Phife Dawg
learned that he was diabetic a month after the album's release and after a discussion with fellow member Q-Tip
, they agreed to increase his participation on their second album and to "step it up in general as a group." Q-Tip credited N.W.A's album Straight Outta Compton
(1988) as an inspiration for the record.
The group hired double bass
ist Ron Carter
on the track "Verses from the Abstract". Q-Tip stated, "We wanted that straight bass sound, and Ron Carter is one of the premier bassists of the century." Carter agreed to record tracks on the condition that the group avoid profanity, to which Q-tip assured they were addressing "real issues".
When asked by critics and interviewers if he was afraid of a "sophomore failure", Q-Tip responded by saying "'Sophomore failure?' What the fuck does that mean? Fuck that, I'm doing Low End Theory."
along with Q-Tip and Phife Dawg showcase how rap was done before commercial success influenced many rappers' creativity. The album's minimalist sound is "stripped to the essentials: vocals, drums, and bass." The bass drum
and vocals emphasize the downbeat on every track.
ranked the album at number 154 in "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
", stating that "people connected the dots between hip-hop and jazz -- both were revolutionary forms of black music based in improvisation and flow -- but A Tribe Called Quest's second album drew the entire picture."
In Time
magazine's "ALL-TIME 100" albums, Josh Tyrangiel
called the record an exception to jazz rap often being "wishful thinking on the part of critics". He described the album as "socially conscious without being dull" and likened a few tracks to "smoky rooms where cool guys ... say cool things."The Low End Theory was voted at number thirty-two in The Village Voice
s 1991 Pazz & Jop
critics poll. Allmusic writer John Bush, who declared it "the most consistent and flowing hip-hop album ever recorded", summed up the record as "an unqualified success, the perfect marriage of intelligent, flowing raps to nuanced, groove-centered productions." On February 1, 1995, the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) certified the album platinum
. In 2005, comedian Chris Rock
ranked it ninth on his Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums. Electronica artist James Lavelle
cited The Low End Theory as one of his favorite albums.
, except "Show Business" and "Everything Is Fair", produced by Skeff Anselm and co-produced by A Tribe Called Quest.
"Buggin' Out"
"Rap Promoter"
"Butter"
"Verses from the Abstract"
"Show Business"
"Vibes and Stuff"
"The Infamous Date Rape"
"Check the Rhime"
"Everything Is Fair"
"Jazz (We've Got)"
"Skypager"
"What?"
"Scenario"
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.
Performance credits
Technical credits
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 on September 24, 1991 through Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
, the album produced three singles: "Check the Rhime
Check the Rhime
"Check the Rhime" was the first single from A Tribe Called Quest's second album The Low End Theory. It is one of the group's most famous songs and is well known for lines such as Q-Tip's "Industry rule #4,080: Record company people are shady". The Beastie Boys have a similar lyric in their song "In...
," "Jazz (We've Got)
Jazz (We've Got)
"Jazz " is the second single from A Tribe Called Quest's second album The Low End Theory. A segment of the track "Buggin' Out" appeared in the music video. The sequences from "Jazz " are in black and white, while the "Buggin' Out" sequences are in full color...
," and "Scenario."
Conception
After A Tribe Called Quest's debut album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of RhythmPeople's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm is the debut album by the alternative hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released April 17, 1990 on Jive Records. Though the album was well-received critically, it had little mainstream appeal. The album did earn the band a devoted following,...
(1990), Jarobi White
Jarobi White
Jarobi White is an American hip hop artist, and one of the four original members of A Tribe Called Quest.|image =- Career :...
left the group to study culinary art
Culinary art
Culinary art is the art of preparing and cooking foods. The word "culinary" is defined as something related to, or connected with, cooking. A culinarion is a person working in the culinary arts. A culinarian working in restaurants is commonly known as a cook or a chef. Culinary artists are...
. 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...
learned that he was diabetic a month after the album's release and after a discussion with fellow member 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...
, they agreed to increase his participation on their second album and to "step it up in general as a group." Q-Tip credited N.W.A's album Straight Outta Compton
Straight Outta Compton
The lyrics on the album were mainly written by Ice Cube and MC Ren. Critics of the album expressed their view that the record glamorized Black-on-Black crime, but the emcees stated that the group was simply showing the reality of living in the areas of Compton, California, and South Central Los...
(1988) as an inspiration for the record.
The group hired double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
ist Ron Carter
Ron Carter
Ron Carter is an American jazz double-bassist. His appearances on over 2,500 albums make him one of the most-recorded bassists in jazz history, along with Milt Hinton, Ray Brown and Leroy Vinnegar. Carter is also an acclaimed cellist who has recorded numerous times on that...
on the track "Verses from the Abstract". Q-Tip stated, "We wanted that straight bass sound, and Ron Carter is one of the premier bassists of the century." Carter agreed to record tracks on the condition that the group avoid profanity, to which Q-tip assured they were addressing "real issues".
When asked by critics and interviewers if he was afraid of a "sophomore failure", Q-Tip responded by saying "'Sophomore failure?' What the fuck does that mean? Fuck that, I'm doing Low End Theory."
Music
The Low End Theory was one of the first records to fuse hip hop with a laid-back jazz atmosphere. Ali Shaheed MuhammadAli 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....
along with Q-Tip and Phife Dawg showcase how rap was done before commercial success influenced many rappers' creativity. The album's minimalist sound is "stripped to the essentials: vocals, drums, and bass." The bass drum
Bass drum
Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...
and vocals emphasize the downbeat on every track.
Reception and influence
The Low End Theory helped shape alternative hip hop in the 1990s. It established the musical, cultural, and historical link between hip hop and jazz. The album was considered an instant classic with a 5 mics rating in The Source. Reviewer Reef lauded their "progressive sound" and "streetwise edge". Writer Oliver Wang called the album "a consummate link between generations", which took the essence of jazz and hip hop, and "showing they originated from the same black center." The group's "mellow innovations" helped jazz rap gain significant exposure from 1992 to 1993. Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
ranked the album at number 154 in "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
", stating that "people connected the dots between hip-hop and jazz -- both were revolutionary forms of black music based in improvisation and flow -- but A Tribe Called Quest's second album drew the entire picture."
In Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine's "ALL-TIME 100" albums, Josh Tyrangiel
Josh Tyrangiel
Josh Tyrangiel is a journalist, and editor of Bloomberg Businessweek. He joined the magazine following its acquisition by Bloomberg L.P. in December 2009. Prior to joining Bloomberg Businessweek, Tyrangiel was deputy managing editor of TIME magazine and managing editor of TIME.com...
called the record an exception to jazz rap often being "wishful thinking on the part of critics". He described the album as "socially conscious without being dull" and likened a few tracks to "smoky rooms where cool guys ... say cool things."The Low End Theory was voted at number thirty-two in The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
s 1991 Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop
The Pazz & Jop critics' poll is a poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper. It is compiled every year from the top ten lists of hundreds of music critics...
critics poll. Allmusic writer John Bush, who declared it "the most consistent and flowing hip-hop album ever recorded", summed up the record as "an unqualified success, the perfect marriage of intelligent, flowing raps to nuanced, groove-centered productions." On February 1, 1995, the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) certified the album platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
. In 2005, comedian Chris Rock
Chris Rock
Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central...
ranked it ninth on his Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums. Electronica artist James Lavelle
James Lavelle
James Lavelle is a DJ, electronic recording artist and record label boss.-Early years:Born into a family with a strong tradition of music, Lavelle first began by learning the cello with his grandmother in Oxford....
cited The Low End Theory as one of his favorite albums.
Track listing
All songs produced by A Tribe Called QuestA 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...
, except "Show Business" and "Everything Is Fair", produced by Skeff Anselm and co-produced by A Tribe Called Quest.
Samples
"Excursions"- "Time" by The Last Poets
- "Tribute to Obabi" by The Last Poets
- "The Soil I Tilled for You" by Shades of Brown
- "A Chant for Bu" by Art Blakey & the Jazz MessengersArt BlakeyArthur "Art" Blakey , known later as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, was an American Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and bandleader. He was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community....
"Buggin' Out"
- "Minya's the Mooch" by Jack DeJohnetteJack DeJohnetteJack DeJohnette is an American jazz drummer, pianist, and composer. He is one of the most influential jazz drummers of the 20th century, due to extensive work as leader and sideman for musicians like Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett and Sonny...
- "Spinning Wheel" by Lonnie Liston SmithLonnie Liston SmithLonnie Liston Smith, Jr. is an American jazz, soul, and funk musician who played with important free jazz artists such as Pharoah Sanders and Miles Davis before forming Lonnie Liston Smith And The Cosmic Echoes, recording a number of albums widely regarded as classics in the fusion / Quiet Storm /...
- "Ekim" by Michał Urbaniak
"Rap Promoter"
- "Long Way Down" by Eric Mercury
- "Keep on Doin It" by New Birth
- "Stand" by Sly & the Family StoneSly & the Family StoneSly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music...
"Butter"
- "Turned on to You" by Eighties Ladies
- "I Like Everything About You" by Chuck JacksonChuck JacksonChuck Jackson is an R&B singer who was one of the first artists to record material by Burt Bacharach and Hal David successfully. He has performed with moderate success since 1961...
- "Gentle Smiles" by Gary BartzGary BartzGary Bartz is an American alto and soprano saxophonist and clarinetist.Bartz graduated from the Baltimore City College high school and The Juilliard School...
- "Young and Fine" by Weather ReportWeather ReportWeather Report was an American jazz-rock band of the 1970s and early 1980s. The band was co-led by the Austrian-born keyboard player Joe Zawinul and the American saxophonist Wayne Shorter...
"Verses from the Abstract"
- "Star of the Story" by HeatwaveHeatwave (band)Heatwave was an international funk/disco musical band featuring Americans Johnnie Wilder, Jr. and Keith Wilder of Dayton, Ohio, Englishman Rod Temperton , Swiss Mario Mantese , Czechoslovak Ernest "Bilbo" Berger , Jamaican Eric Johns and Briton Roy Carter .They were known for their successful...
- "Upon This Rock" by Joe FarrellJoe FarrellJoseph Carl Firrantello , known as Joe Farrell, was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. He is best known for a series of albums under his own name on the CTI record label and for playing in the initial incarnation of Chick Corea's Return to Forever.-Biography:Farrell was born in Chicago...
"Show Business"
- "Funky PresidentFunky President"Funky President " is a funk song by James Brown. Released as a single in 1974, it charted #4 R&B. It also appeared on the album Reality. According to Brown the "funky president" of the song's title was meant to refer to U.S...
" 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... - "Wicky-Wacky" by Fatback BandFatback BandThe Fatback Band is an American funk and disco band. Most popular in the 1970s and 1980s, The Fatback Band is most known for their Top Ten R&B hits, " Spanish Hustle", "I Like Girls", "Gotta Get My Hands on Some ", and "Backstrokin'"...
- "Midnight Cowboy" by Martin DennyMartin DennyMartin Denny was an American piano-player and composer best known as the "father of exotica." In a long career that saw him performing well into his 80s, he toured the world popularizing his brand of lounge music which included exotic percussion, imaginative rearrangements of popular songs, and...
- "Midnight Cowboy" by Ferrante & TeicherFerrante & TeicherFerrante & Teicher were a duo of American piano players, known for their light arrangements of familiar classical pieces, movie soundtracks, and show tunes.-Career:...
- "Mandamentos Black " by Gerson King Combo
"Vibes and Stuff"
- "Down Here on the Ground" by Grant GreenGrant GreenGrant Green was a jazz guitarist and composer....
"The Infamous Date Rape"
- "It It Him or Me?" by Jackie JacksonJackie JacksonSigmund Esco "Jackie" Jackson is an American singer and musician, a member of The Jackson 5, and the second child in the Jackson family.-Life and career:...
- "The Steam Drill" by Cannonball Adderley
- "North Carolina" by Les McCannLes McCannLes McCann is an American soul jazz piano player and vocalist whose biggest successes came as a crossover artist into R&B and soul.-Biography:...
"Check the Rhime"
- "Love Your Life" by Average White Band
- "Baby, This Love I Have" by Minnie RipertonMinnie RipertonMinnie Julia Riperton was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single "Lovin' You". She was married to songwriter and music producer Richard Rudolph from 1972 until her death in the summer of 1979. They had two children - music engineer Marc Rudolph and actress/comedienne Maya...
- "Hydra" by Grover Washington, Jr.Grover Washington, Jr.Grover Washington, Jr. was an American jazz-funk / soul-jazz saxophonist. Along with George Benson, John Klemmer, David Sanborn, Bob James, Chuck Mangione, Herb Alpert, and Spyro Gyra, he is considered by many to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre.He wrote some of his material and...
- "Fly Like an EagleFly Like an Eagle (song)"Fly Like an Eagle" is a song written by Steve Miller and by Steve Miller Band guitarist Steve McCarty on the album Fly Like an Eagle. The song went to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the week of January 8, 1977. The single edit can be found on Greatest Hits . The song has an...
" by Steve Miller BandSteve Miller BandThe Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1967 in San Francisco, California. The band is managed by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals, and is known for a string of mid-1970s hit singles that are staples of the classic rock radio format.-History:In 1965, Steve Miller and...
"Everything Is Fair"
- "Hot Pants (I'm Coming, I'm Coming, I'm Coming)" by Bobby ByrdBobby ByrdBobby Byrd born Robert Howard Byrd was an American funk/soul/R&B/gospel musician, songwriter and record producer. He was born in Toccoa, Georgia, and is a 1998 winner of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's prestigious Pioneer Award...
- "Let's Take It to the People" 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:...
- "Ain't No Sunshine" by Harlem Underground Band
- "Ain't No Sunshine" by Willis Jackson
"Jazz (We've Got)"
- "Don't Change Your Love" by Five Stairsteps
- "Sing a Simple Song" by Sly & the Family Stone
- "Red Clay" by Freddie HubbardFreddie HubbardFrederick Dewayne "Freddie" Hubbard was an American jazz trumpeter. He was known primarily for playing in the bebop, hard bop and post bop styles from the early 1960s and on...
- "Green Dolphin' Street" by Lucky ThompsonLucky ThompsonEli "Lucky" Thompson was a United States jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist...
- "Long Red" by MountainMountain (band)Mountain is an American hard rock band that formed in Long Island, New York in 1969. Originally comprising vocalist and guitarist Leslie West, bassist Felix Pappalardi and drummer N. D. Smart, the band broke up in 1972 before reuniting in 1974 and remaining active until today...
"Skypager"
- "17 West" by Eric DolphyEric DolphyEric Allan Dolphy was an American jazz alto saxophonist, flutist, and bass clarinetist. On a few occasions he also played the clarinet and baritone saxophone. Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to gain prominence in the 1960s...
- "Advice" by Sly & the Family StoneSly & the Family StoneSly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music...
"What?"
- "Uncle Willie's Dream" by Paul Humphrey & the Cool Aid ChemistsPaul HumphreyPaul Nelson Humphrey is an American jazz and funk/R+B drummer.He worked as a session drummer in the 1960s for jazz artists such as Wes Montgomery, Les McCann, Kai Winding, Charles Mingus, Lee Konitz, Blue Mitchell and Gene Ammons.As a bandleader, he recorded under the name Paul Humphrey and the...
"Scenario"
- "So WhatSo What (composition)"So What" is the first track on the 1959 Miles Davis album Kind of Blue.-History:"So What" is one of the best known examples of modal jazz, set in the Dorian mode and consisting of 16 bars of D Dorian, followed by eight bars of E Dorian and another eight of D Dorian...
" by Miles DavisMiles DavisMiles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,... - "Blind Alley" by Emotions
- "Give It Up" 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...
- "Soul Vibrations" by Kool & the Gang
- "Ecstasy" 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 :...
- "Oblighetto" by Jack McDuffJack McDuff"Brother" Jack McDuff was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz era of the 1960s, often performing with an organ trio.-Career:...
- "Little Miss Lover" by The Jimi Hendrix ExperienceThe Jimi Hendrix ExperienceThe Jimi Hendrix Experience were an English-American psychedelic rock band that formed in London in October 1966. Comprising eponymous singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until June 1969, in which...
Charts
| Charts (1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
58 |
| U.S. 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... |
45 |
| U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
13 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak 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 Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles | Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | ||
| 1991 | "Check the Rhime" | — | 60 | 1 | 28 |
| "Jazz (We've Got)" | — | — | 19 | — | |
| 1992 | "Scenario" | 57 | 42 | 6 | 34 |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.
Accolades
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Arizona Republic The Arizona Republic The Arizona Republic is a daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. It was ranked tenth in US daily newspapers by circulation in 2007.-Early years:The newspaper was founded... |
U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
8 Albums That VH1 Missed | 2001 | * |
| BigO | Singapore Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the... |
The 100 Best Albums from 1975 to 1995 | 1995 | 78 |
| Blender Magazine | U.S. | The 100 Greatest American Albums of All Time | 2002 | 53 |
| Dance de Lux | Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
The 25 Best Hip-Hop Records | 2001 | 10 |
| Ego Trip Ego Trip Ego Trip may refer to:*Ego Trip , a 1990s hip hop magazine*Ego Trip , a 1969 film*Ego Trip , a 1984 album by Kurtis Blow*Ego Trip , a 1997 album by Keoki... |
U.S. | Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980-98 | 1999 | 2 |
| Fast 'n' Bulbous | U.S. | The 500 Best Albums Since 1965 | * | |
| Juice Juice (magazine) Juice is a well known German hip hop magazine and the biggest of its kind in Europe. In every issue readers find interviews with rappers and record reviews... |
Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
The 100 (+34) Greatest Albums of the 90s | 1999 | 61 |
| Kitsap Sun Kitsap Sun The Kitsap Sun is a newspaper in Bremerton, Washington, that covers general news. It serves the West Sound, covering Kitsap, Jefferson and Mason counties, has a circulation of about 30,000 and reaches over 100,000 adult readers seven days a week.... |
U.S. | Top 200 Albums of the Last 40 Years | 2005 | 151 |
| LostAtSea | U.S. | 90 Albums of the 90's | 2000 | 72 |
| Mojo Mojo (magazine) MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music... |
U.K. United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
The Mojo Collection, Third Edition | 2003 | * |
| Music Underwater | U.S. | Top 100 Albums 1990-2003 | 2004 | 53 |
| Paul Morley Paul Morley Paul Morley is an English journalist, who wrote for the New Musical Express from 1977 to 1983, during one of its most successful periods, and has since written for a wide range of publications... |
UK | Words and Music, 5 x 100 Greatest Albums of All Time | 2003 | * |
| Pitchfork Media Pitchfork Media Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock... |
U.S. | Top 100 Favorite Records of the 1990s | 2003 | 56 |
| Robert Dimery | U.S. | 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die | 2005 | * |
| Rock de Lux | Spain | The 150 Best Albums from the 90s | 2000 | 128 |
| Rolling Stone Rolling Stone Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J... (guest article by Chris Rock Chris Rock Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central... ) |
USA | Top 25 Hip- Hop Albums http://rateyourmusic.com/list/tha_flu/chris_rocks_top_25_hip_hop_albums | 2005 | 9 |
| Rolling Stone Rolling Stone Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J... |
U.S. | The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time | 2003 | 154 |
| Rolling Stone Rolling Stone Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J... |
U.S. | The Essential Recordings of the 90's | 1999 | * |
| Spex Spex (magazine) Spex is a prominent German rock and pop culture magazine located in Berlin, Germany. Besides music news, Spex also covers literature, cinema, fashion and contemporary social trends... |
Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
The 100 Albums of the Century | 1999 | 10 |
| Spin Spin (magazine) Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard... |
U.S. | 100 Alternative Albums | 1995 | 87 |
| Spin Spin (magazine) Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard... |
U.S. | Top 100 (+5) Albums of the Last 20 Years | 2005 | 38 |
| Spin Spin (magazine) Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard... |
U.S. | Top 90 Albums of the 90's | 1999 | 32 |
| Stereophile Stereophile Stereophile is a monthly magazine that focuses on high end audio equipment, such as loudspeakers and amplifiers, and audio-related news, such as online audio streaming. It was founded in 1962 by J. Gordon Holt.... |
U.S. | Top 40 (+94) Essential Albums | 2002 | * |
| The Source The Source (magazine) The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988... |
U.S. | The Source 100 best Hip-Hop Albums of All Time | 1998 | * |
| TIME Time (magazine) Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong... |
U.S. | The All-TIME 100 Albums | 2006 | * |
| Vibe | U.S. | 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century | 1999 | * |
| Vibe | U.S. | 51 Albums Representing a Generation, a Sound and a Movement | 2004 | * |
| Zundfunk | Germany | The Best Albums of the 90's | 2000 | 16 |
- An asterisk (*) designates lists which are unordered.
Personnel
Information taken from Allmusic.Performance credits
- Bass – Ron CarterRon CarterRon Carter is an American jazz double-bassist. His appearances on over 2,500 albums make him one of the most-recorded bassists in jazz history, along with Milt Hinton, Ray Brown and Leroy Vinnegar. Carter is also an acclaimed cellist who has recorded numerous times on that...
- DJ – Ali Shaheed MuhammadAli Shaheed MuhammadAli 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....
- Vocals – Phife Dawg, Q-Tip, Busta RhymesBusta RhymesTrevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
, Charlie Brown, Diamond DDiamond DDiamond D is a hip hop producer and MC from the Bronx, New York City, and one of the founding members of the legendary D.I.T.C. crew. He started out as a DJ for Jazzy Jay back in the late 1980s and was at the same time perfecting his skills in beat making and turntablism, and together with rhyme...
, Dinco D, Lord JamarLord JamarLord Jamar is an American emcee and actor. He is a member of the hip-hop group Brand Nubian, which formed in 1989. As an actor, he is best known for his role of Supreme Allah on the TV series Oz. He has appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Third Watch, and The Sopranos...
, Sadat XSadat XSadat X is an American rapper, most famed as a member of Alternative hip hop group Brand Nubian. Originally known as Derek X, Sadat takes his name from former Egyptian president Anwar Sadat....
Technical credits
- Arrangement – A Tribe Called Quest
- Design – Zombart JK
- Engineering – Pete Christensen, Eric GastEric GastEric M. Gast is an American music industry professional - record producer, mixer, engineer, and recording studio designer - and founder and CEO of a nonprofit public health care charity. Gast was born in New Jersey and raised in New York City...
, Rod Hui, Gerard Julien, Jim Kvoriac, Tim Latham, Anthony Saunders, Bob Power, Christopher Shaw, Marc Singleton, Jamey Staub, Dan Wood
- Mastering – Tom Coyne
- Mixing – Bob Power, A Tribe Called Quest
- Photography – Joe Grant
- Production – A Tribe Called Quest, Skeff Anselm