How would a group like ATCQ hold up in an industry that saw a gradual change from the early ’90’s to 1996? Beats, Rhymes and Life let us know that Tribe hadn’t lost a step. The game was now saturated with gangsta rap and an ongoing East Coast/ West Coast battle that would prove to be detrimental to our art form. However, Ali, Q-Tip and Phife held their own and in 1996 we saw the follow up to their 3 previous classics. I can imagine it is hard to follow a classic album, but remember; Tribe has been there and done that.
Instantly fans expected another The Low End Theory or Midnight Marauders but Tribe seemed to progress in sound and presentation, like any good artist should. The beats were still minimal in a sense, but the lyrical content grew up a bit and touches on more diverse subjects. “Get a Hold” may be one of the best tracks I have ever heard. There is something about the beat and the content that make you want to repeat it 10 times. Newcomer, Consequence, had a huge impact on this album. Sometimes it’s a risk to put a virtually unknown emcee on an album when you are in the spotlight, but Tribe did it before and it was a huge success, just ask Busta Rhymes. “Crew”, “The Pressure”, “1nce Again” and “What’s Really Going On” are my favorite from this release. It is amazing to hear Q-Tip’s progression throughout his music. Sometimes I cringe when people overlook him when they discuss top emcees in this industry. “Keep It Moving” is the gem on this release. A lot of people like this but I absolutely love it! Tip spoke on the coastal battle Hip Hop was entrenched in and he shouted out his West Coast comrades and clearly let us know that he and the rest of the Tribe were above gun battles and disses.
Beats, Rhymes and Life often gets overlooked when you look back to the releases in 1996, mainly because it was so different than everything else being put out at the time. But for the real Tribe fans, this is exactly what we expected and needed. A lot of my experience with Tribe is based on perspective because I wasn’t old enough to comprehend the music at the time, since I’m only 20, I was about 8 when this dropped, but during my high school years I would dig in the crates and gain an appreciation for what came before me. And I can say that this album has always stuck with me, maybe even more than their previous releases, because Tribe showed the world that it was OK to be different and stick to your guns, figuratively, when the rest of the industry was doing it literally!
Overall Score: 4/5
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Classic samples -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll_Jsko95Gg
This album was solid, but I think the addition of Consequence on numerous tracks threw people off. I remember when it came out (I was 20 then) the criticism of the album was Consequence’s inclusion and his skills or lack thereof compared to previous featured guest.
I just re-upped this joint from cassette to CD about 4-5 months and its classic Tribe. The beats, rhymes (agree on Q-Tip shining) and overall vibe was in line with Tribes previous releases. Very overlooked album.
I felt so passionately about this album when I was a child, I later had the entire back of the album tattooed onto my arm… ATCQ forever with me for life!!
i voted this as my fav album, and i stand by it!
This is my fav. tribe album