The Low End Theory

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For the rock band, see The Low End Theory. For the 3D animation technique, see low end theory.

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The Low End Theory is the critically acclaimed alternative hip hop second album by A Tribe Called Quest, released on September 24, 1991 (see 1991 in music) on Jive Records. With the pairing of Q-Tip and Phife Dawg's lyrics, at turns socially charged, abstract and concretely grounded in reality, with groovy jazz samples, the album includes guests Brand Nubian, Diamond D. and Leaders of the New School. The beats are widely different from the-then about-to-explode G funk sound being pioneered on the West Coast, and shares more of an influence with East Coast artists like Public Enemy. With dominant basslines and sampled jazz horn solos, The Low End Theory has a distinctive sound that met the high expectations after their critically acclaimed debut People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. The Low End Theory includes instrumental work from several pioneering musicians, including upright bassist Ron Carter ("Verses from the Abstract").

Topics include the music industry's exploitation of musicians ("Rap Promoter", "Show Business"), music ("Excursions"), date rape ("The Infamous Date Rape"), violence in hip hop ("Vibes and Stuff") and the beauty of jazz ("Jazz (We've Got)").

Contents

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Critical Reception & Influence

The Low End Theory ranked #154 in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, ranked #32 in Spin Magazine's "90 Greatest Albums of the '90s", and was the album of the year for Spex magazine (also #10 on the 100 Albums of the Century). more awards. It also made it onto the unordered Top 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time (The Source), 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century (Vibe magazine) and Essential Recordings of the 90s (Rolling Stone).

The Low End Theory became a watershed album in the history of hip hop. The album established alternative rap as a definable genre, distinguished by aware, often abstract or political lyrics, and a light-hearted sense of humor, along with jazz and other unusual sampling sources. The Low End Theory transformed alternative hip hop, leading the way from the jazzy pioneers like De La Soul towards future artists like Common and The Roots. The song "Scenario" helped break future hip hop star Busta Rhymes into the mainstream, partially as a result of its popular music video on MTV.

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Accolades

  • Blender Magazine - The 100 Greatest American Albums of All time (2002) 53#

  • Ego Trip - Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980-98 (1999) 2#
  • Kitsap Sun - Top 200 Albums of the Last 40 Years (2005) 151#
  • LostAtSea - 90 Albums of the 90s (2000) 72#
  • Music Underwater - Top 100 Albums 1990-2003 (2004) 53#
  • Nude as the News - The 100 Most Compelling Albums of the 90s (1999) 21#
  • Pitchfork - Top 100 Favorite Records of the 1990s (2003) 56#
  • Spin - 100 Alternative Albums (1995) 87#
  • Spin - Top 100 Albums of the Last 20 Years (2005) 38#
  • Spin - Top 90 Albums of the 90s (1999) 32#
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Track listing

  1. "Excursions" (Q Tip) (samples the Last Poets) - 3:53
  2. "Buggin' Out" (Muhammed/Phife Dawg/Q Tip) - 3:38
  3. "Rap Promoter" (Muhammed/Q Tip) - 2:13
  4. "Butter" (Muhammad/Q Tip) (samples Weather Report's "Young and Fine") - 3:39
  5. "Verses from the Abstract" (Q Tip) (with Vinia Mojica) - 3:59
  6. "Show Business" (Ali/Anselm/Dechalus/Kirkland/Murphy/Q Tip) (with Diamond D, Lord Jamar and Sadat X) - 3:53
  7. "Vibes and Stuff" (Phife Dawg/Q Tip) (samples Grant Green's "Down Here On The Ground" ") - 4:18
  8. "The Infamous Date Rape" (Muhammad/Phife Dawg/Q Tip) - 2:54
  9. "Check the Rhime" (Ali/Phife Dawg/Q Tip) (samples Average White Band) - 3:36
  10. "Everything Is Fair" (Ali/Anselm/Phife Dawg/Q Tip) (samples Funkadelic) - 2:59
  11. "Jazz (We've Got" (Ali/Phife Dawg/Q Tip) - 4:09
  12. "Skypager" (Ali/Phife Dawg/Q Tip) - 2:13
  13. "What?" (Q Tip) - 2:29
  14. "Scenario" (Higgins/Jackson/Muhammad/Phife Dawg/Q Tip/Smith) (with Leaders of the New School) - 4:10
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Music samples

Template:Listen Template:Listen

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Personnel

  • Ron Carter - Bass
  • A Tribe Called Quest - Arranger, Producer, Mixing
  • Skeff Anselm - Producer
  • Charlie Brown
  • Busta Rhymes
  • Pete Christensen - Engineer
  • Diamond D
  • Eric Gast - Engineer
  • Joe Grant - Photography
  • Rod Hui - Engineer
  • Gerard Julien - Engineer
  • Tim Latham - Engineer
  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad - DJ
  • Bob Power - Engineer, Mixing
  • Q-Tip - Vocals
  • Anthony Saunders - Engineer
  • Jamey Staub - Engineer
  • Sadat X
  • Lord Jamar
  • Vinia Mojica
  • Tom Coyne - Mastering
  • Jim Kvoriac - Engineer
  • Dan Wood - Engineer
  • Dinco D.
  • Marc Singleton - Engineer
  • Zombart JK - Design
  • Phife Dawg - Vocals
  • Christopher Shaw - Engineer
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Chart positions

Billboard Music Charts (North America) - album 

1991	The Billboard 200	                No. 45
1991	Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums	                No. 13

Billboard (North America) - singles 

1991	Check The Rhime 	Hot Rap Singles	                        No. 1
1991	Check The Rhime  	Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks        No. 59
1991	Check The Rhime	        Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales      No. 28
1992	Scenario	        The Billboard Hot 100	                No. 57
1992	Jazz (We ve Got)	Hot Rap Singles	                        No. 19
1992	Scenario	        Hot Rap Singles	                        No. 6
1992	Scenario	        Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Trackd        No. 42
1997	Scenario	        Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	No. 34
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External links

it:The Low End Theory

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