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A Tribe Called Quest is one of the most consistent and
influential rap groups ever. Tribe’s signature sound was a
blend of jazz, funk, and Hip-Hop that stretched the boundaries
of rap. Queens MC’s Q-Tip and Phife Dawg, along with Brooklyn
DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad made up the trio that decided
to part ways in 1998 to pursue solo projects. 1991’s The Low
End Theory ranks as one of the best rap albums of all time.
Consistently dope from start to finish, The Low End Theory is
filled with classic bass-heavy joints.
The jazz influence is present throughout the entire album. The
legendary Ron Carter displays his skill on the upright bass on
“Verses From the Abstract”, which was one of the first
collabos between a jazz musician and Hip-Hop artist. “Jazz
(We’ve Got)” finds Tip explaining that “I don’t really mind if
it’s over your head/’Cuz the job of resurrectors is to wake up
the dead” over a slick trumpet sample from the late jazz
legend Miles Davis. Phife brags about how his “whole attitude
was new day new hon’/And believe it or not, they all got
done”on the saxophone-laced “Butter”. “The Infamous Date Rape”
is textbook for any fellas that don’t know what to do when a
woman says no, ‘cuz like Tip said, “If the vibe ain’t right,
huh, you leavin”. Phife matches Tip verse for verse, crafting
lines like “I float like gravity/Never had a cavity/Got more
rhymes than the Winans got family” on “Buggin’ Out”.
Tribe examines the link between old and new music trends on
“Excursions”, with Tip explaining that “...things go in
cycles/Way that Bobby Brown is just ampin’ like Michael”. The
beauty of The Low End Theory is how Tribe gives credit to the
predecessors of rap, and passes that influence on to the
listener. For example, there might be peeps out there who
never heard of Ron Carter, but got turned on to him from
listening to Tribe. Anybody in the music biz should be
familiar with “Industry Rule #4080/Record company people are
shadyyyy”, as Q-Tip declares on the classic “Check the Rhyme”.
Busta Rhymes and his former clique Leaders of the New School
join Tribe on the ultimate posse cut, “Scenario”. Who could
forget Bussa Bus screaming “Rawww, rawww like a dungeon
dragon”? It’s hard to believe that was more than a decade ago.
Tribe changed the game because they were felt by everyone,
from thugs to backpackers. They have influenced artists like
Nas, The Roots, Mobb Deep, and Common, to name a few. When
it’s all said and done, Tribe Called Quest will go down as one
of the most complete Hip- Hop groups of all time.
-Nate Money
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