The Low End Theory

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 and considered leaving the group. 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 videos. 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 collective, which was never fully resolved. After switching managers, the group demanded more advances from Jive, who eventually extended their recording contract 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 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, from 1990 to 1991, where the songs were recorded on a Neve 8068 mixing console that had been used by John Lennon. 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's Studio in The Bronx. 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. 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. 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 on each song. it is one of the first hip-hop albums fused with the laid-back atmosphere of jazz, particularly bebop and hard bop, The bass drum and vocals emphasize the downbeat on every song. Q-Tip credited the production on N.W.A's album Straight Outta Compton as inspiration: "what resonated was just that bottom, that bass and the drive of it." The album is noted for its use of the double bass, "crisp" and "live-sounding" drum programming, and "deftly placed samples or electric keyboards." The Low End Theory is also regarded for its engineering. The mixing engineer, Bob Power, used several methods to remove "surface noise, crackles, or pops" from the samples, as the software at the time was unable to do so. The duo's lyrical delivery, flow, 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. John Bush of AllMusic 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 chart. However, on February 19, 1992, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with shipments of 500,000 copies in the United States. On February 1, 1995, it was certified platinum 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 to be found here—only real hip-hop." later writing that "like so many 'beats,' Low End Theorys 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." 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." 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. ==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. The album is regarded as Phife Dawg's lyrical breakout, as he established himself as a formidable MC. Praised for his improvement "both as an MC and a boardsman", and is regarded as a "successful fusion of opposites: the complex musical textures of jazz and the straightforward boom-bap of rap." Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 154 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in both 2003 and 2012 revisions, and in 2020, it moved up to number 43. The Low End Theory has influenced many hip-hop and R&B musicians. According to Mychal Denzel Smith of Pitchfork: "Remove this record from the timeline, and generations of greatness could have disappeared with it." Producer 9th Wonder described the album as his "personal soundtrack" while growing up, also stating that the group "changed my life." He further commented on the influence of the group, noting that artists such as Phonte, Slum Village, Mos Def, Kweli, The Roots, Pharrell Williams, and Outkast, all represent the far-reaching influence of A Tribe Called Quest. Nas, Kendrick Lamar, Havoc, In 2022, the album was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". ==Track listing==

• All songs produced by A Tribe Called Quest, except tracks 6 and 10 produced by Skeff Anselm and co-produced by A Tribe Called Quest. • Davis • Muhammad }} • Davis • Muhammad • Taylor }} • Skeff Anselm • Davis • Lorenzo Dechalus • Joseph Kirkland • Muhammad • Derek Murphy • Taylor }} • Davis • Taylor }} • Davis • Muhammad • Taylor }} • Davis • Muhammad • Taylor }} • Anselm • Davis • Muhammad • Taylor }} • Davis • Muhammad • Taylor }} • Davis • Muhammad • Taylor }} • Davis • Bryan Higgins • James Jackson • Muhammad • Trevor Smith • Taylor }} }} ==Personnel==

Credits are adapted from AllMusic. ; Performance credits • Bass – Ron Carter • DJ – Ali Shaheed Muhammad • Vocals – Phife Dawg, Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes, Vinia Mojica, Charlie Brown, Diamond D, Dinco D, Lord Jamar, and Sadat X ; Technical credits • Arrangement – A Tribe Called Quest • Design – Zombart JK • Engineering – Pete Christensen, Eric Gast, Rod Hui, Gerard Julien, Jim Kvoriak, Tim Latham, Anthony Saunders, Bob Power, Christopher Shaw, Marc Singleton, Jamey Staub, Dan Wood • Mastering – Tom Coyne • Mixing – Bob Power, A Tribe Called Quest • Photography – Joe Grant • Production – A Tribe Called Quest, Skeff Anselm ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Certifications==