Thirty years ago today (September 24), genre-bending hip-hop group, A Tribe Called Quest, released its groundbreaking record, The Low End Theory, which bridged jazz and hip-hop and changed the way many people felt about both genres.
Videos by American Songwriter
The band, which featured frontmen emcees, Q-Tip and Phife Dawg, formed the group in 1985. They released their debut LP, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, in 1990. But it was their second album that brought them fame.
The Low End Theory, which features hits like “Jazz (We Got)” and “Scenario” is also credited with launching the mainstream career of major rapper, Busta Rhymes.
Listen to the entire record, which went onto influence artists like Dr. Dre and Kanye West, here:
Fans and media outlets took to Twitter to remember the album:
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