Q-Tip, 'The Renaissance' (Universal Motown)
Long-silent, iconic rhymesmith spreads conscious disco fever.
By Barry Walters 10.31.08 6:59 PM
Bookending his second solo album with ruminations about hope, the Tribe Called Quest leader lays his eloquent flow over liquid arrangements shimmering with rhythmic finesse. Up-tempo and uplifting, this largely self-produced record blurs distinctions between accessibility and avant-gardism: The most booty-shaking cut, "ManWomanBoogie," swings on a hissing, syncopated sample from krautrockers Can. But even as he pursues a higher plane via fathoms-deep grooves, Q-Tip packs abstract sass, boasting that he's "the hammerhead," while a lesser MC is a listless "manatee."
Wow, Q-Tip. It's great to have you back, sir!
Albums rarely end up impressing me the first time I listen to them. But let me tell you - I’m already across the street and down the road from ‘impressed’.
This record isn’t simply a renaissance for rap - it may end up being the genre's savior. Here's my own take on The Renaissance.
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