The hip hop group's second album.

2.5/4 (Okay).

There's a lot of greatness here, but one song's lyrics are bad enough to ruin it for me. ( )

Product Details

* Audio CD (September 24, 1991)
* Original Release Date: 2000
* Number of Discs: 1
* Label: Jive
* Catalog Number: 1418
* ASIN: B0000004X7
* Other Editions: LP Record
* Average Customer Review: based on 153 reviews. (Write a review.)
* Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,350 in Music (See Top Sellers in Music)
Yesterday: #2,234 in Music

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1. Excursions Listen Listen
2. Buggin' Out Listen Listen
3. Rap Promoter Listen Listen
4. Butter Listen Listen
5. Verses From The Abstract Listen Listen
6. Show Business Listen
7. Vibes and Stuff Listen
8. The Infamous Date Rape Listen
9. Check The Rhime Listen
10. Everything Is Fair Listen
11. Jazz (We've Got) Listen
12. Skypager Listen
13. What? Listen
14. Scenario Listen
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
De La Soul are remembered as the premier Native Tongues posse, those rappers who got low-key, self-consciously thoughtful, and jazzy in the face of gangsta's hardcore threats. But A Tribe Called Quest may have been even stronger, especially on their excellent second album, the bass-thumping, heavily jazz-sampled The Low End Theory. According to the opening "Excursions," rapper Q-Tip's old man says the disc's jazz-rap "reminded him of bebop," and Q calls himself "prominent like Shakespeare." But if Charlie Parker had ever written poetic couplets and backed them with funky-drummer and Ron Carter-on-bass grooves this irresistible, he might have been as big as the Bard and Brother James combined. --David Cantwell
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30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
"If it moves your booty then shake, shake it baby", June 21, 2003
Reviewer: Wheelchair Assassin (The Great Concavity) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)
Well, here it is: after more than 250 reviews, my first ever of a rap album. And I can't think of one more deserving than "The Low End Theory." It's because of albums like this one that it pays to keep an open mind. Much like rock, hip-hop over the past decade (or at least its public face) has been largely a non-stop parade of mediocrity, but A Tribe Called Quest provided convicing proof of just how much potential the genre actually has. Instead of focusing too much on establishing a threatening image or blasting the listener's eardrums with mindless and overbearing basslines, Tribe married the seemingly contradictory poles of jazz and rap with more musicality and intelligence than anyone would have a right to expect. The uber-smooth Q-Tip and Phife spat out witticisms and allusions with a flow that puts the likes of DMX and Ja Rule to shame. The jazzy drums and bass in the background give the music a warm and organic feel, in sharp contrast to the canned beats that predominate in hip-hop (with a few exceptions) these days. Perhaps most importantly, the fourteen songs here are all irresistibly catchy. If you can't bob your head to tunes like "Excursions," "Buggin' Out," the aptly titled "Butter," and the concluding rave-up "Scenario," chances are you're way too uptight. Busta Rhymes's guest spot on "Scenario" even makes me want to get down, and there are few people out there more rhythmically impaired than I. "The Low End Theory" is a great reminder of how little things like fun and artistry could make for a great album. That's certainly a lesson that more people in every genre would be well advised to heed. ( )