Track Listing

1. Excursions
2. Buggin' Out
3. Rap Promoter
4. Butter
5. Verses From The Abstract
6. Showbusiness
7. Vibes And Stuff
8. Infamous Date Rape
9. Check The Rhyme
10. Everything Is Fair
11. Jazz (We've Got)
12. Sky Pager
13. What
14. Scenario

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3917 in Music
• Released on: 1993-11-05
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

CD Description
With their second album in 1991, they became serious contenders for Public Enemy's (until then) undisputed crown as hip-hop's cultural leaders. However, where their debut was propelled by a disparate array of samples, The Low-End Theory was built on a stricter musical doctrine - its spine provided by bebop jazz. Though jazz-rap crossover would become a staple of popular music in the mid-90s (Gang Starr, Jazzmatazz, etc.), this album played a substantial part in breaking downbarriers between genres. Phife Dog and Q-Tip are on great form too, making the most of Quest's energetic production with cool asides and insightful observations ('The Infamous Date Rape', 'Showbusiness').

Customer Reviews

New York Breathes in the West Coast Ocean
This album was released in '91 during the rise of the West Coast and G-Funk. New York Hip-Hop was really in the shadow of NWA, Ice-T and Ice Cube's Death Certificate. It would take something powerful to happen in New York to get some recognition. That's what The Tribe provided.

In a time when G-Funk was rap, Q-Tip gave us an album of jazzy beats and incredible flow alongside co-lyricist, Phife. The album opened with the a high base beat of Excursions, where Q-Tip showed how he flows with the beat as if it was a part of him. Phife steps up on the second track "Buggin' Out" with the introduction verse. Q-Tip and Phife both offer amusing, experienced stories of youth on tracks like "Butter" and "The Infamous Date Rape". Every other track on the album is first class, but I'll let you all discover the genius.

The great thing about this album is that in a Hip-Hop world that was quickly forming a hardcore gangsta theme A Tribe...managed to give us a completely original production style and lyrics that were easy to listen to and with a light-hearted attitude towards the world. Even today the album is a breath of fresh air in a rap scene that's plagued with commercial drivvle and entire albums dedicated to a rapper's rims on his car. This album is Top 5 of all time, if you want to hear great true Hip-Hop, Turn off the motherf***in radio (like Ice Cube) and get this album immediately.

This album provides some of Hip Hops intelligent rhythms and fun lyrics
Got to love Q and Phife! I grew up hearing and watching them as well as our other forefathers of hip hop. One thing that makes an album good is the ability to be so complex that one can listen to it over and over and never get bored with the songs such as theirs. If you dig the Roots, Digital Planets, Black Eyed Peas, or any other hip-hop group that has the slightest tinge of jazz to it, you have "The Low End Theory" to thank. Ali Shaheed Muhammed fuses up-beat hip-hop with funky jazz, and must of felt real good when he was finished. But it's not like this album was simply influential and not essential, or that it's solely revolutionary in one sense and not able to stand on its own in others.

All through the album the beats are deep and the bass is funky without being overbearing. There are a few tracks that are less than superb, but the album is still great. "Buggin' Out," "Butter," "Rap Promoter," "Rhymes and Stuff," "Jazz," and "Scenario" are all perfect. All these tracks either have your heads nodding, hips shaking, and minds working. The way the music matches Q-tips rhymes flawlessly always astounds me and Phife's lyrics keep the beat going.

Q-Tip and Phife are two of the most skilled lyricists and MCs of all time, and their vocal contributions to Ali's beats do nothing but enhance them. This album stands out as their finest. For those who do not listen to hip hop, this would be an excellent choice for a "symbol" rap album. I know few who have failed to be satisfied, and most are mesmerized. As for rap fans, none should be allowed to call themselves a hip hop head if they do not already have this laying around your rack/desk/or shelf.

Low end theory
Its a brilliant example of old skool hip hop. Some classic songs here, which must have influenced thousands of rappers today....
i strongly recomend it!!!
but it

NOW!!!