Beats, Rhymes and Life is the fourth studio album by American hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest. It was released on July 30, 1996, via Jive Records, The album was originally scheduled for a May 2, 1996 release. Recording sessions took place at Battery Studios in New York City. Production was handled entirely by The Ummah, with the exeception of "The Hop" produced by Rashad Smith. it followed three years after the highly regarded and successful Midnight Marauders. the album is a departure from the joyful, positive vibe of the group's earlier albums and is regarded as their darkest album in content. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on October 27, 1998.

Background

In September 1993, shortly after the recording of Midnight Marauders has been concluded, Phife Dawg moved to Atlanta. Along with Q-Tip's conversion to Islam the following year, the addition of Jay Dee to the group's new production team, The Ummah, and the enlistment of guest rapper Consequence, Q-Tip's cousin, the group dynamic changed drastically. Phife Dawg later stated that "the chemistry was dead, shot", while Q-Tip felt that becoming a Muslim "made the atmosphere much more serious." One of his contributions, the lead single "1nce Again", was hailed as "one of the few successes" on the album and a "surprising R&B crossover." In the first verse, he says that comments previously made about the West Coast were not intended to be a diss and that people should not misinterpret his lyrics.

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Beats, Rhymes and Life debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), on October 27, 1998, with shipments of one million copies in the United States, becoming the group's most commercially successful album. noting that the group fights "sensationalist obscurity with philosophic subtlety", which he believed was ineffective. Christgau highlighted "Jam", "Crew" and "The Hop" as standout tracks.

In the 5th edition of his Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Colin Larkin praised the group's "highly evolved" lyrics and lauded them for "addressing issues with greater philosophy than the crude banter of their past recordings."

Beats, Rhymes and Life was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album and "1nce Again" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, presented at the 39th Grammy Awards in 1997.

  • A Tribe Called Quest – primary artist
  • Tammy Lucas – featured artist
  • Faith Evans – composer, featured artist
  • Consequence – composer, guest artist, vocals
  • Pasemaster Mase – scratching (track 9)
  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad – composer, DJ
  • Phife Dawg – composer, vocals
  • Q-Tip – composer, vocals
  • James Yancey (Jay Dee) – composer
  • Rashad Smith – producer
  • The Ummah – mixing, producer
  • Bob Power – mixing
  • Tony Smalios – mixing
  • Tom Coyne – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

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!scope="col"|Chart (1996)

!scope="col"|Peak<br/>position

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! scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA)

|align="center"| 136

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Year-end charts

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! scope="col"| Chart (1996)

! scope="col"| Position

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! scope="row"| US Billboard 200

| 111

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! scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)

| 31

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Certifications

See also

  • List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 1996
  • List of Billboard number-one R&B albums of 1996

References