''The Low End Theory'' is the second

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...

by American hip-hop group

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip

, released on September 24, 1991, by

Jive Records Jive Records was an American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary to the Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chicago. Jive was best known for its successes with hip hop, R&B, ...

. Recording sessions for the album were held mostly at Battery Studios in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, from 1990 to 1991. The album was primarily produced by group member Q-Tip, with a minimalist sound that combines

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

, drum breaks, and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

samples, in a departure from the group's debut album, '' People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm'' (1990). Lyrically, the album features social commentary,

word play Word play or wordplay (also: play-on-words) is a literary technique and a form of wit in which words used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement. Examples of word play include puns, pho ...

, humor, and interplay between group members Q-Tip and Phife Dawg. Supported by the lead single " Check the Rhime", ''The Low End Theory'' debuted at number 45 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Upon its release, the album's commercial potential was doubted by music critics and Jive

record executive A music executive or record executive is a person within a record label who works in senior management and makes executive decisions over the label's artists. Their role varies greatly but in essence, they can oversee one, or many, aspects of a re ...

s. However, the release of two additional singles, " Jazz (We've Got)" and " Scenario", brought further attention and popularity to the group. On February 19, 1992, the album was certified

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

(RIAA), with shipments of 500,000 copies in the United States, and on February 1, 1995, it was certified

platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...

by the RIAA, with shipments of one million copies. In the years since its release, ''The Low End Theory'' has garnered recognition from music critics and writers as a milestone in alternative hip-hop. The album is regarded as Phife Dawg's breakout and is credited for helping launch rapper

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...

's successful solo career. The album's influence on artists in hip-hop, R&B and other genres has been attributed to the group's lyricism and Q-Tip's production, which bridged the gap between jazz and hip-hop. The album is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time, appearing on many best album lists by music critics and writers. In 2020, it was ranked at number 43 on ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2022, the album was selected by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

for preservation in the

National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservat ...

for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Background

A month after the release of A Tribe Called Quest's debut album, '' People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm'', group member Phife Dawg learned that he was

diabetic Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level (hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

and considered leaving the group. After a discussion with fellow member Q-Tip, they agreed to increase his participation on their second album and to "step it up in general as a group."Cowie, Del F. (February 2008).
A Tribe Called Quest - Verses from the Abstract
. ''Exclaim!''. Accessed December 28, 2008. Recording sessions for the second album began when sessions from ''People's Instinctive Travels'' kept creatively flowing. The group wanted to begin recording the album shortly after the completion of ''People's Instinctive Travels'', for which they still had to tour and film

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...

s. Phife Dawg later recalled, "Tip didn't want to stop." The album's title, ''The Low End Theory'', referred to both the status of

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

men in society and bass frequencies in the music, while the album cover featured an altered photograph of a kneeling woman painted in Afrocentric colors. During the recording sessions, the group fired their manager Kool DJ Red Alert and joined

Russell Simmons Russell Wendell Simmons (born October 4, 1957) is an American entrepreneur, writer and record executive. He co-founded the hip-hop label Def Jam Recordings, and created the clothing fashion lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and Tantris. Simmons ...

's Rush Artist Management, with

Chris Lighty Darrel Steven "Chris" Lighty (May 8, 1968 – August 30, 2012) was an American music industry executive. He co-founded Violator, a record label, management and marketing company, which represented hip hop and R&B artists such as Busta Rhymes, ...

serving as their new manager. They also fired their lawyer, who was Red Alert's manager, and faced a lawsuit as a result. Both moves created tension within the

Native Tongues The Native Tongues were a collective of late 1980s and early 1990s hip-hop artists known for their positive-minded, good-natured Afrocentric lyrics, and for pioneering the use of eclectic sampling and jazz-influenced beats. Its principal mem ...

collective, which was never fully resolved. After switching managers, the group demanded more advances from Jive, who eventually extended their

recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...

for one more album. However, the negotiations between the group and Jive lasted over a year and strained their relationship. These events created a disillusionment with the

music industry The music industry consists of the individuals and organizations that earn money by writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling recorded music and sheet music, presenting concerts, as well as the organizations that aid, train, ...

among the group, which affected "both material and approach" on ''The Low End Theory''.

Recording

The majority of the recording sessions took place at Battery Studios in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, from 1990 to 1991, where the songs were recorded on a Neve 8068 mixing console that had been used by

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

. Like ''People's Instinctive Travels'', production on ''The Low End Theory'' was primarily handled by Q-Tip, while Ali Shaheed Muhammad provided DJ scratching and co-production. Skeff Anselm produced two songs, which were programmed at

Jazzy Jay John Bayas (born November 18, 1961), also known as The Original Jazzy Jay or DJ Jazzy Jay, is an American hip hop DJ and producer. Background Jazzy Jay was born into a Gullah family in coastal South Carolina. He moved with his family to New Y ...

's Studio in

The Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New ...

.A Tribe Called Quest – The Low End Theory

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...

. Accessed on January 1, 2017. Producer Pete Rock created the original beat for the second single, "Jazz (We've Got)", before it was recreated by Q-Tip, who credited Rock in the outro of the song. Group member Jarobi White, who previously appeared on ''People's Instinctive Travels'', had verses recorded for ''The Low End Theory''. However, he left the group during the sessions to study

culinary art Culinary arts are the cuisine arts of food preparation, cooking and presentation of food, usually in the form of meals. People working in this field – especially in establishments such as restaurants – are commonly called che ...

and his verses did not make the final cut. The song "Butter" was originally supposed to feature a verse by Q-Tip, but Phife Dawg insisted on rapping solo on it, causing a brief argument. It essentially became a Phife Dawg solo record, with Q-Tip performing the chorus. Two

posse cut A posse cut is a popular form of song in hip hop music that involves successive verses by four or more rappers.Edwards, Paul, 2009, '' How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC'', Chicago Review Press, p. 221. Tracks described as posse cu ...

s were recorded: the third single "Scenario", featuring Leaders of the New School, and "Show Business", featuring

Lord Jamar Lorenzo Dechalus (born September 17, 1968), known professionally as Lord Jamar is an American rapper, DJ, record producer, actor and podcaster. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Brand Nubian, which was formed in 1989. In 1996, he disco ...

and

Sadat X Derek Murphy (born December 29, 1968), better known as Sadat X, is an American rapper, best known as a member of alternative hip hop group Brand Nubian. Originally known as Derek X, Sadat takes his name from former Egyptian president Anwar Sad ...

of Brand Nubian and Diamond D of D.I.T.C. The former had several versions recorded, one of which included Posdnous of

De La Soul De La Soul () is an American hip hop trio formed in 1988 in the Amityville area of Long Island, New York. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternati ...

and Black Sheep, as well as Chris Lighty, Jarobi White and future Flipmode Squad rapper Rampage, while the latter was originally recorded as "Georgie Porgie", but was rejected by Jive for being "too homophobic" before being rewritten. Q-Tip had a cold during the recording process and did not want to sound congested on the album; because of this he wanted to re-record all of his vocals and began doing so before people told him he sounded "fine" and convinced him otherwise.

Music

Production

''The Low End Theory'' was one of the first records to fuse hip-hop with the laid-back atmosphere of jazz, particularly bebop and hard bop. The album's minimalist sound is "stripped to the essentials: vocals, drums, and bass." The

bass drum The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter much greater than the drum's depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. Th ...

and vocals emphasize the

downbeat ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Ch ...

on every song. Q-Tip credited the production on

N.W.A N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip hop group whose members were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered ...

's album ''

Straight Outta Compton ''Straight Outta Compton'' is the debut studio album by rap group N.W.A, which, led by Eazy-E, formed in Los Angeles County's City of Compton in early 1987. Released by his label, Ruthless Records, on August 8, 1988, the album was produced ...

'' as inspiration: "what resonated was just that bottom, that bass and the drive of it."Q-Tip

Red Bull Music Academy The Red Bull Music Academy (RBMA) is a world-traveling series of music workshops and festivals that was founded in 1998 by Red Bull GmbH. The main five-week event is held in a different city each year. The public portion of its program is a festiv ...

. Accessed on October 6, 2017.Rodriguez, Jayson (October 11, 2007)
Lupe Fiasco Vs. A Tribe Called Quest: A 'Fiascogate' Timeline
. MTV. Accessed December 28, 2008. The album is noted for its use of the

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

, "crisp" and "live-sounding" drum programming, and "deftly placed samples or electric keyboards." In addition, the group was praised for its "departure towards a live instrumental sound" and for using "jazz-infused samples with fat hardcore beats." Q-Tip often layered drum sounds on the album, using as many as three

snare drum The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...

s or bass drums to create a single sound. Similarly, "Buggin' Out" was the first song in which he layered two different drum breaks at once, which was uncommon at the time. The group hired double bassist

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy awards, and is also a cellist who has recorded nu ...

for the song "Verses from the Abstract". Q-Tip stated, "We wanted that straight bass sound, and Ron Carter is one of the premier bassists of the century." ''The Low End Theory'' is also regarded for its

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

. The mixing engineer,

Bob Power Bob Power is an American Grammy Award–winning and multi-platinum record producer, audio engineer, composer, arranger, performer, and music educator. Early life Power was born in Chicago, moved to Rye, New York, then moved to St. Louis, Mi ...

, used several methods to remove " surface noise, crackles, or pops" from the samples, as the

software Software is a set of computer programs and associated documentation and data. This is in contrast to hardware, from which the system is built and which actually performs the work. At the lowest programming level, executable code consist ...

at the time was unable to do so. He credited the group, saying, "Until that point, when people used samples on records, it was pretty much one loop that played throughout. With ''The Low End Theory'' ... Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed were at the leading edge of a new wave where people started making elaborate musical constructions out of samples from different places that would not, and in many ways, could not, have been played by regular players."

Lyrics

''The Low End Theory'' is regarded for its socially conscious lyrics, which include subjects such as relationships, date rape, the hip-hop industry and consumerism. Other lyrics are devoted to word play, humor and "showing off." The album introduced the lyrical interplay and chemistry between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg, the latter of whom experienced a lyrical breakout. While acknowledging that Q-Tip had "already proven he is a highly skilled lyricist", Reef of '' The Source'' also stated, "Those who questioned Phife's microphone techniques on the first album will swallow those doubts as he practically steals the show on this one." The album is also noted for its minimal use of explicit lyrics, as Ron Carter only agreed to record songs on the condition that the group avoid profanity, to which Q-Tip assured they were addressing "real issues." The duo's lyrical delivery,

flow Flow may refer to: Science and technology * Fluid flow, the motion of a gas or liquid * Flow (geomorphology), a type of mass wasting or slope movement in geomorphology * Flow (mathematics), a group action of the real numbers on a set * Flow (psyc ...

, and styles contrasted each other; Q-Tip had a mellow voice and was philosophical, reflective, contemplative and esoteric, while Phife Dawg had a high-pitched voice and was comical, battle rhyme-ready, streetwise and self-deprecating.Bradley, Adam; DuBois, Andrew Lee (2010). ''The Anthology of Rap''. Yale University Press. p. 304. . John Bush of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

said the pair's rapping "could be the smoothest of any rap record ever heard", adding that they "are so in tune with each other, they sound like flip sides of the same personality, fluidly trading off on rhymes, with the former earning his nickname (the Abstract) and Phife concerning himself with the more concrete issues of being young, gifted, and black."

Commercial performance

''The Low End Theory'' peaked at number 45 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and number 13 on the

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated ...

chart. Upon its release, the album's commercial potential was doubted by music critics and Jive record executives, including label CEO

Barry Weiss Barry Weiss (born February 11, 1959) is an American music executive and producer who is currently an executive with RECORDS, a label he co-founded. He got his start at Clive Calder's Jive Records before working his way up to the head of the R ...

. However, on February 19, 1992, the album was certified

by the

(RIAA), with shipments of 500,000 copies in the United States. On February 1, 1995, it was certified

by the RIAA, with shipments of one million copies.

Critical reception

Upon its release, ''The Low End Theory'' received widespread critical acclaim. It was awarded a perfect five mic rating in ''The Source'', with reviewer Reef lauding their "progressive sound" and "streetwise edge", adding that "there's no

sophomore jinx A sophomore slump or sophomore jinx or sophomore jitters refers to an instance in which a second, or sophomore, effort fails to live up to the relatively high standards of the first effort. It is commonly used to refer to the apathy of students ...

to be found here—only real hip-hop."

Iestyn George Iestyn George is a Welsh journalist, who previously worked as an editor at both ''NME'' and '' GQ'' and is now a lecturer at University of Brighton. Journalism career During the 1990s, George was a writer for ''NME'' magazine, and became news e ...

of '' NME'' praised the album as a "quantum leap" from ''People's Instinctive Travels'', noting, "Gone are the quirky samples that gave them their lighter edge, replaced by stark, hard-hitting beats." George also credited Q-Tip and Phife Dawg for "trading lines like psychic sparring partners", as they "pause, interject, charm and challenge with understated aplomb." James Bernard of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...

'' commended the group for its jazzy sound, which "perfectly complements their laid-back, raspy delivery", but was critical of the album's lack of danceable songs, calling it "the greatest hip-hop album that will never quicken my pulse." ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the cr ...

'' critic

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

was reserved in his praise, believing the group delivered "goofball rhymes" from a "well-meaning middle class" perspective, later writing that "like so many 'beats,' ''Low End Theory''s Ron Carter bass was really a glorified sound effect—what excited its admirers wasn't its thrust, or even the thrill of the sound itself, so much as the classiness it signified." He named "Check the Rhime" and "Buggin' Out" as highlights, while giving the album a three-star honorable mention, indicating "an enjoyable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well treasure."

Retrospect

In the years since its release, ''The Low End Theory'' has received further widespread acclaim from music critics and writers, many of whom regard it as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. In '' The New Rolling Stone Album Guide'', writer Mac Randall lauded it as a "hip-hop masterpiece." AllMusic writer John Bush, who declared it "the most consistent and flowing hip-hop album ever recorded", stated that the record "outdid all expectations and has held up as perhaps the best hip-hop LP of all time."Bush, John.
allmusic ((( A Tribe Called Quest > Biography )))
. AllMusic. Accessed January 15, 2009. Bush also praised the group's use of the double bass, drums and samples: "It's a tribute to their unerring production sense that, with just those few tools, Tribe produced one of the best hip-hop albums in history, a record that sounds better with each listen. ''The Low End Theory'' is an unqualified success, the perfect marriage of intelligent, flowing raps to nuanced, groove-centered productions." Writing for '' The Quietus'', Angus Batey summed up the album's broad appeal: Dave Heaton of ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television ...

'' stated that the album is "the point where their sound truly came together", also describing it as a "remarkable experience, as aesthetically and emotionally rewarding as any work of music I can think of." Preezy Brown of '' Vibe'' called it a "tour de force of groundbreaking rap tunes" and a "signature record in the group's superior discography." For ''Time'''s All-Time 100 Albums, writer Josh Tyrangiel described the album as a "grand exception" to jazz rap being "more wishful thinking on the part of critics than anything actual", also calling it "socially conscious without being dull."

Accolades

Since its release, ''The Low End Theory'' has been included on several "best of" lists compiled by music writers and journalists. The following information is adapted from

Acclaimed Music Acclaimed Music is a website created by Henrik Franzon, a statistician from Stockholm, Sweden in September 2001. Franzon has statistically aggregated hundreds of published lists that rank songs and albums into aggregated rankings by year, decade ...

Legacy and influence

''The Low End Theory'' is regarded as one of the most influential albums in hip-hop history, with Corbin Reiff of '' Complex'' declaring that it "broke major ground and pushed the sonic envelope of the entire rap genre." It has been stated to have helped shape alternative hip-hop in the 1990s, as the group's "mellow innovations" helped jazz rap gain significant exposure from 1992 to 1993. With the album, the group is credited for showcasing how hip-hop was made before commercial success influenced many rappers' creativity, and for challenging the "macho posturing" of hardcore and

gangsta rap Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, emerged in the mid- to late 1980s as a controversial hip-hop subgenre whose lyrics assert the culture and values typical of American street gangs and street hustlers. Many gangsta rappe ...

. The album is regarded as Phife Dawg's lyrical breakout, as he established himself as a formidable MC. A breakout verse by Leaders of the New School member Busta Rhymes, on the single "Scenario", led to stardom and helped launch his successful solo career. Praised for his improvement "both as an MC and a boardsman", Q-Tip's rhyme on the single "Check the Rhime": "Industry rule number 4,080 / Record company people are shady" is one of the most quoted lines in hip-hop, while the album has been called the "'' Sgt. Pepper's'' of hip-hop" for its groundbreaking approach to hip-hop production and engineering. The album cover is regarded as one of the greatest and most iconic in hip-hop history; on a top 50 list by ''Complex'', it was ranked number one. The album is credited with establishing "the musical, cultural, and historical link between hip-hop and jazz", and is regarded as a "successful fusion of opposites: the complex musical textures of jazz and the straightforward boom-bap of rap." Writer Joseph Patel called it "a consummate link between generations", which took the essence of jazz and hip-hop, and "showing they originated from the same black center." In 2003, ''

'' ranked the album at number 154 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time; in a revised 2012 list, it was ranked at number 153, and in 2020, it moved up to number 43.153. A Tribe Called Quest, 'The Low End Theory'
. ''Rolling Stone'' (2012). Accessed December 26, 2017. ''Rolling Stone'' stated that people previously "connected the dots between hip-hop and jazz", as both were revolutionary forms of black music based on improvisation and flow, however, "this LP drew the entire picture." Writing for the ''

New York Observer New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

'' on the album's 25th anniversary, Ron Hart stated: ''The Low End Theory'' has influenced many hip-hop and R&B musicians. Producer

9th Wonder Patrick Denard Douthit (born January 15, 1975),
better known as 9th Wonder, is a He further commented on the influence of the group: "It's safe to say, for me, as well as

Phonte Phonte Lyshod Coleman, known mononymously as Phonte (born December 28, 1978), is an American rapper, singer, and producer. He is currently of the North Carolina hip-hop trio/duo Little Brother (revived in 2019 without producer 9th Wonder) an ...

, as well as Slum Village, Mos Def, Kweli,

The Roots The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy F ...

, Pharrell, you name it, Outkast, we could go on forever to say if you look at the A Tribe Called Quest family tree, they got a lot of offspring." The album has also influenced

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally ...

D'Angelo Michael Eugene Archer (born February 11, 1974), better known by his stage name D'Angelo (), is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He first garnered attention after co-producing the single "U Will Know" ...

, Jill Scott,

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ...

, Kendrick Lamar,

Logic Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the science of deductively valid inferences or of logical truths. It is a formal science investigating how conclusions follow from prem ...

, Havoc, Madlib, Robert Glasper, and

Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and w ...

, who produced his solo debut '' The Chronic'' after being inspired by the album. Musicians from other genres have also cited it as an influence, including rock musician Jack White and

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to ...

musician James Lavelle.

Track listing

Personnel

Performance

* Q-Tip – lead vocals , additional vocals * Phife Dawg – lead vocals , additional vocals * Vinia Mojica – guest vocals *

– guest vocals *

– guest vocals * Diamond D – guest vocals * Dinco D – guest vocals * Charlie Brown – guest vocals *

– guest vocals * Bass –

* DJ – Ali Shaheed Muhammad

Production

* Q-Tip – production , co-production * Ali Shaheed Muhammad – production , co-production *Skeff Anselm – production

Technical

* Tom Coyne – mastering *

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip

– mixing, recording, arrangement *Bob Power – mixing, recording *Photography – Joe Grant *Design – Zombart JK

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Low End Theory, The 1991 albums A Tribe Called Quest albums Albums recorded at Greene St. Recording Albums produced by Q-Tip (musician) Jive Records albums United States National Recording Registry recordings United States National Recording Registry albums

Background

Recording

Music

Production

Lyrics

Commercial performance

Critical reception

Retrospect

Accolades

Legacy and influence

Track listing

Personnel

Performance

Production

Technical

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

See also

References

External links