A Tribe Called Quest: Q-Tip, Phife (vocals); Ali Shaheed Muhammed (DJ).

Additional personnel includes: Ms. Vinia, Diamond D., Busta Rhymes, Charlie Brown, Brand Nubian, Lord Jammar, Sadat X (vocals); Ron Carter (bass).

Producers: Skeff Anselm, A Tribe Called Quest.

Engineers include: Bob Power, A Tribe Called Quest, Pete Christensen.

Recorded at Greene Street Studios and Soundtrack Studios, New York, New York.

With their second album in 1991, they became serious contenders for Public Enemy's (until then) undisputed crown as hip-hop's cultural leaders. However, where their debut was propelled by a disparate array of samples, The Low-End Theory was built on a stricter musical doctrine - its spine provided by bebop jazz. Though jazz-rap crossover would become a staple of popular music in the mid-90s (Gang Starr, Jazzmatazz, etc.), this album played a substantial part in breaking down barriers between genres. Phife Dog and Q-Tip are on great form too, making the most of Quest's energetic production with cool asides and insightful observations ('The Infamous Date Rape', 'Showbusiness').

What the critics say…

Rolling Stone (5/13/99, p.70) - Included in Rolling Stone's "Essential Recordings of the 90's."
Rolling Stone (12/11/03, p.131) - Ranked #154 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" - "Each time Q-Tip rhymes over Carter's bass lines, the groove just gets deeper."
Spin (9/99, p.136) - Ranked #32 in Spin Magazine's "90 Greatest Albums of the '90s."
Vibe (12/99, p.160) - Included in Vibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century