One of the greatest and most influential hip-hop albums of all time, nothing beats just sitting back and letting “The Low End Theory” perfectly flow from start to finish.
A Tribe Called Quest’s second album mixes hip-hop with jazz samples like no one had ever done before. A true innovative masterpiece which introduced an alternative to hardcore and gangsta rap to mainstream America in the 1990’s.
The mixture of laid-back samples and socially conscious lyrics makes this album stand out all on its own, like no other before or after.
Their first album featured the single “Can I Kick It” which ambitiously sampled Lou Reed’s classic “Walk on the Wild Side”, perfectly transforming it into the hip-hop world. No one could anticipate just how much the dynamic trio of Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Phife would evolve their sound over the next two years.
The stripped-back, bass emphasised sounds of “The Low End Theory” are heard from the get-go. “Excursions” opens the album with a head-bopping, flowing bass line from the opening second. A distinctive theme throughout all 14 songs.
“Buggin’ Out” is the second track of the album, with Q-Tip trying out a new technique by layering two different drum breaks at once, a near unheard of method at the time. A sign of just how innovative this album truly is.
The use of the double bass is a key feature throughout the album, with legendary jazz bassist, Ron Carter, making several appearances. The pick of these appearances being “Verses from the Abstract”, my personal favourite song on the album. This tune perfectly emphasises the vibe of the EP, with flowing lyrics and of course the crisp, straight bass sounds of Ron Carter. A true hip-hop classic.
Focusing on social commentary, taboo issues such as police brutality and date rape (check out the track “The Infamous Date Rape”) were addressed throughout, combatting the usual talk of guns and girls you would hear dominating the 90s gangsta rap scene.
The trio were not scared to tackle these issues, whilst also using word play and humour to keep the listener gripped and entertained, and boy does it work.
The lyrical interplay and chemistry between Q-Tip and Phife on this EP has been described as the smoothest of any rap record ever by John Bush of AllMusic, stating, ”They are so in tune with each other, they sound like flip sides of the same personality, fluidly trading off on rhymes.” A perfect description.
Personally, I would go as far as saying it is the best chemistry between two musicians I have ever heard on any album, any era, any genre. McCartney & Lennon? They wish they had the undeniable kavorka of Phife & Q-Tip.
Although the album only peaked at #45 on the US billboard Top 100, it has truly stood -and beaten – the test of time. Its commercial appeal was doubted at release but within four years it had sold 1 million copies to become a platinum album. And its success and appeal has only grown since. Back in 2020, Rolling Stone magazine named it as the 43rd greatest album of all time.
In the crazy times that we currently live in, this album resonates with the youth of today just as much, if not more, as the 90s. With issues such as police brutality and consumerism being omnipresent, “The Low End Theory” is as relevant as ever and appeals to this generation of aspiring young people with its hard-hitting, socially conscious lyrics.
A Tribe Called Quest went on to release three more albums before splitting up in 1998 (of which i’m sure will all make an appearence in the jukebox at some point). After multiple reunions throughout the 2000s, Phife unfortunately passed away in 2016, due to diabetes complications, just months before the trio released their sixth album, and first for 18 years. “We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service” had a classic Tribe sound to it, tackling social issues facing America in the modern day, with the album closer being called “The Donald”. Not hard to figure out which Donald that may be referring.
Nearly 30 years of flowing basslines, simplistic jazz samples and socially conscious lyrics has truly put A Tribe Called Quest in hip-hop folklore. I can’t think of many albums that deserve to be the first inductee into jacksjukebox more than this one.
May their legacy live on forever.
Image from: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/30/books/review-go-ahead-in-rain-tribe-called-quest-hanif-abdurraqib.html
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