10 Perfect Albums From The Golden Age Of Hip Hop
3. The Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest (1991)
Mention '90s hip-hop to anyone, and Tribe Called Quest will immediately spring to mind. This was the side of hip hop that combined fun wordplay, with joyously mellow backing tracks, while demonstrating a developed and shrewd insight.
The first three records from Tribe, all could have appeared on this list. Their early work, established the group as being apart from the more prominent gangsta rap of the era. Noted for its jazz-influences and the collaborative wordplay between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg, this album opened up new realms of possibilities for alternative hip-hop.
The lead single, Check The Rhime, exhibited the masterful back fourth between the two frontmen. The call and response technique established on their first record with, Can I Kick It? was further developed. Phife Dawg took on a far more prominent role, as his abilities as a lyricist became apparent.
The album culminated with a number that no classic hip hop playlist is complete without. Scenario, was a collaborative effort with rap group, Leaders of the New School. Notably it gave a platform for Busta Rhymes to introduce his unique stream of consciousness to the world. His verse is one of the most memorable in all of hip hop.