Beats, Rhymes and Life
Beats, Rhymes and Life | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 30, 1996 | |||
Recorded | 1995–1996 | |||
Studio | Battery Studios (New York City) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 51:18 | |||
Label | Jive 01241-41587 | |||
Producer | ||||
A Tribe Called Quest chronology | ||||
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Singles from Beats, Rhymes and Life | ||||
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Beats, Rhymes and Life is the fourth
Background
In September 1993, shortly after the recording of
Music and lyrics
For Beats, Rhymes and Life, The Ummah created a minimalist sound reminiscent of The Low End Theory, which Ali Shaheed Muhammad described as "nothing extravagant, nothing far out."[2][5] Miles Marshall Lewis of The Source praised The Ummah for being "the most proficient in the rap game at using samples as instruments in themselves."[6] Regarding Jay Dee's five contributions to the album, Q-Tip stated, "He would just send me the beats and then I would lay them."[7] One of his contributions, the lead single "1nce Again", was hailed as "one of the few successes" on the album and a "surprising R&B crossover."[5]
Lyrically, the group addresses "everything from O.J. to spirituality" and were recognized for the complexity of their messages.[5][8] However, they were criticized for sounding "bored", "confused, hostile, and occasionally paranoid."[2][5] In the song "Keeping It Moving", Q-Tip responds to the diss comments made about him in MC Hammer's songs "Break 'Em Off Somethin' Proper" and "Funky Headhunter", as well as Westside Connection's song "Cross 'Em out and Put a K".[9] In the first verse, he says that comments previously made about the West Coast were not intended to be a diss and that people should not misinterpret his lyrics.[9]
Reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [10] |
Entertainment Weekly | A[8] |
NME | 7/10[11] |
Q | [12] |
Rolling Stone | [13] |
The Source | 4/5[6] |
Spin | 7/10[14] |
Tom Hull – on the Web | A−[15] |
USA Today | [16] |
Beats, Rhymes and Life debuted at number one on the
The album received mostly positive reviews from music critics. Ernest Hardy of Rolling Stone called it "near-flawless", while commending The Ummah for their "irresistible" production, and the group for "spinning universal themes from an Afrocentric loom, with positivity balanced against subtly subversive street reporting."[13] Entertainment Weekly's Cheo Tyehimba described it as "the return of playful yet potent hip-hop" and praised the "trademark originality" of the group's lyrics.[8] Will Hermes of Spin credited the group for performing "with a sleight of hand that lets them get intelligent without ruining the party", however, he felt that "over the three fallow years since the group's last record, they've been dealing with a real crisis of musical faith."[14] Robert Christgau gave the album a three-star honorable mention in his consumer guide for The Village Voice,[17] noting that the group fights "sensationalist obscurity with philosophic subtlety", which he believed was ineffective. Christgau highlighted "Jam", "Crew" and "The Hop" as standout tracks.[18]
In the 5th edition of his
Beats, Rhymes and Life was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album and "1nce Again" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, presented at the 39th Grammy Awards in 1997.[19]
Track listing
- All tracks produced by The Ummah, except track 9 produced by Rashad Smith.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Phony Rappers" | Walter Morrison, Marvin Pierce, Bruce Napier | 3:23 |
14. | "Word Play" | Fareed, Taylor, Mills, Yancey | 2:59 |
15. | "Stressed Out" (featuring Faith Evans) | Fareed, Muhammad, Mills, Faith Evans, Yancey, Gary Taylor | 4:57 |
Total length: | 51:18 |
Personnel
Credits are adapted from AllMusic.[20]
- A Tribe Called Quest – primary artist
- Tammy Lucas – featured artist
- Faith Evans – composer, featured artist
- Consequence – composer, guest artist, vocals
- Pasemaster Mase – scratching (track 9)
- Ali Shaheed Muhammad – composer, DJ
- Phife Dawg – composer, vocals
- Q-Tip – composer, vocals
- James Yancey (Jay Dee) – composer
- Rashad Smith – producer
- The Ummah – mixing, producer
- Bob Power – mixing
- Tony Smalios – mixing
- Tom Coyne – mastering
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada)[29] | Gold | 50,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[30] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
See also
References
- ^ Rapaport, Michael. Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest. Sony Pictures Classics. Event occurs at [time needed].
- ^ a b c d e f Beats, Rhymes And Life was A Tribe Called Quest’s commercial peak—and first misstep. The A.V. Club. Accessed on February 12, 2018.
- ^ a b Beats, Rhymes and Life--A Tribe Called Quest (1996). Vibe. Accessed on February 12, 2018.
- ^ Cowie, Del F. (February 2008). "A Tribe Called Quest - Verses from the Abstract". Exclaim!. Accessed on February 12, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f Bush, John. "Beats, Rhymes and Life – A Tribe Called Quest". AllMusic. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
- ^ a b Lewis, Miles Marshall (September 1996). "A Tribe Called Quest: Beats, Rhymes and Life". The Source (84): 145.
- ^ Q-Tip Red Bull Music Academy. Accessed on February 12, 2018.
- ^ a b c Tyehimba, Cheo (August 9, 1996). "Beats, Rhymes and Life". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
- ^ a b Exclusive: Q-Tip Interview. MOOVMNT.com. Retrieved on 2017-04-08.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
- ^ "A Tribe Called Quest: Beats, Rhymes and Life". NME: 51. August 1, 1996.
- ^ "A Tribe Called Quest: Beats, Rhymes and Life". Q (121): 172. October 1996.
- ^ a b Hardy, Ernest (August 8, 1996). "Beats, Rhymes and Life". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
- ^ a b Hermes, Will (September 1996). "A Tribe Called Quest: Beats, Rhymes and Life". Spin. 12 (6): 149–50. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
- ^ Hull, Tom (June 13, 2015). "Rhapsody Streamnotes: June 13, 2015". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- ^ Jones, Steve (July 30, 1996). "A Tribe Called Quest, Beats, Rhymes and Life". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 28, 1996. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ISBN 0-312-24560-2. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (September 17, 1996). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- ^ a b "A Tribe Called Quest | Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-10-08.
- ^ Beats, Rhymes and Life – Credits. AllMusic. Accessed on February 12, 2018.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 8502". RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "Charts.nz – A Tribe Called Quest – Beats Rhymes & Life". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – A Tribe Called Quest – Beats Rhymes & Life". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
- ^ "A Tribe Called Quest | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ "A Tribe Called Quest Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ "A Tribe Called Quest Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – A Tribe Called Quest – Beats, Rhymes and Life". Music Canada.
- ^ "American album certifications – A Tribe Called Quest – Beats, Rhymes & Life". Recording Industry Association of America.
External links
- Beats, Rhymes and Life at Discogs (list of releases)