Listening to: The Low End Theory – A Tribe Called Quest
Genre: HipHop
Year: 1991
Before I start this writeup, I have to admit that I genuinely think I need more than however much I listened to this album due to just how rich and complex it is. There’s so much layers and context I have to understand to properly appreciate the Low End Theory, but I think it’s 100% worth.
That’s because the Low End Theory, not only being one of the most influential hiphop albums of the 90s is also one of the most complex in terms of its production quality out of all the albums I’ve heard so far. The amount of samples mixed along with the complex lyricism genuinely makes this such a rich album.
And in a way, this is what listening to new albums is all about. Learning about not only what the lyrics entail or how groovy the sound is but also how it was produced, who produced it and the effect it had on society.
I know for a fact that the Native Tounges group was the foundation to many of the HipHop legends today, but A Tribe Called Quest ended up being one of, if not, the most popular group out of that junction.
And it’s completely justified. The Low End Theory is gripping, rich with substance but groovy with its many jazzy instrumentations with an insanely level of consistency. It also lives up to its name of the low end theory as the focus on the low end on this album is absolutely beautiful. From the start of the album with focus on the upright bass moving into deep kickdrums and bass guitars provided such a rich and deep listening experience.
It was so complex, in fact, that I really couldn’t pick a song as my favorite. Thankfully, Vibes and Stuff made me feel things while also feeling like I was riding a low rider.
Overall, this is an album that needs considerably more time to appreciate. On first listen, it was a little difficult to properly open out to the somewhat lo-fi sound of The Low End Theory, but the more I listened to the album the more I realized that the production was insanely good.
My total absolutely unbiased scoring:
Vibe: 6/10
Flow: 9/10
Mixing: 6/10
Complexity: 10/10
Consistency: 10/10
Emotional Factor: 5/10
Fave Track:
Vibes and Stuff
Gears Used:
Celest Plutus Beast
HiBy R3 III
Das it, das music
