Rating:
Genre:
Rap
Release Date: 11/30/1999
Run Time: 47:30
Just over a year after
A Tribe Called Quest issued its final album, the group's nominal frontman
Q-Tip issued his debut solo album,
Amplified. For
Tribe fans able to get over the fact that
Q-Tip isn't trading off on rhymes with
Phife Dog and
Ali as usual,
Amplified is an excellent work, almost up to the same level as the group's underrated final
Jive album,
The Love Movement. The sound here is
very similar to
The Love Movement, obviously no coincidence since production credits throughout go to
Jay Dee and
Q-Tip for
the Ummah, the same combo that produced most of
A Tribe Called Quest's material. It's a style that emphasizes deep grooves and clipped beats with a polished sheen that takes
Tribe's jazz-rap into the age of quiet storm and fusion.
Q-Tip's rapping is as smooth and inventive as ever, though it's a mild surprise that he doesn't include any message tracks (most
Tribe albums have at least one or two). The band's breakup was a blow to hip-hop fans all over the world, but
Amplified will make everyone feel much better.
~John Bush, All Music Guide
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