''Amplified'' is the debut

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

of American rapper Q-Tip, released November 30, 1999, on

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...

. It became his first solo release after the disbandment of his former 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

in 1998. Production was primarily handled by Q-Tip and

Jay Dee A jay is a member of a number of species of medium-sized, usually colorful and noisy, passerine birds in the Crow family, Corvidae. The evolutionary relationships between the jays and the magpies are rather complex. For example, the Eurasian ...

The Ummah The Ummah was a music production collective, composed of members Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, and the late Jay Dee (also known as J Dilla) of the Detroit-based group Slum Village. Occasional members included Raphae ...

. The album spawned the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 hits "

Vivrant Thing "Vivrant Thing" is the first single released by Q-Tip on his debut solo album '' Amplified''. The song is also featured in A Tribe Called Quest's 1999 compilation '' The Anthology''. It was produced by Q-Tip himself,Breathe and Stop "Breathe and Stop" is the second single released by Q-Tip (musician), Q-Tip from his debut album ''Amplified (Q-Tip album), Amplified'', produced by J Dilla, Jay Dee.

". The album debuted at number 28 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and on January 5, 2000, it 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 met ...

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/o ...

, for shipments of 500,000 copies in the United States. As of July 2008, ''Amplified'' has sold 675,000 copies in the US. It received generally positive reviews from music critics.

Background

Recorded after the dissolution of Q-Tip's former 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

,Harrington, Richard.
A Tribe and True Approach; Q-Tip Shed His Quest but Held On to Its Upbeat Jazz-Rap Sound
. ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'': G.14. December 5, 1999. ''Amplified'' marked a stylistic departure for Q-Tip; writer

Kembrew McLeod Kembrew McLeod is an American artist, activist, and professor of Communication Studies at the University of Iowa. He is best known as a performance artist or "media prankster" who filed an application in 1997 to register the phrase "Freedom of ...

noted, "fans of Tribe's rootsy aesthetic were caught off guard" by Q-Tip's "transformation from abstract poet to libidinous, brand-conscious baller." The album was primarily produced by Q-Tip and

, who had previously collaborated for production on A Tribe Called Quest's '' Beats, Rhymes and Life'' and ''

The Love Movement ''The Love Movement'' is the fifth studio album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, and their last album released during group member Phife Dawg's lifetime. Released on September 29, 1998, by Jive Records, it is a concept album, explor ...

'' albums.

Music and lyrics

Building on the

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 major ...

y R&B sound of ''The Love Movement'', many of ''Amplified''s beats were initiated by Jay Dee, with Q-Tip adding some final touches to it; "When we would work together, he would have it, like, 75 percent there and I would add a kick or bass line".

Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born October 25, 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' noted Q-Tip's lyrics as typified by boasts and playful seduction raps,Pareles, Jon (December 17, 1999)
"ALBUM OF THE WEEK (Q-TIP: "Amplified")"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''. Retrieved on 2009-09-28. however, on some tracks, he maintained the philosophical abstract lyricism that he was previously known for. The hip hop community criticized the album as a "glitzy,

commercial Commercial may refer to: * a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television) ** Radio advertisement ** Television advertisement * (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...

reach."

Reception

''Amplified'' debuted at number 28 on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling over 89,000 copies in its first week. On January 5, 2000, it was certified

by the

, for shipments of 500,000 copies in the United States. As of July 2008, ''Amplified'' has sold 675,000 copies in the US. ''Amplified'' received generally positive reviews from music critics.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

's John Bush hailed it as "an excellent work", with a production style that "emphasizes deep grooves and clipped beats with a polished sheen that takes Tribe's

jazz-rap Jazz rap (or jazz hip hop) is a fusion of jazz and hip hop music, as well as an alternative hip hop subgenre, that developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. AllMusic writes that the genre "was an attempt to fuse African-American music of the ...

into the age of

quiet storm Quiet storm is a radio format and genre of R&B, performed in a smooth, romantic, jazz-influenced style. It was named after the title song on Smokey Robinson's 1975 album ''A Quiet Storm''. The radio format was pioneered in 1976 by Melvin Lin ...

and

fusion Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combining two or more distinct entities into a new whole. Fusion may also refer to: Science and technology Physics *Nuclear fusion, multiple atomic nuclei combining to form one or more different atomic nucl ...

." Bush also called Q-Tip's rapping "as smooth and inventive as ever." Colin Ross 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, fi ...

'' described it as "a vibe-orientated affair", noting that its "infectious hooks, Jay Dee's trademark

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

s, and some seriously funky beats all work to create a captivating soundscape upon which Q-Tip drops his traditionally abstract rhymes." ''

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 crea ...

''s

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 ...

felt that the album's production suited Q-Tip better than that of A Tribe Called Quest albums, stating, "He gets stronger music out of hard beats than he ever did out of soft jazz."

Soren Baker Soren Baker is an American journalist who has spent his career covering hip-hop. Best known for his six years as one of the main editors of The Source, Baker has had more than 3,500 articles published in such publications as The New York Times, ...

of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' sensed "creative growth" from Q-Tip, praising the album as "an eclectic and enjoyable hip-hop experience." Writing for ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'', John Mulvey initially believed that ''Amplified'' followed the mainstream "millennial hip-hop formula to the point of near anonymity", however, he concluded that it lived up to the high expectations of a Q-Tip album, calling the production a "brilliant hybrid of the organic and the modernist." Kris Ex of ''

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

'' summed it up as "stew-pot hip-hop – traditional blunts, broads and braggadocio filtered through Tip's abstract lens." Taylor M. Clark of ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

'' felt that, lyrically, Q-Tip "regressed substantially", with rhymes that were "less crafty and more repetitive than any of his past works." Christgau ranked ''Amplified'' number 12 on his "Dean's List" for ''The Village Voice''s

Pazz & Jop Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper ''The Village Voice'' and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year abse ...

critics' poll of 1999. In a retrospective review, Thomas Golianopoulos of ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'' perceived that the album "aged quite well", further writing, "Though the tawdry booty videos for singles 'Breathe and Stop' and 'Vivrant Thing' bothered Tribe loyalists, 'Wait Up,' and 'Higher' maintain the group's ethos and hint at Tip's later unreleased work (''

Kamaal the Abstract ''Kamaal the Abstract'' is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Q-Tip, released September 15, 2009, on Battery Records. Recorded in 2001,Thill, Scott (September 14, 2009)"Q-Tip, 'Kamaal the Abstract" Metromix. Retrieved on 2009-10- ...

'' and ''Open'')." Kembrew McLeod, writing in ''

The New Rolling Stone Album Guide ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', previously known as ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1 ...

'', stated, "Although it may not have the staying power of Tribe's classics, ''Amplified'' is the ideal soundtrack for a carefree night at the club."

Track listing

*All tracks produced by

and Q-Tip, except tracks 9 and 11 produced by

DJ Scratch George Spivey (born June 21, 1968), known professionally as DJ Scratch, is an American hip hop DJ and producer from Brooklyn, New York. DJ Scratch is the 1988 New Music Seminar Battle For World Supremacy DJ champion, the 2010 Master of the ...

. ;Sample credits Sampling information for ''Amplified'' adapted from The-Breaks.Rap Sample FAQ: Q-Tip
The Breaks. Retrieved on 2010-01-01. *"Higher" contains a sample from "Wonderin'" by

Roy Haynes Roy Owen Haynes (born March 13, 1925) is an American jazz drummer. He is among the most recorded drummers in jazz. In a career lasting over 80 years, he has played swing, bebop, jazz fusion, avant-garde jazz and is considered a pioneer of jazz ...

*"Breathe and Stop" contains samples from "By Myself" by

Urszula Dudziak Urszula Bogumiła Dudziak-Urbaniak (born 22 October 1943) is a Polish jazz vocalist. She has worked with Krzysztof Komeda, Michał Urbaniak (her ex-husband), Gil Evans, Archie Shepp, and Lester Bowie. In 2007, her 1970s song "Papaya" gained wid ...

, "N.T." by

Kool & the Gang Kool & the Gang is an American R&B/soul/funk band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964 by brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell, with Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown, and Ricky West. T ...

and "Gypsy" by

Emmett Chapman Emmett Chapman (September 28, 1936 – November 1, 2021) was an American jazz musician best known as the inventor of the Chapman Stick and maker of the Chapman Stick family of instruments. Career Chapman started his career as a guitarist, recor ...

*"Let's Ride" contains samples from "Giant Steps" by

Joe Pass Joe Pass (born Joseph Anthony Jacobi Passalaqua; January 13, 1929 – May 23, 1994) was an American jazz guitarist. Pass is well known for his work stemming from numerous collaborations with pianist Oscar Peterson and vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, an ...

, "UFO" by

ESG ESG may refer to : Groups * Election Support Group, an internationally sponsored organization analyzing and supporting the electoral process in Pakistan * ES Guelma, an Algerian football club based in Guelma * Escuela Superior de Guerra (Argenti ...

and "The Humpty Dump" by The Vibrettes *"All In" contains a sample from "Leo: Rosebud" by

Cannonball Adderley Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley (September 15, 1928August 8, 1975) was an American jazz alto saxophonist of the hard bop era of the 1950s and 1960s. Adderley is perhaps best remembered for the 1966 soul jazz single "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy", whi ...

*"Go Hard" contains a sample from "M3000 (Opus VI)" by Mandre *"Do It" contains a sample from "La Biguine Des Enfants Du Bon Dieu" by

Kali Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hinduism, Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In t ...

*"Vivrant Thing" contains a sample from "I Wanna Stay" by

Love Unlimited Orchestra The Love Unlimited Orchestra was a 40-piece string-laden orchestra formed by American singer Barry White, and serving as a backing unit for White and for female vocal trio Love Unlimited. From the early 1970s on, they also recorded several sing ...

Personnel

Credits for ''Amplified'' adapted from liner notes. * Chris Athens – mastering * B+ – photography * Lesvia Castro – production coordinator *

– producer * Drew Dixon – A&R * Drew Fitzgerald – art direction * Miriam Gonzales – production coordinator * Jason Groucott – engineer * Ken "Duro" Ifill – mixing, engineer *

– producer * Micheline Levine – legal *

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 ...

– management * Glenn Marchese – mixing (track 10), engineer * Q-Tip – producer, mixing *

Mona Scott Mona Scott-Young ( Scott; born February 15, 1967) is an American television producer and entrepreneur. She is the CEO of the multi-media entertainment company Monami Productions, best known for producing the VH1 reality television franchise ''L ...

– management * Shaka – management * Steve Souder – engineer * Christopher Stern – art direction

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links

*
Amplified
' at

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 la ...

''Time'': Hip-Hop's Next Wave
— By

Christopher John Farley Christopher John Farley (born July 28, 1966) is a Jamaican-born American journalist, columnist, and author. Early life Farley was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and grew up in New York. He is a graduate of Brockport High School and Harvard Unive ...

{{Authority control 1999 debut albums Albums produced by DJ Scratch Albums produced by J Dilla Albums produced by Q-Tip (musician) Arista Records albums Q-Tip (musician) albums