25 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums Of All Time
9. A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
The second album released by rap group A Tribe Called Quest, The Low End Theory (1991) is characterised by the group's slick wordplay, bass-y beats and the way rappers Q-Tip and Phife Dawg work off one another.
Q-Tip is clever, revelling in his wordplay and having fun with every track; Phife is charismatic, quick with the puns, and politically minded throughout. The rest of the record is boosted to greatness by genius samples, an easy group dynamic, and some truly inspired production.
From "Check the Rhime" to "Scenario", there's nothing that feels organic or forced about the record, despite its fusion of different genres. The Low End Theory is often credited with giving more publicity to jazz-rap thanks to its inclusion of R&B and jazz-inspired beats. "Influential" doesn't quite cut it. Neither does "great" - but that's exactly what it is.