*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: 01241-41587-2
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© 1996 Jive Records
AllMusic Review by John Bush
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: 01241-41587-2
.FLAC via Florenfile
.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile
© 1996 Jive Records
AllMusic Review by John Bush
With each of its first three albums, A Tribe Called Quest seemed to be on its way to bigger and better things, artistically and commercially. Beats, Rhymes and Life promptly ended that streak and still ranks as the group's most disappointing listen. Amplifying the bare beats-and-bliss of The Low End Theory but erasing the hooks of Midnight Marauders, Beats, Rhymes and Life simply wasn't a compelling record. In fact, A Tribe Called Quest
sounded bored through most of it -- and, to put it bluntly, there
wasn't much to get excited about either. Previously so invigorating and
idea-driven, Q-Tip and Phife
strutted through their verses, often sounding confused, hostile, and
occasionally paranoid (check out the battle tracks, "Phony Rappers" and
"Mind Power"). Meanwhile, the skeletal productions offered little
incentive to decode the lyrics and messages, most of which were complex
as expected. Though several other tracks had solid productions (like the
spry, bass-driven backing to "Phony Rappers"), Beats, Rhymes and Life saw A Tribe Called Quest making its first (and only) significant misstep. (Constant touring off the success of Midnight Marauders
may have been a factor.) Yes, they were still much better than the vast
majority of alternative rappers, but it seemed they'd lost their power
to excite. One of the few successes was a surprising R&B crossover
called "1nce Again" (featuring Tammy Lucas).
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