And as the group known as Tribe Called Quest rides quietly into the sunset, frontman Q-Tip brings Amplified, his first solo album. He just might have made up for his former group’s most recent lackluster releases.
The best thing about the album is that it is free of unnecessary guests. Personally, I’m tired of every hip-hop album coming jammed front to back with other rappers. Busta Rhymes does show up on “N.T.” and goes wild, but aside from this, it’s Tip and only Tip. If you loved Tribe Called Quest, then there is no reason you won’t enjoy this record. Q-Tip’s style is still abstract; his flow is still there even if the rhymes aren’t always golden.
Filled with tracks that get you in motion, like “Vivrant Thing” and “Go Hard”, you’ll be bringing this record to many a party. The problem is that as Q-Tip has gotten older, his rhymes have gotten more mature and cynical. I preferred the naive Q-Tip of old who rhymed about the vivacious “Bonita Applebum” and how he left his wallet in El Segundo. The tracks were meaningless fantasy, but that was what was so great. The trippy The Low-End Theory was genius, but he’s left it behind for a social conscience and finger pointing. I’m a Q-Tip fan for life, or at least until he drops another one of these.
+ rae gun
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