Product Description

A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip has played a very important role in hip-hop. And though loyal Quest fans dreaded the day that the members of the threesome (sometimes foursome) would go their separate ways, everyone longed and waited patientlyfor the highly anticipated Q-Tip solo joint. With that in mind and a mic in hand, Q-Tip comes correct on his debut album, AMPLIFIED.
With this album, the Abstract One makes it clear why his music has been so influential. The always-original Q-Tip is the type of rapper who makes his own trends. He also possesses nearly peerless skills as an MC and producer. The club-ready "Breathe and Stop" makes it hard for anyone to stay off the dance floor, and along with the album's other tracks, helps carry out a more mature hip-hop sound. Throughout AMPLIFIED, collaborations are kept to a minimum, allowing Q-Tip to show off his versatility. Two exceptions, however, are "End of Time", which features rock stars Korn, and"N.T"., a track on which Q-Tip shares the mic with longtimefriend Busta Rhymes.

Track Listing

1. Wait Up
2. Higher
3. Breathe And Stop
4. Moving With U
5. Let's Ride
6. Things We Do
7. All In
8. Go Hard
9. Do It
10. Vivrant Thing
11. NT - Q-Tip & Busta Rhymes
12. End Of Time - Q-Tip & Korn
13. Do It See It Be It

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7346 in Music
• Released on: 1999-12-06
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics

Amazon.co.uk Review
Breaking up is hard to do but sometimes the aftermath can shine a light on the individuals and just what they brought to the mix. Over the course of five albums (three of which are certified hip-hop classics), Q-Tip, the dominant wordsmith and resident sex symbol of A Tribe Called Quest, was the guy with the goods. With his adenoidal tone and nimble way with a rhyme, he was the focus of much of the attention Tribe justifiably received. Yet left to his own devices, Tip falls short and Amplified is not the triumph fans might have expected. Part of the fault lies in the production, which with the exception of two great cuts (both produced by DJ Scratch), is provided by Tip and partner J.D., who also worked the last two (weak) Tribe CDs as part of te Ummah production team. Tip's new sound is typified by the revved up, sexy push and pull of his smash "Vivrant Thing", But that song's sound and subject matter--sex--is the main theme throughout this album. True, Tip is playful and pointed, but the lyrics are remarkably linear for a guy who once dubbed himself "abstract" and the similarity of the drum patterns and tempo start to grow tiresome. Sadly, what should have been a breakthrough solo debut from a truly gifted artist only makes you yearn for the subtle jazzy touches and deadpan retorts former Tribe members Ali Shaheed Muhammed and Phife Dog provided. --Amy Linden

Customer Reviews

The Best One From Tribe Called Quest - Q-Tips Solo Debut
As a lover of Tribe for many years now I was really psyched that Q-Tip came out with a solo LP..

It starts brilliantly with track 2 Higher

A nice beat and the chorus, the percussion is amazing and great production..
The singles off the album are great party songs with Breathe N Stop + Vivrant Thing but my highlights are the last 3 tracks, one of which is with Busta rhymes called NT, great beat and the chorus from busta is sick!
After that you have a track with KoRn called 'End Of Time' which is my favourate apart from the hidden track (shown on amazon as track 13) a great track just like a biography and message behind his lyrics which i find inspiring..

Over all i find this album great and would stand up as a classic if it held the quality of those 5 tracks but over all it is a satisfying buy and i would highly recommend to anyone who is remotly into hip-hop or even if you're not im sure there is something you would like, try - Lets Ride if you want a preview listen..

My Fave Songs To Try

12. End Of Time - Q-Tip & Korn

11. NT - Q-Tip & Busta Rhymes

2. Higher

5. Let's Ride

If you dont know the singles, they are also funky.

The Abstract Poetic!! (Featuring a few bad chestnuts!!)
A Tribe Called Quest are still considered legends and it is enivitable after their split that any solo projects had a lot to live up to. There is no denying that Amplified is slightly disappointing for Tribe fans, and to me it seems as if the album was rushed a bit, probabally as Jay Dee was used to produce all but two of the songs on the album, therefore meaning they had to work quickly to meet a record company deadline for the album release.

On Amplified you can appreciate that Q-Tip is trying to show a diversity in his music and trying out new ideas that sometimes seem to work well, but at other times frustratingly seem to lack the flow and musical quality that we are used to from him. 'End Of Time' brings in the band Korn to add a dark guitar sound, but the result leaves you wishing it had never been recorded! The production on 'Go Hard' and 'Moving With U' is second class and it just sounds disappointing.

However this album still recevies four stars due to the brilliant singles 'Vivrant Thing' and 'Breathe & Stop', and the two funky piano led 'Wait Up' and 'NT (Featuring Busta Rhymes)', which both sound very original. The rest of the songs, including the hidden track 'Do it, Be it, See it' are good and make this worth buying after purchasing all the Tribe albums!

Uncontrollably cool!
When I bought this I was afraid that it may be too much of a straight forward rap record, like outkast and so many others around at the moment. I thought I was getting a good, rated album, but I got an amazing, cool as funk album. Some of it is like hip-pop, but it is pulled off really well. I have no problems placing this album next to my J5, Pharcyde and People Under the Stairs.