The Low End Theory

A month after the release of A Tribe Called Quest's debut album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, group member Phife Dawg learned that he was diabetic and considered leaving the group. After a discussion with fellow member Q-Tip, they agreed to increase his participation on their second album and to "step it up in general as a group."Cowie, Del F. (February 2008). "[http://exclaim.ca/amparticle/tribe_called_quest-verses_from_abstract A Tribe Called Quest - Verses from the Abstract]". Exclaim!. Accessed December 28, 2008. Recording sessions for the second album began when sessions from People's Instinctive Travels kept creatively flowing.{{cite journal|url=https://www.vh1.com/news/xe26o1/the-low-end-theory-turns-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220821182624/https://www.vh1.com/news/xe26o1/the-low-end-theory-turns-20|url-status=live|archive-date=August 21, 2022|title=VH1 ALBUM-VERSARIES: A Tribe Called Quest Celebrates The 20th Anniversary Of The Low End Theory (PART I of II)|journal=VH1|date=July 26, 2013|access-date=October 6, 2017|last=Seidman|first=Lacey}} The group wanted to begin recording the album shortly after the completion of People's Instinctive Travels, for which they still had to tour and film music videos. Phife Dawg later recalled, "Tip didn't want to stop." The album's title, The Low End Theory, referred to both the status of black men in society and bass frequencies in the music, while the album cover featured an altered photograph of a kneeling woman painted in Afrocentric colors.

During the recording sessions, the group fired their manager Kool DJ Red Alert and joined Russell Simmons's Rush Artist Management, with Chris Lighty serving as their new manager.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-low-end-theory-10-things-you-didnt-know-w441867|title=A Tribe Called Quest's 'The Low End Theory': 10 Things You Didn't Know|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=September 24, 2016|access-date=October 6, 2017|last=Reeves|first=Mosi}} They also fired their lawyer, who was Red Alert's manager, and faced a lawsuit as a result.{{cite journal|url=http://www.vibe.com/2016/03/phife-dawg-tribe-called-quest-tribute-interview|title=Phife Dawg: Memories Of Native Tongues' Five Foot Assassin|journal=Vibe|date=March 23, 2016|access-date=October 6, 2017|last=Murphy|first=Keith}} Both moves created tension within the Native Tongues collective, which was never fully resolved. After switching managers, the group demanded more advances from Jive, who eventually extended their recording contract for one more album. However, the negotiations between the group and Jive lasted over a year and strained their relationship. These events created a disillusionment with the music industry among the group, which affected "both material and approach" on The Low End Theory.

The majority of the recording sessions took place at Battery Studios in Manhattan, from 1990 to 1991, where the songs were recorded on a Neve 8068 mixing console that had been used by John Lennon.{{cite web | url=http://www.vibe.com/2016/09/20-facts-about-a-tribe-called-quest-the-low-end-theory/tribe-1 | title=20 Facts About A Tribe Called Quest's 'The Low End Theory'| work=Vibe | date=September 24, 2016 | access-date=October 6, 2017}}{{cite journal|url=https://www.vh1.com/news/3kzyiu/a-tribe-called-quest-low-end-theory-at-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929145141/https://www.vh1.com/news/3kzyiu/a-tribe-called-quest-low-end-theory-at-20|url-status=live|archive-date=September 29, 2022|title=VH1 ALBUM-VERSARIES: A Tribe Called Quest Reminisces About The Low End Theory At 20 (PART II of II)|journal=VH1|date=July 26, 2013|access-date=August 13, 2021|last=Seidman|first=Lacey}} Like People's Instinctive Travels, production on The Low End Theory was primarily handled by Q-Tip, while Ali Shaheed Muhammad provided DJ scratching and co-production.[http://www.moovmnt.com/2009/04/19/exclusive-q-tip-interview/ Exclusive: Q-Tip Interview]. MOOVMNT.com. Retrieved on 2017-10-06.{{cite web | url=http://www.complex.com/music/2011/09/end-of-discussion-why-a-tribe-called-quests-midnight-marauders-is-better-than-the-low-end-theory/| title=End of Discussion: Why A Tribe Called Quest's "Midnight Marauders" Is Better Than "The Low End Theory" |work=Complex | date=September 24, 2011 | access-date=October 6, 2017}} Skeff Anselm produced two songs, which were programmed at Jazzy Jay's Studio in The Bronx. Producer Pete Rock created the original beat for the second single, "Jazz (We've Got)", before it was recreated by Q-Tip, who credited Rock in the outro of the song.

Group member Jarobi White, who previously appeared on People's Instinctive Travels, had verses recorded for The Low End Theory. However, he left the group during the sessions to study culinary art and his verses did not make the final cut.{{cite journal|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2011/07/07/what_exactly_does_jarobi_white_the_mysterious_fourth_member_of_a.html|title=What Exactly Does Jarobi White, the Mysterious Fourth Member of A Tribe Called Quest, Actually Do?|journal=Slate|date=July 7, 2011|access-date=October 6, 2017|last=Davis|first=Stephen}} The song "Butter" was originally supposed to feature a verse by Q-Tip, but Phife Dawg insisted on rapping solo on it, causing a brief argument.{{cite journal|url=https://www.vh1.com/news/3kzyiu/a-tribe-called-quest-low-end-theory-at-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929145141/https://www.vh1.com/news/3kzyiu/a-tribe-called-quest-low-end-theory-at-20|url-status=live|archive-date=September 29, 2022|title=VH1 ALBUM-VERSARIES: A Tribe Called Quest Celebrates The 20th Anniversary Of The Low End Theory (PART II of II)|journal=VH1|date=July 27, 2013|access-date=October 6, 2017|last=Seidman|first=Lacey}} It essentially became a Phife Dawg solo record, with Q-Tip performing the chorus.

Two posse cuts were recorded: the third single "Scenario", featuring Leaders of the New School, and "Show Business", featuring Lord Jamar and Sadat X of Brand Nubian and Diamond D of D.I.T.C. The former had several versions recorded, one of which included Posdnous of De La Soul and Black Sheep, as well as Chris Lighty, Jarobi White and future Flipmode Squad rapper Rampage,{{cite web| url-status = live| archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/2Lx4JScJDd8| archive-date = 2021-12-05| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Lx4JScJDd8| title = Phife Speaks on Recording Scenario | website=YouTube| date = 26 December 2006}}{{cbignore}} while the latter was originally recorded as "Georgie Porgie", but was rejected by Jive for being "too homophobic" before being rewritten.{{cite web|url=http://ca.complex.com/music/2013/06/horrible-songs-made-by-great-rappers/a-tribe-called-quest-georgie-porgie|title=A Tribe Called Quest f/ Brand Nubian "Georgie Porgie" - A Tribe Called Quest f/ Brand Nubian "Georgie Porgie" - 20 Horrible Songs Made By Great Rappers - Complex|date=26 June 2013|work=Complex|access-date=26 October 2014}}

Q-Tip had a cold during the recording process and did not want to sound congested on the album; because of this he wanted to re-record all of his vocals and began doing so before people told him he sounded "fine" and convinced him otherwise.{{Cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2018/10/jonah-hill-q-tip-mid90s-a24-zine-interview|title=Exclusive: Read Jonah Hill's 'Inner Children' Interview With Q-Tip|website=Complex|language=en|access-date=2018-11-25}}

The Low End Theory was one of the first records to fuse hip-hop with the laid-back atmosphere of jazz, particularly bebop and hard bop. The album's minimalist sound is "stripped to the essentials: vocals, drums, and bass."{{cite magazine |url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/tribecalledquest-low/ |title=A Tribe Called Quest: The Low End Theory |magazine=PopMatters |date=July 8, 2003 |access-date=June 27, 2009 |last=Heaton |first=Dave}} The bass drum and vocals emphasize the downbeat on every song.Greenwald, Jeff (2002). "Hip-Hop Drumming: The Rhyme May Define, but the Groove Makes You Move". Black Music Research Journal (Center for Black Music Research - Columbia College Chicago) 22 (2): 268. {{ISSN|0276-3605}}. Q-Tip credited the production on N.W.A's album Straight Outta Compton as inspiration: "what resonated was just that bottom, that bass and the drive of it."[http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/lectures/q-tip Q-Tip] Red Bull Music Academy. Accessed on October 6, 2017.Rodriguez, Jayson (October 11, 2007)."[https://archive.today/20130129065358/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1571748/20071011/fiasco__lupe.jhtml Lupe Fiasco Vs. A Tribe Called Quest: A 'Fiascogate' Timeline]". MTV. Accessed December 28, 2008.

The album is noted for its use of the double bass, "crisp" and "live-sounding" drum programming, and "deftly placed samples or electric keyboards." In addition, the group was praised for its "departure towards a live instrumental sound" and for using "jazz-infused samples with fat hardcore beats." Q-Tip often layered drum sounds on the album, using as many as three snare drums or bass drums to create a single sound. Similarly, "Buggin' Out" was the first song in which he layered two different drum breaks at once, which was uncommon at the time. The group hired double bassist Ron Carter for the song "Verses from the Abstract". Q-Tip stated, "We wanted that straight bass sound, and Ron Carter is one of the premier bassists of the century."Watrous, Peter (October 23, 1991). "[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CEEDA103AF930A15753C1A967958260 The Pop Life]". The New York Times. Accessed November 11, 2008.

The Low End Theory is also regarded for its engineering.{{cite web | url=http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2011/09/producers-speak-on-the-influence-of-a-tribe-called-quests-the-low-end-theory/2/ | title=Producers Speak on the Influence of A Tribe Called Quest's The Low End Theory| work=XXL | date=September 24, 2011 | access-date=October 6, 2017}} The mixing engineer, Bob Power, used several methods to remove "surface noise, crackles, or pops" from the samples, as the software at the time was unable to do so. He credited the group, saying, "Until that point, when people used samples on records, it was pretty much one loop that played throughout. With The Low End Theory  ... Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed were at the leading edge of a new wave where people started making elaborate musical constructions out of samples from different places that would not, and in many ways, could not, have been played by regular players."{{cite web|url=http://www.emusician.com/artists/1333/bob-power/31332 |title=Bob Power |publisher=EMusician.com |date=October 27, 2011 |access-date=October 6, 2017 |last=Jacobson |first=Carl}}

The Low End Theory is regarded for its socially conscious lyrics, which include subjects such as relationships, date rape, the hip-hop industry and consumerism. Other lyrics are devoted to word play, humor and "showing off." The album introduced the lyrical interplay and chemistry between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg, the latter of whom experienced a lyrical breakout. While acknowledging that Q-Tip had "already proven he is a highly skilled lyricist", Reef of The Source also stated, "Those who questioned Phife's microphone techniques on the first album will swallow those doubts as he practically steals the show on this one." The album is also noted for its minimal use of explicit lyrics, as Ron Carter only agreed to record songs on the condition that the group avoid profanity, to which Q-Tip assured they were addressing "real issues."Relic, Peter (March 17, 2008). "[http://www.stopsmilingonline.com/story_detail.php?id=1005 More Uptown Conversation with Ron Carter]". Stop Smiling magazine. Accessed December 29, 2008.

The duo's lyrical delivery, flow, and styles contrasted each other; Q-Tip had a mellow voice and was philosophical, reflective, contemplative and esoteric, while Phife Dawg had a high-pitched voice and was comical, battle rhyme-ready, streetwise and self-deprecating.Bradley, Adam; DuBois, Andrew Lee (2010). The Anthology of Rap. Yale University Press. p. 304. {{ISBN|0-30014-190-4}}. John Bush of AllMusic said the pair's rapping "could be the smoothest of any rap record ever heard", adding that they "are so in tune with each other, they sound like flip sides of the same personality, fluidly trading off on rhymes, with the former earning his nickname (the Abstract) and Phife concerning himself with the more concrete issues of being young, gifted, and black."

The Low End Theory peaked at number 45 on the Billboard 200 and number 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Upon its release, the album's commercial potential was doubted by music critics and Jive record executives, including label CEO Barry Weiss.{{cite journal |url=http://www.spin.com/2016/09/a-tribe-called-quest-the-low-end-theory-1991-feature/|title=The Last Poets?|journal=Spin|date=October 1991|access-date=October 6, 2017|author=Morgan, Joan}}{{cite web|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/07138-a-tribe-called-quest-the-low-end-theory|title=25 Years On: A Tribe Called Quest's The Low End Theory Revisited|work=The Quietus|date=September 24, 2016|access-date=October 6, 2017}} However, on February 19, 1992, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with shipments of 500,000 copies in the United States. On February 1, 1995, it was certified platinum by the RIAA, with shipments of one million copies.

{{Album ratings

| title = 1991 professional reviews

| rev1 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev1score = B{{cite magazine |url=http://www.ew.com/article/1991/12/06/low-end-theory |title=The Low End Theory |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=December 6, 1991 |access-date=November 14, 2015 |last=Bernard |first=James |archive-date=November 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117021334/http://www.ew.com/article/1991/12/06/low-end-theory |url-status=dead }}

| rev2 = NME

| rev2score = 8/10{{cite magazine|first=Iestyn|last=George|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/52456657159/|title=Long Play|magazine=NME|date=September 28, 1991|page=34|access-date=May 1, 2023}}

| rev3 = Orlando Sentinel

| rev3score = {{Rating|2|3}}Gettelman, Parry (December 20, 1991). "A Tribe Called Quest". Orlando Sentinel.

| rev4 = The Philadelphia Inquirer

| rev4score = {{Rating|3.5|4}}{{cite news |title=A Tribe Called Quest: The Low End Theory (Jive) |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=October 20, 1991 |last=Moon |first=Tom}}

| rev5 = Select

| rev5score = 4/5{{cite magazine |title=A Tribe Called Quest: Low End Theory |magazine=Select |issue=17 |date=November 1991 |last=Higginbotham |first=Adam |page=67}}

| rev6 = The Source

| rev6score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite magazine |last=Tewlow|first=Rob "Reef"|title=A Tribe Called Quest: The Low End Theory |magazine=The Source |issue=26 |date=November 1991|page=58}}

}}

Upon its release, The Low End Theory received widespread critical acclaim. It was awarded a perfect five mic rating in The Source, with reviewer Reef lauding their "progressive sound" and "streetwise edge", adding that "there's no sophomore jinx to be found here—only real hip-hop." Iestyn George of NME praised the album as a "quantum leap" from People's Instinctive Travels, noting, "Gone are the quirky samples that gave them their lighter edge, replaced by stark, hard-hitting beats." George also credited Q-Tip and Phife Dawg for "trading lines like psychic sparring partners", as they "pause, interject, charm and challenge with understated aplomb."

James Bernard of Entertainment Weekly commended the group for its jazzy sound, which "perfectly complements their laid-back, raspy delivery", but was critical of the album's lack of danceable songs, calling it "the greatest hip-hop album that will never quicken my pulse." The Village Voice critic Robert Christgau was reserved in his praise, believing the group delivered "goofball rhymes" from a "well-meaning middle class" perspective,{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|date=November 5, 1991|url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv1091-91.php|title=Consumer Guide|newspaper=The Village Voice|access-date=February 9, 2022}} later writing that "like so many 'beats,' Low End Theory{{'}}s Ron Carter bass was really a glorified sound effect—what excited its admirers wasn't its thrust, or even the thrill of the sound itself, so much as the classiness it signified."{{cite book|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=188|chapter=A Tribe Called Quest: Midnight Marauders|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=2000|title=Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s|publisher=Macmillan Publishers|isbn=0-312-24560-2}} He named "Check the Rhime" and "Buggin' Out" as highlights, while giving the album a three-star honorable mention, indicating "an enjoyable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well treasure."

In the years since its release, The Low End Theory has received further widespread acclaim from music critics and writers, many of whom regard it as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. In The New Rolling Stone Album Guide, writer Mac Randall lauded it as a "hip-hop masterpiece." AllMusic writer John Bush, who declared it "the most consistent and flowing hip-hop album ever recorded", stated that the record "outdid all expectations and has held up as perhaps the best hip-hop LP of all time."Bush, John. "[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/a-tribe-called-quest-mn0000478982/biography allmusic ((( A Tribe Called Quest > Biography )))]". AllMusic. Accessed January 15, 2009. Bush also praised the group's use of the double bass, drums and samples: "It's a tribute to their unerring production sense that, with just those few tools, Tribe produced one of the best hip-hop albums in history, a record that sounds better with each listen. The Low End Theory is an unqualified success, the perfect marriage of intelligent, flowing raps to nuanced, groove-centered productions." Writing for The Quietus, Angus Batey summed up the album's broad appeal:

{{quote|The Low End Theory took Tribe to that fabled "next level" hip hop acts always bang on about by performing the trick every authenticity-obsessed artist most dearly wants to execute. They crossed over without selling out – in fact, they crossed over while retrenching. Contrary to what [Barry] Weiss and colleagues thought at the time, ...Low End... is harder-edged, darker, and, in terms of its adherence to established hip hop codes, actually a little bit conservative  ... The record became beloved of fundamentalist b-boys because it rooted itself firmly in the music's core sonic, conceptual, lyrical and artistic values, yet managed to increase the band's appeal to listeners who generally shunned rap for sonic or ideological reasons. Here was a group from a still outsider genre, uniting hardcore fans and curious outsiders by making music that worried more about integrity, commitment, creativity and resolve than it did appealing to the mainstream.}}

Dave Heaton of PopMatters stated that the album is "the point where their sound truly came together", also describing it as a "remarkable experience, as aesthetically and emotionally rewarding as any work of music I can think of." Preezy Brown of Vibe called it a "tour de force of groundbreaking rap tunes" and a "signature record in the group's superior discography."{{cite web | url=http://www.vibe.com/2016/09/20-facts-about-a-tribe-called-quest-the-low-end-theory | title=20 Facts About A Tribe Called Quest's 'The Low End Theory'| work=Vibe | date=September 24, 2016 | access-date=October 6, 2017}} For Time's All-Time 100 Albums, writer Josh Tyrangiel described the album as a "grand exception" to jazz rap being "more wishful thinking on the part of critics than anything actual", also calling it "socially conscious without being dull."Tyrangiel, Josh (November 13, 2006). "[https://entertainment.time.com/2006/11/02/the-all-time-100-albums/slide/the-low-end-theory/ The All-TIME 100 Albums]". Time. Accessed October 30, 2008.

Since its release, The Low End Theory has been included on several "best of" lists compiled by music writers and journalists.

{{Album ratings

| title = Retrospective professional reviews

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-low-end-theory-mw0000268671 |title=The Low End Theory – A Tribe Called Quest |website=AllMusic |access-date=November 14, 2015 |last=Bush |first=John}}

| rev2 = And It Don't Stop

| rev2Score = A{{cite web|last=Christgau|first=Robert|date=June 15, 2022|url=https://robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-june-2022|title=Xgau Sez: June, 2022|work=And It Don't Stop|publisher=Substack|accessdate=June 25, 2022}}

| rev3 = Christgau's Consumer Guide

| rev3Score = {{Rating-Christgau|hm3}}{{cite book |chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=187 |chapter=A Tribe Called Quest: The Low End Theory |access-date=October 11, 2020 |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |title=Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s |title-link=Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s |publisher=Macmillan Publishers |year=2000 |isbn=0-312-24560-2}}

| rev4 = Encyclopedia of Popular Music

| rev4Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|year=2011|chapter=A Tribe Called Quest|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|publisher=Omnibus Press|edition=5th concise|isbn=978-0-85712-595-8}}

| rev5 = MusicHound R&B

| rev5Score = 5/5{{cite book|chapter=A Tribe Called Quest|editor1-first=Gary|editor1-last=Graff|editor-link1=Gary Graff|editor2-first=Josh Freedom|editor2-last=du Lac|editor3-first=Jim|editor3-last=McFarlin|year=1998|title=MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide|publisher=Visible Ink Press|isbn=1-57859-026-4|url=https://archive.org/details/musichoundrbesse00graf}}

| rev6 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev6score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite book |chapter=A Tribe Called Quest |last1=Considine |first1=J. D. |author-link1=J. D. Considine |last2=Randall |first2=Mac |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |publisher=Simon & Schuster |edition=4th |year=2004 |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/823 823] }}

| rev7 = Spin

| rev7Score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ul7jcf4HvN4C&pg=PA92 |title=Discography: Q-Tip |journal=Spin |volume=24 |issue=8 |date=August 2008 |access-date=November 14, 2015 |last=Golianopoulos |first=Thomas |page=92}}

| rev8 = Spin Alternative Record Guide

| rev8Score = 10/10{{cite book|editor1-last=Weisbard|editor1-first=Eric|editor2-last=Marks|editor2-first=Craig|year=1995|title=Spin Alternative Record Guide|publisher=Vintage Books|location=New York|isbn=0-679-75574-8|chapter=A Tribe Called Quest}}

| rev9 = Tom Hull – on the Web

| rev9Score = A−{{cite web|last=Hull|first=Tom|author-link=Tom Hull (critic)|url=http://tomhull.com/ocston/nm/get_gl.php?n=a+tribe+called+quest|title=Grade List: A Tribe Called Quest|website=Tom Hull – on the Web|access-date=October 11, 2020}}

}}

The Low End Theory is regarded as one of the most influential albums in hip-hop history, with Corbin Reiff of Complex declaring that it "broke major ground and pushed the sonic envelope of the entire rap genre."{{cite web | url=http://www.complex.com/music/2016/09/a-tribe-called-quest-low-end-theory-25-years | title=A Tribe Called Quest's Landmark Album 'The Low End Theory' Came Out 25 Years Ago Today| work=Complex | date=September 24, 2016 | access-date=October 6, 2017}} It has been stated to have helped shape alternative hip-hop in the 1990s, as the group's "mellow innovations" helped jazz rap gain significant exposure from 1992 to 1993.Chinen, Nate (October 17, 2007). "[http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/17/q-tip-at-cmj CMJ Music Marathon: Q-Tip Catches the Fever]". The New York Times. Accessed December 29, 2008.Daley, Dan (November 2007). "[http://www.emusician.com/features-interviews/0777/new-york-grooves/135038 New York Grooves]". EQ. Accessed December 28, 2008.{{cite book|first1=Vladimir|last1=Bogdanov|first2=Chris|last2=Woodstra|first3=Stephen Thomas|last3=Erlewine|date=2002|title=All Music Guide to Jazz: The Definitive Guide to Jazz Music|publisher=Backbeat Books|location=Lanham, Maryland|page=1416|isbn=0-87930-717-X}} With the album, the group is credited for showcasing how hip-hop was made before commercial success influenced many rappers' creativity, and for challenging the "macho posturing" of hardcore and gangsta rap.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-35879876 |title=Tribe Called Quest star Phife Dawg dies aged 45|first=Mark|last=Savage|work=BBC News|date=March 23, 2016|access-date=October 6, 2017}}{{cite journal|first=Mtume|last=ya Salaam|date=Summer 1995|title=The Aesthetics of Rap|journal=African American Review|publisher=Indiana State University|location=Terre Haute, Indiana|volume=29|issue=2|pages=313–314|issn=1062-4783}}

The album is regarded as Phife Dawg's lyrical breakout, as he established himself as a formidable MC. A breakout verse by Leaders of the New School member Busta Rhymes, on the single "Scenario", led to stardom and helped launch his successful solo career.{{cite web | url=http://www.vibe.com/2016/09/20-facts-about-a-tribe-called-quest-the-low-end-theory/tribe-4 | title=20 Facts About A Tribe Called Quest's 'The Low End Theory'| work=Vibe | date=September 24, 2016 | access-date=October 6, 2017}} Praised for his improvement "both as an MC and a boardsman", Q-Tip's rhyme on the single "Check the Rhime": "Industry rule number 4,080 / Record company people are shady" is one of the most quoted lines in hip-hop, while the album has been called the "Sgt. Pepper's of hip-hop" for its groundbreaking approach to hip-hop production and engineering. The album cover is regarded as one of the greatest and most iconic in hip-hop history; on a top 50 list by Complex, it was ranked number one.{{cite web | url=http://www.complex.com/music/2011/10/hip-hops-50-greatest-album-covers/ | title=The 50 Best Hip-Hop Album Covers| work=Complex | date=October 28, 2011 | access-date=October 6, 2017}}

The album is credited with establishing "the musical, cultural, and historical link between hip-hop and jazz",Price, Emmett George (2006). Hip Hop Culture. ABC-CLIO. p. 296. {{ISBN|1-85109-867-4}}. and is regarded as a "successful fusion of opposites: the complex musical textures of jazz and the straightforward boom-bap of rap." Writer Joseph Patel called it "a consummate link between generations", which took the essence of jazz and hip-hop, and "showing they originated from the same black center."Wang, Oliver (2003). Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide. Entertainment, Culture, Writing Press. p. 102. {{ISBN|1-55022-561-8}}. In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 154 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time; in a revised 2012 list, it was ranked at number 153, and in 2020, it moved up to number 43."[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/a-tribe-called-quest-the-low-end-theory-20120524 153. A Tribe Called Quest, 'The Low End Theory']". Rolling Stone (2012). Accessed December 26, 2017. Rolling Stone stated that people previously "connected the dots between hip-hop and jazz", as both were revolutionary forms of black music based on improvisation and flow, however, "this LP drew the entire picture." Writing for The New York Observer on the album's 25th anniversary, Ron Hart stated:

{{quote|A quarter century later, The Low End Theory is as ubiquitous to the language of modern jazz as Kind of Blue and A Love Supreme, its seamless fusion of beats and bop providing the seeds for future greats  ... to further blur the line between jazz and hip-hop in an even more organic way than in the early '90s.{{cite news|url=https://observer.com/2016/09/a-tribe-called-quest-sparked-hip-hops-love-affair-with-jazz-on-low-end-theory/|title=A Tribe Called Quest Sparked Hip-Hop's Love Affair With Jazz on 'Low End Theory'|first=Ron|last=Hart|newspaper=The New York Observer|date=September 21, 2016|access-date=October 6, 2017}}}}

The Low End Theory has influenced many hip-hop and R&B musicians. Producer 9th Wonder described the album as his "personal soundtrack" while growing up, also stating that the group "changed my life."{{cite web | url=http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2011/09/producers-speak-on-the-influence-of-a-tribe-called-quests-the-low-end-theory/4/ | title=Producers Speak on the Influence of A Tribe Called Quest's The Low End Theory| work=XXL | date=September 24, 2011 | access-date=October 6, 2017}} He further commented on the influence of the group: "It's safe to say, for me, as well as Phonte, as well as Slum Village, Mos Def, Kweli, The Roots, Pharrell, you name it, Outkast, we could go on forever to say if you look at the A Tribe Called Quest family tree, they got a lot of offspring." The album has also influenced Kanye West, Common, D'Angelo, Jill Scott,{{cite news|url=http://www.avclub.com/article/rip-phife-dawg-co-founder-tribe-called-quest-234190|title=R.I.P. Malik "Phife Dawg" Taylor, co-founder of A Tribe Called Quest|first=Danette|last=Chavez|date=March 23, 2016|newspaper=The A.V. Club|access-date=October 6, 2017}} Nas,{{cite web |url=http://www.complex.com/music/2012/05/nas-25-favorite-albums/ | title=Nas' 25 Favorite Albums| work=Complex | date=May 22, 2012 | access-date=October 6, 2017}} Kendrick Lamar, Logic,[http://www.xxlmag.com/2013-freshmen/logic/ Logic (Rapper) – XXL Freshman 2013]. XXL. (September 30, 2012). Retrieved on 2017-10-06. Havoc, Madlib, Robert Glasper, and Dr. Dre, who produced his solo debut The Chronic after being inspired by the album. Musicians from other genres have also cited it as an influence, including rock musician Jack White and electronica musician James Lavelle.{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/06/arts/music/a-tribe-called-quest-new-album-interview.html?_r=0 | title=Loss Haunts A Tribe Called Quest's First Album in 18 Years | work=The New York Times | date=November 2, 2016 | access-date=October 6, 2017 | author=Touré}}{{cite web|first=Lev|last=Harris|date=April 20, 2011|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/06129-james-lavelle-unkle-favourite-records?page=4|title=Baker's Dozen: UNKLE'S James Lavelle On His 13 Favourite Records|website=The Quietus|access-date=October 6, 2017}}

• All songs produced by A Tribe Called Quest, except tracks 6 and 10 produced by Skeff Anselm and co-produced by A Tribe Called Quest.[https://www.discogs.com/A-Tribe-Called-Quest-The-Low-End-Theory/release/87291 A Tribe Called Quest – The Low End Theory] Discogs. Accessed on January 1, 2017.

{{Track listing

| total_length = 48:03

| collapsed =

| headline =

| extra_column =

| title1 = Excursions

| note1 =

| writer1 = Jonathan Davis

| extra1 =

| length1 = 3:55

| title2 = Buggin' Out

| note2 =

| writer2 = Davis, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Malik Taylor

| extra2 =

| length2 = 3:37

| title3 = Rap Promoter

| note3 =

| writer3 = Davis, Muhammad

| extra3 =

| length3 = 2:13

| title4 = Butter

| note4 =

| writer4 = Davis, Muhammad, Taylor

| extra4 =

| length4 = 3:39

| title5 = Verses from the Abstract

| note5 = featuring Vinia Mojica and Ron Carter

| writer5 = Davis

| extra5 =

| length5 = 3:59

| title6 = Show Business

| note6 = featuring Diamond D, Lord Jamar and Sadat X

| writer6 = Skeff Anselm, Davis, Lorenzo Dechalus, Joseph Kirkland, Muhammad, Derek Murphy, Taylor

| extra6 =

| length6 = 3:53

| title7 = Vibes and Stuff

| note7 =

| writer7 = Davis, Taylor

| extra7 =

| length7 = 4:18

| title8 = The Infamous Date Rape

| note8 =

| writer8 = Davis, Muhammad, Taylor

| extra8 =

| length8 = 2:54

| title9 = Check the Rhime

| note9 =

| writer9 = Davis, Muhammad, Taylor

| extra9 =

| length9 = 3:37

| title10 = Everything Is Fair

| note10 =

| writer10 = Anselm, Davis, Muhammad, Taylor

| extra10 =

| length10 = 2:58

| title11 = Jazz (We've Got)

| note11 =

| writer11 = Davis, Muhammad, Taylor

| extra11 =

| length11 = 4:10

| title12 = Skypager

| note12 =

| writer12 = Davis, Muhammad, Taylor

| extra12 =

| length12 = 2:12

| title13 = What?

| note13 =

| writer13 = Davis

| extra13 =

| length13 = 2:29

| title14 = Scenario

| note14 = featuring Busta Rhymes, Charlie Brown and Dinco D

| writer14 = Davis, Bryan Higgins, James Jackson, Muhammad, Trevor Smith, Taylor

| extra14 =

| length14 = 4:10

}}

Credits are adapted from AllMusic."[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r28338/credits|pure_url=yes}} allmusic ((( The Low End Theory > Credits )))]". Allmusic. Accessed December 28, 2008.

; Performance credits

• Bass – Ron Carter
• DJ – Ali Shaheed Muhammad
• Vocals – Phife Dawg, Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes, Charlie Brown, Diamond D, Dinco D, Lord Jamar, Sadat X

; Technical credits

• Arrangement – A Tribe Called Quest
• Design – Zombart JK
• Engineering – Pete Christensen, Eric Gast, Rod Hui, Gerard Julien, Jim Kvoriak, Tim Latham, Anthony Saunders, Bob Power, Christopher Shaw, Marc Singleton, Jamey Staub, Dan Wood
• Mastering – Tom Coyne
• Mixing – Bob Power, A Tribe Called Quest
• Photography – Joe Grant
• Production – A Tribe Called Quest, Skeff Anselm

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for The Low End Theory}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=album|artist=A Tribe Called Quest|title=The Low End Theory|award=Silver|relyear=1993|certyear=2021|id=17139-4960-2}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|title=The Low End Theory|artist=A Tribe Called Quest|award=Platinum}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|streaming=true}}

• Progressive rap

{{reflist}}

• {{Discogs master|45922|The Low End Theory}}

{{A Tribe Called Quest}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Low End Theory, The}}

Category:1991 albums

Category:A Tribe Called Quest albums

Category:Albums recorded at Greene St. Recording

Category:Albums produced by Q-Tip (musician)

Category:Jive Records albums

Category:United States National Recording Registry recordings

Category:United States National Recording Registry albums