Album

The Low End Theory

A Tribe Called Quest

1991 · Hip Hop

133 collectors on Gatefold own this

The Low End Theory by A Tribe Called Quest

The Low End Theory is a Hip-Hop album by A Tribe Called Quest, originally released in 1991. On Gatefold: 79 pressings tracked, owned by 133 collectors.

About

<b>100 Best Albums</b> In the wake of the release of A Tribe Called Quest's first album, 1990's stellar <i>People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm</i>, critics who had previously ignored hip-hop sat up and took notice of Q-Tip's sophisticated and unorthodox productions, and Phife Dawg's party-rocking but winningly self-deprecating rhymes. But the critics often overlooked Tribe's far-reaching roots in the hip-hop underground and their larger place in the history of Black music in general. <i>The Low End Theory</i> was in many ways a conscious attempt to redress these critical oversights; it also happens to be one of the finest hip-hop albums ever recorded. From the sinuous Art Blakey samples and myth-making rhymes of “Excursions” to the joyous free-for-all of the epic posse cut “Scenario,” <i>The Low End Theory</i> is a stone masterpiece that establishes Tribe's place in hip-hop's history. They draw on everything from the crowd-hyping improvisations of their early park jams, to the complex sciences of Golden Age rhyming styles. Simply put, <i>The Low End Theory</i> is essential for anyone seeking to understand hip-hop.

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

The Clerk knows this whole record — the pressing quirks, the credits, the take.

Start your shelf to read the full take →

Open this record in GatefoldThe full album page. Every pressing and its live price unlocks with Mosh Pit.→

Tracklist

  1. 1Excursions3:53
  2. 2Buggin' Out3:38
  3. 3Rap Promoter2:13
  4. 4Butter3:39
  5. 5Verses From The Abstract3:59
  6. 6Show Business3:53
  7. 7Vibes And Stuff4:18
  8. 8The Infamous Date Rape2:54
  9. 9Check The Rhime3:36
  10. 10Everything Is Fair2:59
  11. 11Jazz (We've Got)4:09
  12. 12Skypager2:13
  13. 13What?2:29
  14. 14Scenario4:10

Sound DNA

  • Hip-Hop
  • Boom Bap
  • warm
  • laid-back
  • urban

Notes from the original pressing. Later editions may differ.

Recorded and mixed at Battery Studios, Greene Studios and Soundtrack Studios.
"Show Business" and "Everything Is Fair" programmed at Jazzy Jay's Studio.
Additional engineering at Battery; Greene Street and at Soundtrack.
Mastered DMS, NYC.
Direction/management: Baby Sound Productions and Rush Management.
"Excursions" contains samples from "Time Is Running Out" performed by the Last Poets (opens in a new tab) and written by Omar Ben Hassen.
"Check The Rhime" features samples from Average White Band (opens in a new tab) recording "Love Your Life" (H. Stuart/A. Gorrie/O. McIntyre/S. Ferrone/M. Duncan/R. Ball).
"Everything Is Fair" contains samples from "Let's Take It To The People" (G. Clinton/G. Shider/E. Hazel) performed by Funkadelic (opens in a new tab).
"Vibes And Stuff" contains samples from "Down Here On The Ground" (L. Shifrin/G. Garnet) performed by Grant Green (opens in a new tab)

Credits

The people behind it.

Performers

133 collectors on Gatefold own this · 79 pressings tracked on Gatefold

View this release on Discogs →

Start your shelf.

Track your pressings of The Low End Theory, get the Clerk's take, and see what the record is worth — free.

Start your shelf →

Free forever. Works with 10 records or 10,000.