The Low End Theory

The Low End Theory is A Tribe Called Quest’s sophomore studio album, which cemented the rap group as one of the most influential rap artists of all time. After their debut album People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm failed to put up the sales numbers the Tribe expected, the group decided to revamp their style on the second album.

Phife Dawg takes on an expanded role on the rhyming side of things, and Q-Tip is as sharp as ever while dropping knowledge about positivity and Black pride, but it is the production of this album that establishes it as a classic. Prescribing to the “low end theory,” a production approach that favored low-frequency sounds like bass over the more popular treble, the group created a minimalistic, jazzy and refreshing sound that has influenced hip-hop production since its release.

The album was produced by A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad along with Skeff Anselm. Pete Rock created the original rough draft version for “Jazz (We’ve Got).” In contrast to most of the hip-hop albums released in the early 1990s, which featured rough beats at relatively fast tempos such as Ice Cube’s AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted or Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, The Low End Theory featured low-key, bass-heavy, and plodding beats which emphasized the pensive nature of the record.

The Low End Theory was supported by the singles “Check the Rhime,” “Jazz (We’ve Got),” and “Scenario,” as well as its popular remix released the following year. The album peaked at #45 on the Billboard 200 and #13 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart as it achieved platinum status. The album has been featured on a number of “best of” lists, including Time’s list of The All-TIME 100 Albums, Vibe’s 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century, as well as Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Albums of the 90s and The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The album also received a classic 5 Mics rating from The Source magazine, who also featured the album on their list of the Top 100 Rap Albums of All Time.