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The Low End Theory
 
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The Low End Theory

A Tribe Called QuestMP3 Music
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (206 customer reviews)

Price: $9.99
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Album Savings: $4.17 compared to buying all songs

  • Original Release Date: September 24, 1991
  • Format - Music: MP3
  • Compatible with MP3 Players (including with iPod®), iTunes, Windows Media Player
 
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  Song Title Time Price  
Play   1. Excursions 3:56 $0.99  Buy MP3 
Play   2. Buggin' Out 3:37 $0.99  Buy MP3 
Play   3. Rap Promoter 2:13 $0.99  Buy MP3 
Play   4. Butter 3:38 $0.99  Buy MP3 
Play   5. Verses From The Abstract 3:58 $0.99  Buy MP3 
Play   6. Show Business 3:53 $0.99  Buy MP3 
Play   7. Vibes And Stuff 4:17 $0.99  Buy MP3 
Play   8. Infamous Date Rape 2:53 $0.69  Buy MP3 
Play   9. Check The Rhime 3:36 $1.29  Buy MP3 
Play 10. Everything Is Fair 2:58 $0.99  Buy MP3 
Play 11. Jazz (We've Got) 4:10 $0.99  Buy MP3 
Play 12. Skypager 2:12 $0.99  Buy MP3 
Play 13. What? 2:28 $0.99  Buy MP3 
Play 14. Scenario (LP Mix) 4:10 $1.29  Buy MP3 
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Customer Reviews

This is the best hip-hop album ever. Kinbote  |  45 reviewers made a similar statement
It is full of great lyrical styles and beats that are just as great. SisPremier78  |  39 reviewers made a similar statement
This should be your hip hop album collection starter. stevey wundar  |  33 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
87 of 94 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars "If it moves your booty then shake, shake it baby" June 21, 2003
Format:Audio CD
Well, here it is: after more than 250 reviews, my first ever of a rap album. And I can't think of one more deserving than "The Low End Theory." It's because of albums like this one that it pays to keep an open mind. Much like rock, hip-hop over the past decade (or at least its public face) has been largely a non-stop parade of mediocrity, but A Tribe Called Quest provided convicing proof of just how much potential the genre actually has. Instead of focusing too much on establishing a threatening image or blasting the listener's eardrums with mindless and overbearing basslines, Tribe married the seemingly contradictory poles of jazz and rap with more musicality and intelligence than anyone would have a right to expect. The uber-smooth Q-Tip and Phife spat out witticisms and allusions with a flow that puts the likes of DMX and Ja Rule to shame. The jazzy drums and bass in the background give the music a warm and organic feel, in sharp contrast to the canned beats that predominate in hip-hop (with a few exceptions) these days. Perhaps most importantly, the fourteen songs here are all irresistibly catchy. If you can't bob your head to tunes like "Excursions," "Buggin' Out," the aptly titled "Butter," and the concluding rave-up "Scenario," chances are you're way too uptight. Busta Rhymes's guest spot on "Scenario" even makes me want to get down, and there are few people out there more rhythmically impaired than I. "The Low End Theory" is a great reminder of how little things like fun and artistry could make for a great album. That's certainly a lesson that more people in every genre would be well advised to heed.
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59 of 64 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Never too late August 11, 2003
By A Customer
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Ok....I'm a fifty year old mother to 4 teenagers. I've stayed pretty "hip" thru the years, but always resisted rap or hip-hop. My son and I recently had a discussion about the genre and he suggested I start with the Tribe. Damn. I love it. Can't stop playing it.
It's the best sound I've heard in a verrry long time.
I'm new again. That's what music is supposed to do. Make the experience of sound new. Get it, all you old rocksters.
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34 of 38 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A hip-hop classic indeed! August 3, 2004
By H. Yu
Format:Audio CD
I was in the local library one day. Looking through the CD section, I happened to come across Tribe Called Quest's CD "The Low End Theory". Since I never really listened to them (apart from watching their videos on MTV), I decided to check it out. All I can say is that I wasn't disappointed in the least bit! To sum it up, TLET is a very jazzy, bluesy CD with intelligent, playful lyrics and then some! In my honest opinion, Q-Tip is one of the smoothest (if not THE smoothest) MC's around! By that, I mean he is definitely as smooth as butter (his voice that is). Very glib and articulate too. Don't get me wrong, Phife Dawg is lyrically talented and on point as well, but I think Q-Tip stands out more. In general, TLET flows with both talent and a style unlike anything else I've heard. Now, I can see why The Source gave this CD five mikes! In any case, I've started listening to more hip-hop (preferably old school like Eric B. & Rakim and De La Soul but some new groups too like Jurassic 5 (love those guys!) and The Roots). This is coming from someone who mainly listens to alt-rock, punk, and indie!
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars MAKES THE NEWEST HIP HOP LOOK AMATEURISH October 29, 1999
By drew
Format:Audio CD
Watch MTV for even a second these days and you're likely to get only kiddie music, and second rate hip hop packaged under beat-you-over-the-head marketing campaigns. You only wish the Tribe's masterful rhythms and rhymes were the rule rather than the exception. Only Tip and Phife seem capable of using pop culture references and hip hop machismo to create lyrics that have a deeper meaning than at first glance.

The album takes you straight in with "Excursions," which has the best bassline of maybe any rock or rap song ever recorded. It lures you through its driving rhythm and doesn't let up until the disc is over

Both rappers have their best showcase songs on this album: "Butter" for Phife and "Voices from the Abstract" for Q-Tip. Both songs are clever and have rhythms that are irrestible.

And for the all-star song, you can't beat "Scenario," which features Busta Rhymes' best rhymes ever.

Check out "Show Business," "Check the Rhime," and everything else. There's not one bad track, which is a quality no disc made by a major label in the past two years can boast. It's a masterpiece.

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14 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Ah yes, my first Rap review July 24, 2005
Format:Audio CD
I am not a big fan of hip-hop. There are only a few artists in the genre I listen to. From my limited knowledge of the genre comes this statement: The two greatest rap albums ever are "36 Chambers" and "Low End Theory". On the other hand, I am a massive fan of Jazz, and this album has such an incredibly rich Jazz atmosphere. Only De La Soul came close to perfecting the connection between Hip-Hop and Jazz so well. The rhymes go perfectly over the incredibly funky music in the background, and Ron Carter provides some of the best bass playing hes ever done. And unlike many other rap groups, there is a poetic unity between Q-Tip and Phife. The flow between the rappers is incredible, as the change between rappers never seem abrupt. They often come off as alternating personalities of one individual. And above all, the lyrics are insightful and intelligent, which 50 Cent could never claim to do. There is zero filler on this album, as the shorter songs "Rap Promoter" and "Sky Pager" fit in perfectly with the longer peices. The thing that stands out most of all about this album is the rhythm and the groove - its insanely dancable. Pick it up even if you're not a rap fan.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time
A must-have. Tribe was one of the most influential rap groups of the 1990s. In their sophomore effort, "Low End Theory" has classics like "Scenario" "Buggin'... Read more
Published 23 days ago by John Keane
5.0 out of 5 stars Legends Move Onward
ATCQ has a lengthy history of being focal points of the soulquarian movement. Their first album showed the world what they could imagine when given creative control and this album... Read more
Published 24 days ago by Ogar Ogar
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic
It's the Tribe, Ya'll
Scenario, Jazz (We've got), Check the Rhyme...an indispensable album, even if you already have their greatest hits.
Published 28 days ago by Chris Feola
5.0 out of 5 stars The Low end theory on vinyl
For any fan of hip hop, this is one of those classics. For any fan of music, this is one of those albums as well.
Published 1 month ago by runawayjim527
5.0 out of 5 stars takes me back
If you want some old school hip hop with crazy beats, intelligent rhymes, and plenty of songs to last an entire session, this is a great disc. One of my favorite sessions. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Julio
5.0 out of 5 stars Love it
Bought it for a friend whom loves A Tribe Called Quest and he is so happy about it! Really nice gift and plays as is should!
Published 4 months ago by Stephanie
5.0 out of 5 stars Not qualified
I'm not qualified to review this product. I just really really like it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys hip hop. The other reviews say it all.
Fantastic.
Published 5 months ago by Gustavo Coutinho
5.0 out of 5 stars A Hip-Hop Classic
If you consider yourself a fan of hip-hop and haven't heard A Tribe Called Quest, gtfo. If you consider yourself a fan of Tribe and haven't heard this album, gtfo. Read more
Published 5 months ago by IMO
5.0 out of 5 stars Klassic Album!
Classic Album had to have it! A must have for serious hip hop heads. One of the greatest albums of all time
Published 6 months ago by jayson smith
3.0 out of 5 stars Awesome cd
Hip hop is still alive and it is because of valued and reliable service that is used sustainably and also thank you very much for the speed.
Published 6 months ago by Austin Alexander
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