Track Listing

1. Johnny Is Dead - Q-Tip, Blair Wells
2. Won't Trade - Q-Tip, Kamaal Fareed, Blair Wells
3. Gettin Up - Kamaal Fareed, Q-Tip, Blair Wells, Antuan Barrett, Marc Cary
4. Official - Q-Tip, Kamaal Fareed, Blair Wells
5. You - Q-Tip, Kamaal Fareed, Blair Wells
6. WeFight/WeLove - Q-Tip, Raphael Saadiq, Kamaal Fareed, Blair Wells
7. ManWomanBoogie - Q-Tip, Amanda Diva, Kamaal Fareed, Blair Wells
8. Move - J-Dilla, Q-Tip, Kamaal Fareed, Blair Wells
9. Dance On Glass - Q-Tip, Blair Wells
10. Life Is Better - Q-Tip, Norah Jones, Kamaal Fareed, Blair Wells
11. Believe - Q-Tip, D'Angelo, Kamaal Fareed, Blair Wells
12. Shaka - Q-Tip, Kamaal Fareed, Blair Wells
13. Feva - J-Dilla, Q-Tip, Bob Power, Marc Colenburg, Derrick Hodge, James Hunt

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4125 in Music
• Released on: 2008-11-03
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Dimensions: .21 pounds
• Running time: 47 minutes

CD Description
Q-Tip's 1999 solo debut, AMPLIFIED, was perhaps too party-oriented, too pop-influenced, too strayed from straightforward hip-hop, to have pleased die-hard A Tribe Called Quest fans. After nine years of the genre's evolution, which saw a handful of experimenters (i.e., Andre 3000, Kanye West, Pharrel Williams) running with Tip's instincts to great mainstreamsuccess, the positivistic, soft soul-based hip-hop sound purveyed by the nasal-voiced Tribe frontman now seems a whole lot closer to rap conventions. Tip's second official solo release, THE RENAISSANCE, has been a long time coming and is awelcome breath of fresh air. The man once known as the Abstract Poetic lets his complex lyrical intuitions run wild as he spits some of his most intricate free-associated verses since his Tribe days. Entirely self-produced (save for one gem, "Move," from the late J Dilla), THE RENAISSANCE relies onspacey jazz grooves, looping guitar lines, uplifting soul samples, and melodically suave vocal work courtesy of guests Norah Jones, D'Angelo, Amanda Diva, Raphael Saadiq, and, of course, Tip himself. THE RENAISSANCE is both nostalgic and forward-looking--one of the most rewarding and well-rounded albums of 2008.

Customer Reviews

Hip-Hop is NOT dead!!!
Now I haven't written a review on here in a long time but I really felt like people need to know how good this album really is. Two shelved albums & almost a decade after the release of "Amplified", Q-Tip is back with "The Renaissance". Amplified was an unusual album. Pure Hip-Hop songs such as "Let's Ride" were mixed in with more commercial sounding tunes such as "Breathe & Stop", which were clearly aimed at attracting a broader audience. The results were mixed. Whilst his first solo LP boasts some excellent individual tracks, the album itself feels forced & does not work. This is not a problem, however, on Tip's latest effort. Here you really get the sense that he was free to pursue whatever musical direction he wanted & the result is one of the finest Hip-Hop albums in years.

The album is almost entirely produced by Q-Tip himself. The exceptions are "Won't Trade", which is produced by Mark Ronson, & "Move", produced by the late, great J Dilla (Dilla also produced the UK bonus track "Feva"). It is worth noting that 4 of the 13 tracks - "Johnny Is Dead", "Official", "I Believe" & "Feva" - are re-workings from one of Tip's earlier shelved albums. All four tracks can be heard in there original form on his "Abstract Innovations" mixtape.

The Renaissance has an old school Hip-Hop, dare I say Tribe-esque feel to it. Best songs on the album are the first single "Gettin' Up", "Won't Trade", "Official" & the excellent "Move". But honestly the whole album is good - there are no weak tracks.

Overall, The Renaissance is a true Hip-Hop album for Hip-Hop fans. It highlights just how talented Q-Tip is, not only as an MC but also as a producer. Unfortunately it also serves as a reminder as to just how disappointing it is that this is only his second album (which was released) in almost 10 years. Support Q-Tip, support Hip-Hop & buy "The Renaissance" - you won't be disappointed! Let's hope there is a new Tribe album to come...

Outstanding!
The Abstract Poet is back for sure! My brother got me this for xmas and I have almost worn the CD out. Excellent, old school hip hop, heavily reminiscent of a Tribe called Quest in the early 90s. Q-tip is a master lyricist/MC/producer without a doubt and this, in my opinion, is his best solo effort. Each track glides effortlessly into the next - my faves are "We fight/we love", "Johnny is dead", "Believe" and "Dance on glass", the latter of which opens with about 60 seconds of 'Tip rapping without any beat or music to speak of then the beat breaks in suddenly and unexpectedly with classic "Tribesque" jazzy sampling/undertones - outstanding! Buy it, buy it, buy it - you will not regret it :-)

It's all about his attitude...
Q-Tip is a really cool guy. While most hip-hop at the moment seems to be about waving your success in people's faces and the animosity between the various cliched thugs on MTV, still talking about their guns and money like we're perpetually trapped in the 1990s, Q-Tip delivers something truly special.

Hip-Hop is not DEAD, as Nas suggested with his rather mediocre album in the last few years, but alive and well and just as exciting as it always has been. Q-Tip is not bitter, tired, out of ideas or under any pressure to conform to the mainstream view of 'what hip-hop is' and his attitude is what does it.

Mainstream artists today are trying DESPERATELY to 'be hip-hop' and Q-Tip does it effortlessly, unconciously and excellently. He doesn't wear the uniform, promote violence or sexism and he's ahead of the curve by miles. What does that tell you?

Hip-Hop was never dead...just cliched gangster rap. Big wup.