Though my age group may lay just past the point of remembering early hip-hop, most fans of the genre remember a group that helped shape a unique sound, A Tribe Called Quest.
According to the group’s Wikipedia page, the hip-hop trio, comprised of Q-tip, Phife Dawg, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, formed in 1988. The group produced a truly unique sound in a time key to hip-hop’s formation.
Over their ten year stretch as a group, they released 5 albums and then ultimately disbanded in 1998. The group reformed for a US tour in 1998 and has worked together since then on new music.
After the group’s split in 1998, A Tribe Called Quest frontman Q-tip, according to his website, began working on his own solo career, and later that year, released his first album Amplified.
Taking influence from his time with A Tribe Called Quest and his personal experience, Q-tip produced a new sound to the hip-hop community. With his eccentric beats and lyrics, Q-tip brought a breath of fresh air to a genre always being reborn.
In in November 2008, Q-tip released his newest album The Renaissance, that continued to please hip-hop fans eager to hear a new sound.
This album definitely has the soul of Q-tip‘s preceding works with a new twist that will please both fans of new and old hip-hop. Tracks like “Gettin’ Up” stand out boasting feel good rhythms with colorful, not vulgar, lyrics.
I am not a huge hip-hop fan, myself, but I do enjoy the sounds of hip-hop artists trying to break the mold and offer new sounds to fans.
The Renaissance is available right now on iTunes™, so check it out.
