Commercial performance The Renaissance debuted at number 11 on the U.S.
Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 34,219 copies. It has sold 131,200 copies in the United States, according to
Nielsen Soundscan.
Critical response The Renaissance received universal acclaim from music critics. At
Metacritic, which assigns a
normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an
average score of 82, based on 24 reviews.
Chicago Tribune writer
Greg Kot praised Q-Tip's rapping and production, commenting that "Comebacks don't come more effortlessly than this". Anthony Henriques of
PopMatters complimented its "
Ummah-era aesthetic – smooth, soulful, jazz-infused" production, writing that "
The Renaissance feels like a complete album. Each song has distinctive characteristics, and brilliant sequencing allows for seamless transitions between tracks".
About.com's Shannon Barbour called it "a polished production that makes the most of every song".
Chicago Sun-Times writer
Jim DeRogatis commented that guest appearances by Raphael Saadiq, Norah Jones, and D'Angelo "sound inspired". Steve Jones of
USA Today complimented Q-Tip's "ever-cool flow over a self-produced blend of jazzy samples and live instrumentation", stating "Q-Tip delivers danceable rhymes, mostly about love of self, women and hip-hop. He also touches society and music industry politics with an intelligence often lacking in today's music". Barry Walters of
Spin noted "his eloquent flow over liquid arrangements shimmering with rhythmic finesse" and commented that the album "blurs distinctions between accessibility and avant-gardism".
The Guardians Angus Batey wrote that the album "cloak[s] its eclecticism with a homogenising sheen […] frequent changes of mood and direction dazzle". Areif Sless-Kitain of
Time Out viewed it as a return for Q-Tip to lyrical "old-school basics", stating "It’s a reverse renaissance: The suave MC returns to his glory days as part of the
Native Tongues posse, showcasing his nimble rhymes and clever
phrasing".
Accolades Entertainment Weekly ranked
The Renaissance number five on its list of the year's best albums, and
PopMatters named it the best hip-hop album of 2008.
The Renaissance received a
Grammy Award nomination for
Best Rap Album in 2010. The album was also included in the book
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. ==Track listing==