The Low End Theory

A perfect rap album. Everything is perfect. The drums, the samples, the rhymes, the flow, the storytelling, the vibes. I could listen to this on loop for the rest of my life.

It's good but I won't be coming back to it. Just not my thing. 3/5.

Extremely solid jazz rap stuff, roots of which you can hear even today

yo yo yo im here to say, that this album is just ok.

i had a good time

One of the best hip hop albums ever made. Innovative and funky with lyrics for days full of intelligent, deep, humorous rhymes. 1991 New York City personified. The Low End Theory makes my personal top 10 albums of all time.

Smooth like butter

91 was a great year in hip hop - everything from Ice T at his most O.G to Mantronix.

“The low end theory” might have gone unnoticed with its blend of jazz and hip and slower pace eschewing money and hoes for musically and lyrically interesting songs.

FUN FACT nunca tinha escutado esse xD

forte DEMAIS. climinha gostoso demais, atmosfera mei soturna, jazzística (?). samples absurdos, só flow bacana, bão demais. estarei escutando mais vezes (e os outros albuns tbm)
eh um absurdo e dá pra fragar 1000 rappers que se inspiraram nesse album aqui, btw. de fato, revolucionário. pedradíssima papai

This had me from the first bass notes on the first track. And why not, when Ron Carter is playing?

This is cool, bebop influenced, laid back, minimal rap. The rhymes are witty. The beats are sublime.

Jazz (We've Got) is an absolute banger, but the rest of the tracks aren't far behind. Enjoyed this a lot.

Went in with low expectations and found myself rather nicely surprised. Funny! Nicely paced lyrics so you could anticipate the rhyme, and was caught off guard by some genuinely fabulous lines. Fun!!

It's good but it feels like I'm listening to homework. Lyrics can't just be a part of the flow of music, but something that needs to be actively listened to to understand what is going on. While that creates depth it's an exhausting listen. Also I know this sound is groundbreaking sooooo many people have copied this style since it now feels tired? The 90's was wild y'all.

One of the quintessential hip hop albums. It combines jazzy elements, with great rapping to conform a really interesting listen. Would slightly prefer 'Midnight Marauders' but this vastly improves upon their debut.

8/10 [KEEP]

Rap just ain't for me like at all. I get that it has a message, but I just find it boring. Especially the earlier rap. It just blends together. I finish an album and it's just like I've listened to an hour long song. It's a genre I won't ever be able to get into. If u enjoy it congrats, have a good time listening to this cause I won't do it again any time soon.

So boring even instagram reels are PEAK entertainment while this plays.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘸 𝘌𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘰𝘳𝘺 is minimalist, smooth, and deeply rooted in jazz — a blueprint for laid-back, thoughtful hip-hop. The interplay between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg is sharp, and the production has that warm, upright-bass pulse that defines the album’s whole aesthetic. Still, as much as I admire its influence and clarity, it doesn’t fully grab me on a personal level. It’s a cool, intelligent record, just not one I’m eager to revisit often.

I actually quite enjoyed this one; whether that's because I've had an aneurysm in my sleep, or if A Tribe Called Quest are genuinely a high quality example of hip hop, I should probably get myself checked out just in case.

It felt far less one-note and monotonous than much of the hip hop that I've dunked on so far - it's far more "vibey" and moody owing to its atmospheric depth, more varied and palatable vocally with an accomplished flow to the lyrics being delivered, and it takes less of an "in your face" approach where you can almost tune out from the vocals if you so choose. When I did find myself focusing on the lyrics, there wasn't too much cause for concern in that department either, with some interesting, abstract concepts being explored.

I'll be chucking this into my "hip hop that I don't mind" playlist, which doesn't get too many runouts, but serves as an occasional reminder that it's probably not the genre in and of itself that I take issue with - rather, the execution in many cases.

My second from ATCQ. It took me a track or two to properly get into it but once I did I really enjoyed it. Definitely need to check out more of their stuff.

Top Track - Jazz (We’ve Got)

Potentially the greatest hip-hop record that had been released up to this moment in time.

4/5

Love the simple beats and the flow. Enjoyed listening to this despite not hearing many of the tracks before at all.

This is only my third album of the year. It's also my third album by an African American artist/group and second 1990s hip-hop album. It's also my 150th album of the project. Now, for the actual review: the album is excellent. It has some of the best beats and flows of any hip hop I've heard, and is lyrically excellent. The rapping is top-notch, and refreshingly free of violent content. The songs lack most of the profanity common in rap songs, as well as the misogyny. It has everything rap does well in spades without the genre's usual pitfalls.