If there can truly be a definitive Renaissance-era in hip hop, what would you consider it to be? For this reviewer, the Renaissance in hip hop was from 1991 to 1993 when hip hop was blessed with an undeniable shift in subject matter, style, attitude and appreciation. A rebirth. This was around the time The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders dropped courtesy of A Tribe Called Quest. Amongst the Renaissancial emcees was the group’s leader, Q-Tip, appropriately nicknamed The Abstract. Could he create a shift from his rather questionable releases Kamaal the Abstract and Amplified with his newest release, The Renaissance?
Q-Tip somewhat returns to his traditional lyrical form and is better than he has been in the last decade in terms of songwriting, structure, and delivery. The immaculate flow is displayed on “Johnny is Dead” and Tip zones out, as well as the buttery smooth “Believe” featuring D’Angelo. The flow is complemented well by the lyrical pursuit of verbal slaughter on “Won’t Trade.” The track is addictive, as is the track the follows it, “Getting Up,” yet another smooth track that Tip is perfect on.
The Abstract certainly gets a little weird with “Manwomanboogie” and “Dance on Glass.” The latter track has Tip doing beat-less rhyme for a minute; it’s questionable and the result isn’t effective. The beat that zones in and out of the track never gets a chance to shine, which is unfortunate because it bangs hard. Aside from two tracks produced by Dilla (“Move” and the bonus track, “Fever”) Tip handles all of the production on his own. Even though he is a great producer, someone such as Mark Ronson or ?uestlove could’ve handled most of the album in a respective manner. While the effort is admirable, no beat of his will demand the repeat button. Plenty of tracks are unsatisfying because the production is much too organic for an already complex and complete MC such as Tip.
The feature of Norah Jones seems to weaken Tip‘s performance on “Life is Better” because she absolutely steals the show. Raphael Saadiq, steals “We Fight/Live” from Tip as well. Both tracks, like most of the album, will take some time to develop into something of familiar taste, but because it is so unsettling and different, a heavy burden is placed on Q-Tip‘s lyrical ability, a trait he undoubtedly can succeed in delivering well.
A huge positive to take from this album is the return to form of Q-Tip‘s microphone mastery. While the production is generally uncertain of itself, Tip on the mic is not. However, the album has very little replay value. No song, despite the lyrical foundation, demands that ‘must-listen’ feel to it. The good songs, such as the aforementioned “Won’t Trade” and “Johnny Is Dead” are very good while the Dilla produced “Move” is very “Midnight”-esque. Still, this Renaissance isn’t as ‘moving’ or thought provoking as the 14th Century movement, nevertheless, it is the rebirth of a much more riveting and conscious effort of emceeing.
Overall Score: 76/100
Standout Tracks:
“Won’t Trade”
“Move”
“Gettin’ Up”
Related posts:
- Q-Tip Previews The Renaissance
- Q-Tip: Amplified
- Welcome to Q-Tip / ATCQ Week!
- Q-Tip & DJ Dub: Ill Vibe Mixtape
- Meet Q-Tip Tonight @ FatBeats NY
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