Last Weeks ResultsIt was actually closer than I anticipated, with Death Certificate taking it with 60% to 40%. As I said, I thought Death Certificate would take it, but it was closer than I thought it would be. The Amerikkka's Most Wanted supporters made a good case, especially WYDU's own Brian and longtime visitor Benovite. As I've mentioned, I love Amerikkka's Most Wanted, and I'd call it a "classic" as well, but I just thought Death Certificate was the peak of Cube's career and gangsta/social commentary music.
This Week
This week, we have another interesting match up. A Tribe Called Quest are one of my personal all-time favorite groups and their first three albums could all arguably be called certified "classics". There is however a lot of talk comparing their sophomore album, Low End Theory and their third album, Midnight Marauders. I think both albums although somewhat similar both illustrate Tribe being in different places musically on the albums, but it'll still be fun comparing the two. I honestly expect to be in the minority on this weeks vote. It's a hard choice to make. On to the dual.....
Low End Theory Vs. Midnight Marauders
Low End Theory
My initial introduction to A Tribe Called Quest didn't go over very well. I was not a big fan of "People's Instinctive Travels....." when it originally dropped. I thought "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" was straight up corny and wishy washy, "Bonita Applebum" did nothing to sway my opinion toward anything positive. At that time, I was still on my straight up "hard" shit, such as P.E., LL, BDP, NWA & Eazy, Big Daddy Kane, all the straight up stuff that I thought was the hardcore b-boy music. I wasn't ready accept somebody like Tribe. At that time, the whole Native Tongues sound was something completely new. When they released their third single, "Can I Kick It", it did catch my attention, but still not enough to go buy the album. Not long after dropping "People's Instinctive Travels....", in the summer of 1991, ATCQ dropped their lead single for their upcoming album, "Check The Rhime". I was in complete shock and filled with anticipation after hearing the song. This would begin my love of ATCQ.
During the summer of '91, I was a fresh faced kid straight out of high school. For my graduation present, my parents gave me $300 bucks to do with as I pleased. Coupled that with a couple hundred that they gave me to go to prom, which I ended up pocketing after not really finding anyone I wanted to go with (I hated dances). What does an eighteen year old do? He goes and buys a dope ass car stereo. I bought an Alpine cassette deck and CD changer, a Fosgate Punch 150 Amp, two Alpine 6x9's for the back window, some Alpine 4x6 mids for the doors and then bought two 10 inch Punch Woofers in a custom made box from a friend of mine. I threw all of this in my little '82 Volkswagen Jetta and I had my self a "boomin' system". Those of you that have/had a nice stereo system, whether its a home stereo system or a car system know that certain music sounds COMPLETELY different on a good system. Some albums sound completely different on a beefed up system. Low End Theory was one such album. There is definitely some bottom to be felt on Low End Theory, an album living up to it's name.
The sonic vibe that is found on this album was something different for Tribe compared to their first album and something different for hip hop in general. There are basslines galore found throughout Low End Theory, tracks like "Butter" need to be heard on speakers that can convey the sound that Tribe wanted the listener to hear and feel. If you have heard Low End Theory in a car with woofers in the trunk, you know that you definitely "feel" the music. "Rap Promoter" was another track that had the thick bassline that would just rattle a trunk. Q-Tip was on top of his production game on Low End Theory, as he supplied soundscapes that changed the game at the time. He provided the thick instrumentals and just layered up beats that added a "feel" to the album. "Buggin' Out" is another track that contained the ill bassline, a prime example of what Tip was doing on the album. I remember you had to have your system up to par to handle the type of bass that was found on this LP, it had some hard hitting bottoms that could distort shit rather easily, but that was the beauty of the whole album. If your shit was right, this was one of my favorite albums to play on a nice stereo.
Lyrically, people either totally play down Q-Tip's and Phife's lyrical prowess or they totally give them too much credit. Neither are going to be known for the lyrical greatness, but they were far, and I mean FAR, from being booty on the mic. Both stepped up their game from their performances found on People's Instinctive Travels...., especially Phife. This is evident on Phife's solo track, "Butter", as Phife kicks the mackin' game to the females out there. His first verse on "Buggin' Out" is my personal favorite of mine and the one that made me say "shit, Phife has really picked up this time around":
Yo, microphone check one two what is this
The five foot assassin with the ruffneck business
I float like gravity, never had a cavity
Got more rhymes than the Winans got family
No need to sweat Arsenio to gain some type of fame
No shame in my game cause I'll always be the same
Styles upon styles upon styles is what I have
You wanna diss the Phifer but you still don't know the half
I sport New Balance sneakers to avoid a narrow path
Messin round with this you catch ?the sizin of em?
I never half step cause I'm not a half stepper
Drink a lot of soda so they call me Dr. Pepper
Refuse to com-pete with BS competition
Your name ain't Special Ed so won't you Step up With the Mission
I never walk the streets, think it's all about me
Even though deep in my heart, it really could be I just try my best to like go all out
Some might even say yo shorty black you're buggin' out
Phife and Tip also play off each other well on this album, that can be seen on the lead single, "Check The Rhime". It's important in a group for the MC's to have chemistry and that can be found all over this album. Even the guest appearances from the likes of Brand Nu and Leaders of the New School seem to fit the whole style of the album.
Low End Theory for me is the complete package when it comes to a hip hop album. It has the bangin' beats and it has the ill lyrics. It was one of those albums that I knew all the words to (still do) and it was an enjoyment to play at anytime no matter my mood. If someone was to ask me for my essential hip hop albums, Low End Theory would be on the list. Truly a timeless classic.
Midnight Marauders
After Low End Theory blew the lid open for Tribe, we'd have to wait for a couple years before they jumped back on the scene. Tribe was one of the elite hip hop groups by that time, so the anticipation for Midnight Marauders got going to dizzying heights. I was hanging with a kid named Eddie at college (I haven't seen the cat since that semester), and he was literally counting down the days until it dropped. The Source was pumping the release up as well. "Award Tour" was the first single and it some ways it kind of made me somewhat hesitant. Not that it was a bad song (I could think of better singles, but thats beside the point), it was it wasn't Low End Theory. Yeah, I didn't understand that groups like Tribe would change through out their career. And that's exactly what Tribe did on Midnight Marauders, they evolved. They reinvented themselves. Some may say, why reinvent something that was already great, but Midnight Marauders is truly in a class of its own.
While the production was a complete switch from what is found on Low End Theory, the album is praised for it's production values just as much, if not more than their previous effort. Maybe even more of a cohesive project in both sounds and songs, the beats on Midnight Marauders are of top quality, with Tip and Shaheed providing the bulk of the soundscapes, with Large Pro and Skeff Anslem both contributing a track. There are many classic samples found through out the album, with everything from Bob James to Minnie Ripperton being used by the crate diggin' Tip. Tracks such as "Electric Relaxation", with it's three samples, are classic productions as the smooth, mellow vibe, wafers through the listeners headphones, it's hard not to close your eyes and get lost in the whole Tribe vibe. Then you had other such as "Oh My God", that were more uptempo with an ill drum track and the crazy sax sample, leaving it as a standout track on an ill album. Where Low End Theory was speaker rattling music, I've always considered Midnight Marauders as more headphone music. The Large Professor assisted "Keep It Rollin'" is a perfect example of that, it's a great track to throw on the headphones while transversing the city streets or in my case at the time, walking from class to class.
Q-Tip and Phife both continued to do their thing on Marauders, and even building off their showing on Low End Theory. It seemed their deliveries and story telling skills were even up a notch more than the their previous album. Over the boom bap production found on "Clap Your Hands", Phife does his thing, as he displays his tighten flow and delivery:
Brothas know the flavs when the Quest gets loose
Slammin sucka f**kas like the wrestler Zeus
Crazier than Tupac in that flick called Juice
Cock is longer than the hat worn by Dr. Seuss
Love a girl in Daisy Dukes like them kids called Deuce
Gets paid to sex the hoochie like my main man Luke
Control the mic like Denzel on the girls
Wack MCs be on the nuts like Rocket J. Squirrel
The worst thing in the world is a sucka MC
Favorite rap group in the world is EPMD
Can't forget the De La, the two originality
And if I ever went solo, my favorite MC would be me
Phife Dawg up in the house, I give a shout out to Snoopy
Peace to all the Questers, to hell with the groupies
Like um, Ralph up to Potsie, Brooklyn to Dodger
Laverne to Shirley, Rerun to Roger Ren to the Stimpy, Laurel to Hardy
Q-Tip and Phifer, they mashed up the party
Kick the rhymes and more rhymes
Kick the beats and more beats
We'll have you scratchin in your head, like trying all techniques
For those who wanna oppose, just take a stand
But for now, just shut your shit and clap your hands
Even on his own solo track, "8 Million Stories", Phife helps set up the mood for an almost haunting track as he flows over a Skeff Anslem beat the trials and tribulations of the city. A more mature effort than his "Butter" track found on Low End Theory. A similar track that provokes the same images and feelings is Q-Tip's solo track, "Midnight". Tip uses his unique voice to trap the listener in his environment as we take a trip along with through the darkness of the night.
There are so many great songs found on Midnight Maruaders and the sound of the overall album is one of classic. There was a precise moment I realized this album was special. If I remember right, Midnight Marauders dropped in November. It got a lot of play for me during that winter. That February I started dating a girl, who would actually end up being my first "true" love. We had been dating a few weeks and I was trying to get her into some hip hop, so naturally, I figured Tribe was a good start. After going on a date, I took her home, where we parked outside her house, which meant I was get some little make out action. With Tribe playing, we started doing our make out thing. One thing led to another and I ended up getting pretty far with her that night, getting some "stinky pinky", but the thing was, I had my CD player in my Jimmy on repeat, so once the CD finished, it just started right back up again. The CD must have played four times in a row that night while I was doing my petting and rubbing. Now, true, I had the hormones going, but I was still listening to the CD as it played and I figured any album that got a chick that hot and horny and not getting sick of after four straight plays in a row, it was a good album. One of my greatest hip hop memories ever.
The Verdict:
Even after writing all of this, it's so hard to call this. Both albums I hold in the highest regard and might be the best one, two punch that hip hop has ever seen. If I have to be nit pickey, both have their faults. A couple songs on Low End Theory just don't seem to fit, namely "Skypager" and "What?". Realize I'm just trying to find things wrong, so it's not like they take away from the overall package, but they've both been my least favorites on the album. Midnight Marauders treds a fine line of sounding cohesive, but one could almost argue that it almost sounds too similar from song to song. It took me longer to warm up to Midnight Marauders than it did Low End Theory, and I attribute that fact as the reason. I have a couple songs on it as well that don't do much for me, such as "The Chase II" and "God Lives Through", but the same thing applies to them as well, I'm just nitpicking. When it comes down to it, I think I would say Midnight Marauders to the better overall complete project. It stands on it's own the best, the production is simply error less, the rhymes are flawless and it's a classic. BUT, I can't go against an album that I constantly hail as one of my top five favorite hip hop releases of all-times. Low End Theory is a personal album for me and the sound it contains has always been closer associated to my kind of sound that I enjoy the most, deep, rich bass.
Winner: Low End Theory
22 comments:
MM has personal memories attached to it for me, so I am not a good judge on this one.
Same here,I'm not a good judge to say which one is the better album.I have greater personal memories with MM,because I was totally anticipating the release and I rushed downtown to the record store to cop it and returning home listening to the tape in my walkman.I really love Low End Theory,but I copped the tape in a 2nd hand store but I don't feel a connection to this album though,but I have to revisit it!
Yeah,Phife and Tip weren't Rakim on the mic but I thought that they were some of the best to spit effortlessly and maintain spontaneity,so I always thought that they rocked!
Anyways,for me,it's a tie:)
But wow,not a lot of peeps would say Low End Theory,word!
Midnight Marauders
Low End Theory. . .
maybe it's just because of the initial shock. No one was expecting Phife to come out like that, for the beats to be that tight, etc. MM was dope no question, but heads were ready.
I think the transition from "What?" to "Scenario" on LET is one of the coolest and succint segues I've ever heard on a hip hop album. I remember being blown away as a kid hearing that because my first introduction to Tribe was "Scenario." To listen to LET on cassette and get through the whole thing waiting for that big climax was hard as a youngin--but the payoff was worth it. "What?" is an individual song is good, but in the context of the album, it plays its part fabulously.
And I'm not sure which album I like better. I'll have to sit on this for a few days. Great post as usual, Trav.
Another great article, thanks chaps. I saw PE do the nation on millions tour last week, and we spent a lot of the night debating whether NOM was better than Black Planet or not. I can't remember the end result....
Cheers
Chris Ward
Nottingham - UK
Chris, you read my mind, the PE debat is coming very soon to a blog near you.
I feel your decision, man. I, like many others, love both albums, but Low End Theory always appealed more to me because of it's more laid-back vibe. I mean - hell - "We've Got The Jazz" & "Vibes & StufF" will remain two of my favorite hip hop tracks ever.
tough one to call. both albums were great.
I gotta go with Low End Theory on this one... "Check the rhime" is to me maybe the best hip-hop song ever but MM was maaad nice too
Buggin Out was my ringtone when I had a ringtone.Its crazy how Pete Rock did the beat on Jazz(We Got)too! Dre was inspired by Low End Theory to do the Chronic in the first place.Low End Theory is a national treasure.Love It!
chronwell
It's gotta be Low End Theory for me. This was my first introduction to jazz. From the opening bass line on Excursions, all the way through to the laid back groove of Jazz (We've Got). Midnight Marauders is the shit too, but Low End Theory is straight up winner for me.
Make sure you have a system with some phat house speakers
So the new shit can rock, from Mars to Massapequa
I was 11 years old when I got The Low End Theory (WOW I'm aging well in hip hop's dog-year life span!). The first track "Excursions" eerily creeped yet blared through my dad's car speakers. It was very fitting to the setting of me being a passenger in the car on the way home to enjoy this treat for life (And I still have the same tape! Faded letters on it and all). Although their first album "People's Instinctive..." remains a classic, it was somewhat juvenile in its sound as a collective. You can cite that sound with the early Native Tongue records of the late 80s that sounded more happy-go-luck and pseudo-intellectual, almost like an extension of the D.A.I.S.Y. Age that De La Soul rose to stardom with early in their career. The Low End Theory had harder basslines, harder rhymes styles and patterns, and a less-is-more approach and style of production than the previous album to for the listener to absorb as much as possible when listening. Midnight Marauders quality of sound was highly upgraded from the organic, dusty crate sounds of their first 2 albums, but was sort of a return to their happy-go-lucky roots, minimally addressing issues of everyday life (few exceptions i.e. Sucka Nigga, Midnight, etc). The Low End Theory "theorized" about all aspects of life that affect all of us: the way people think about others, lessons in history and psychoanalysis, karma of playing girls and getting played in the end, the shady music business, pagers (we've come a long way baby!), and life in the inner city. What a complete package. Also I have a correction to make Travis: I believe in the lyrics of "Clap Ya Hands," Phife says "we'll have you scratching on your head like SHAHEED ON TECHNIQUES." Not "like trying all techniques." That just doesn't make sense to me in crafting a rhyme. We're still talking about the era where rap artists and groups praised their DJs and not just themselves.
^^^ Well said...and you are probably right about the lyrics. Once again, I copied and pasted lyrics from one of those lyrics site without really going through it with a fine comb. I did catch some of the blaring errors though this time around, unlike last week...haha
Now I own sevo businessess...
midnight maruaders!
low end theory is an all-time favorite for me tho
Man, an impossible choice. I gotta go with MM, but as with what I guess is the majority of people here, it's down to personal significance rather than anything tangible musically.
Like this concept Trav, keep it rolling.
Cheers,
Dan
man these posts are a great idea. most of us have probably had these same debates with someone some time or other, i know i sure have. i honestly don't think you could have picked a closer one to call this time but for me MM just sneaks it. although i think there are more stand out songs on LET to me MM works better as a whole album, plus it's the 1st tribe album i ever listened to.
Low End Theory, although I agree it's a tough choice.
The reason I would say Low End is because IMO it's a more sophisticated hip hop album than MM, due in large part to the jazz influence. In truth all of ATCQ's albums are more sophisticated than practically any other hip hop group[because of their use of jazz], but Low End came before MM and it's the album I would listen to more than MM. In that respect, Low End was more pioneering, even though Tribe used jazz liberally on their first album, which a lot us here on the west liked too. Bonita Applebum was the joint(especially for us early 20's west siders still figuring out women)!
MM has great tracks that I like to hear a lot like Suck Nigga and Electric Relaxation. And the tour guide thing is brilliant, funny as hell, but it's also gimmicky. Upon first hearing it I thought it was the funniest thing in the world though.
Also my opinion is based on the fact that Vibes and Stuff is probably my favorite ATCQ track on any record.
My vote went to Low End Theory but MM verified they still had it at a time when others were already falling off or repeating themselves. Each of those LP's had three strong singles. Low End had the Brand Nubian, LONS & Diamond D spots that fit perfectly within the flow of the LP. ATCQ kept the quality level at an extremely high level w/MM. It was fun while it lasted.
Midnight Marauders is the best full album for me. Mind you, Low End Theory does have THE best hip-hop song of all time on it in Scenario.
Still, Marauders wins through for me.
"Although I hit a pound of herb, I'm still nice with the verb, So f*ck what you heard."
Sadat X's classic verse from Show Business
(note, I write first, then, read the articles....any similarities in opinions are strictly coincidental)
Once again, the correct choice is made by going with The Low End Theory. Not just a great album, it was- by far and above- a better release, song for song, than ATCQ's landmark 1990 debut; with a bevy of classic lines and tight cameos.
Let's put its release in its social context & perspective... The year is 1991...Magic got AIDs, LL's Boomin System & Around The Way Girl is still pumpin' as the Terrordome wanes; MC Eiht is holdin' down the West, Redman & EPMD has yet to release their masterjams. War in Kuwait, Anita Hill vs Clarence Thomas...
Ahhh, yeah, and what about Ice-T's O.G., Main Source, De La Died on us, Rodney King caught a digusting beatdown as interest in Malcolm X is resurrected for profit and media revision, Geto Boys & Rap-A-Lot Couldn't Be Stopped & the LA riots are due (next year). DJ Quik also debuts with curl juice drippin' on his Bombud, etc.
In 1991, The Golden era is in full swing and at the height of hip hop creativity. Everybody's comin with a different identity, style and being original. Tim Dog's dissin and The Box rules over MTV and BET! But it's that Low End musicology that sent hip hop to the apex of its final stage of the Golden Era... even the Wanksta's, oops, Gangstas (read: ignorant fad & where are they now?) was feelin' the Tribe's Jazzy Vibes. The competition for the top 1991 album came from numerous worthy artists. Can anyone say "The Choice (was ours?)"... right, don't sleep on the Sheep, either. Since when has so many great albums been released month after month after month? Tupac wasn't considered "Greatest Rapper" yet (in 1991) by a longshot while in the shadows of DU.
Soonafter, Pete Rock (1992 & 1994), DJ Premier (1992), Das EFX, Dr. Dre (1992 & 1993) with Snoop, & RZA (1993) kept the momentum of the classic era intact and maintained hip hop's sonic excellence on up to 1995- B.I.G- (thru mid 1996). But nothing hit the culture quite like The Low End Theory since BDP's By All Means Necessary. Setting up Pete Rock's epic Mecca nicely. You HAD to bring your best tracks to the game back then. Oh yes, to be there and knee-deep in the nascent movement of hip hop's burgeoning takeover of popular music from grunge, rock, jazz, etc. Before the corporate raping of Black radio and oppression of DJ sampling began.
After Ras Kass, The Fugees & OutKast released their own majestic efforts in 1996, one can begin counting the release of hip hop masterpieces on one hand as 1997 arrived (Wu-Tang's "Forever" & Biggie's "Ready To Die" immediately come to mind), thus, the end of an era came to a close with the so-so effort from- who else- the trailblazers of the 90's ATCQ, with Beats, Rhymes & Life, ironically... closing out the entire Golden age (1986-early 1996), IMO, to this day forward.
And, of course, Midnight Mauraders is no slouch, itself. But topping their own 1991 hip hop kismet was a seemingly insurmountable task. I do remember the anticipation of Mauraders, but, Low End laid the groundwork for the years of respect in hip hop that lay ahead for ATCQ- until some corny dude named Lupe Fiasco showed his youthful lack of hip hop education 101.
Until then,
"Eat from the tree of life and throw away the verbal ham"
I'm willing to bet that Midnight Marauder consisted of many tracks that didn't make the Low End Theory- that's how good Theory was.
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