| The Renaissance | 
 enlarge | List Price: $13.98
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 80 reviews)
Sales Rank: 6909
Category: Music
Artist: Q-tip
Publisher: Universal Motown
Studio: Universal Motown
Manufacturer: Universal Motown
Label: Universal Motown
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 001221302
UPC: 602517876422
EAN: 0602517876422
ASIN: B001GRTPKC
Release Date: November 4, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Johnny Is Dead | | • | Won't Trade | | • | Gettin' Up | | • | Official | | • | You | | • | We Fight/We Love - Q-Tip, , Raphael Saadiq | | • | Manwomanboogie - Amanda Diva, Q-Tip, | | • | Move | | • | Dance on Glass | | • | Life Is Better - Norah Jones, Q-Tip, | | • | Believe - D'Angelo, Q-Tip, | | • | Shaka |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ALBUM FROM Q-TIP - "THE RENAISSANCE" The album mixes soul beats, piano, guitars, and Q-Tip's usual thoughtprovoking lyricism, which takes you on a trip from relationships and summer songs to social issues of late, and has a kind of '90s feel to it. "The Renaissance" features Raphael Saadiq, Norah Jones, D'Angelo and Amanda Diva.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 75 more reviews...
An Excellent Album!! Consistent Quality from Start to End. May 15, 2009
I bought this item because I was browsing in a shoe store in a mall in late 2008 and heard a familiar voice over the speakers. I asked out loud, "Is that 'Tip?" and turned around to confirm on the TV screen, that it was indeed Q-Tip, in the video for "Gettin' Up." I instantly wanted to try to get the CD, because the song I was hearing sounded so good, and because it was Q-Tip, a hero from early 90's Hip-Hop as the vocal focal point of the classic group A Tribe Called Quest, and I was excited that he was out with new material.
I eventually got the album, in early 2009, and was definitely not disappointed. It was a lot like listening to an album of old Tribe Called Quest material, except with only extended Q-Tip solos---and I certainly mean that in a very complimentary fashion, as I thought that brand of Hip Hop was awesome. Perhaps the most important thing I can say about "The Renaissance" is that it is full of great tracks. Basically every song is enjoyable to listen to, which helps the album to really flow as you listen to it. Also aiding in this is the fact that the album is presented in somewhat of a mixtape format, in which, sonically speaking, it is essentially continuous, with at least one sound carrying the flow from one song into the next or the tracks butted right up against each other, keeping it basically 'on beat.'
"Johnny Is Dead" opens the album with interesting instrumental backing during the verses and a nice sung chorus.
The second song, "Won't Trade," has a very cool singing sample from an old song, and subject matter relevant to today's pro sports area.
Next, "Gettin' Up," the single I mentioned above, is probably the strongest song on the album---it's very nice. It's got a nice mellow sample.
Next is the very strong "Official." It has great background vocal contributions.
The next song, "You," is good overall and has an interesting stylized chorus with Q-Tip and the background singers.
The next song, "We Fight/We Love," another good song, has a nice chorus sung by Raphael Saadiq.
Next we have "Manwomanboogie." It also really flows, with a nice bass performance, and charming man/woman subject matter.
Then we have "Move." It's track 8 on the CD, and it's really interesting, because it has two distinct phases, the first of which lasts nearly three minutes, and the second of which lasts just over three minutes. So really, it's almost two songs in one, making the album on some level a 13 song album rather than a 12 song album. The first phase of the song is good enough, with very interesting sampling of the Jackson 5 track "Dancing Machine". While this song has been sampled before in rap, I've never heard it sampled like this. Then the second phase hits...with a dope instrumental line over which Q-Tip's voice sounds awesome. This is definitely a highlight of the album.
Next, "Dance On Glass" opens with a very nice sung portion and transitions into a DOPE a cappella portion of Q-Tip's rapping. This transitions nicely into the rest of the song as the intsrumental music is brought in. Another very good song.
The next song, "Life Is Better," features great singing by Norah Jones. While she is not known as a hip-hop or probably even an R 'n' B personality, she does not sound out of place. Another great track.
"Believe" also has good background vocals. Another winner.
Only four tracks of the 12 on this album contain samples or interpolations from old songs. Q-Tip produced 11 of the 12 tracks. Q-Tip is supported on this album by a band of at least 7 players, who are collectively thanked seventh on Tip's long list of thank yous at the end of the CD liner.
For me, another very important thing about this album is that there is no "Dirty" or "Clean" version of this album. There is only one version, and it does not carry the Parental Advisory Explicit Lyrics warning label on it. He uses the n word very few times, and also very few curse words throughout the album. I think Q-Tip demonstrates that MCs don't have to be very foul-mouthed on their records to produce a great album.
I would recommend this album to anybody who likes Hip Hop music. Fans of "A Tribe Called Quest" I think would be very pleased. It is smooth sounding and has a bit of a mellow feel, with maybe a bit of a modern electronic or science fiction type feel as well. And again, even for anybody out there who likes to listen to mainly or even only hardcore rap, I would still recommend this album, because it is such a fine Hip Hop album; Q-Tip here continues to solidify his position as a dope MC, and one of the greatest of all time.
I give this album FOUR AND A HALF STARS, ROUNDED TO FIVE STARS.
"Life Is Better" March 22, 2009
When I'm listening to this cd. The Renaissance is a masterpiece. From the first track to last, you don't skip a track, you just move your head and sing/rap along. The flow is tight, the lyrics meaningful and once it's over, it's still in the player to start again and you're listening to it like it was the first time. Favorite tracks are Gettin' Up, WeFight/WeLove, Move, ManWomanBoogie, Dance On Glass, Believe and Life is Better; heck, the whole cd. But the one that gets to me the most is You...I kept listening and listening to it and it speaks loud and clear to me. When you realize that maybe the relationship shouldn't go on, but you try to hold out hope.
I've been a fan of Q-Tips from the first time I heard him say, "left my wallet in El Segundo." I love his voice (warm), his delivery and his vibe(individual). With this cd, he made the best cd, period of the year. I hope it was on time for Grammy nominations for this year. A Masterpiece.
Instant Classic - 5 Stars! March 19, 2009
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
First of all, I kinda got beef with Tip cuz it took him damn near A DECADE to drop this album! I can't belive 'Amplified' came out in .....1999.
1999! Dear God, I was still....young! (Ahhh man, Im fuccin old lol) But it's cool because 'Amplified' sounded so fresh and futuristic - that it will still hold up with TODAY'S music.
Q-Tip, as we all know, started out with the legendary hiphop group - A Tribe Called Quest. The Tribe dropped 3 classic albums and 2 solid efforts. Then Tip went for dolo; but he still delivered the goods as a solo artist on 'Amplified' and other features.
-And once again, the Abstract Poetic delivers the sonic goods with 'The Renaissance'!
This album was meticulously hand-crafted and it shows! This is a COMPLETE ALBUM - not a CD with 2 radio singles and a bunch of ringtones. Nah playah - this is REAL MUSIC. Each track stands alone as an accomplished effort, flowing smoothly one into the other.
Not too many albums in popular music (especially, i hate to say, Black music) will sound this complete and well-produced. The sound we have today is so robotic, so cheesy, and so mass-produced.... we think we all forgot what really GOOD music sounds like. Well Q-Tip reminds us - and this album gets better every time you listen it. It just sounds - GOOD.
It sounds good while driving to work.
It sounds good while AT work.
It sounds good while bumpin' it at nite.
It sounds good chillin' with the fam.
It sounds good to my 7-yr old son.
It sounds good at cook-outs.
It sounds good at social sets.
It sounds good at art galleries.
It sounds good on the elevator.
It will sound good as a soundtrack.
Now, THAT my friends is what you call a CLASSIC.
Seeing as his Tribe joints from the 1990s sound just a dope as ever - and 'Amplified' still sounds hott to this day - and this new one took 10 years to deliver - My guess is that 'The Renaissance' will hold us down until 2018...
..I think I can live with that :o)
Johnny is Dead: 10/10 - Q-Tip picks up right where 'Amplified' left off - blasts outta the gate - and sets us up for something special. It gets better from here on.
Won't Trade: 8/10 - Nice soul sample/piano loop. Q runs on the track.
Getting' Up: 9/10 - ultra-smoove radio single. This will song will sound good forever.
Official 8.5/10 - Q-Tip ain't foolin me; he switched up this beat from `Let's Ride'. That's not a bad thing tho.
You: 9/10 - The Love joint. Tip asks her: "We can ascend if you're commited/ your heart, is it in it?"
We Fight/We Love: 8.5/10 - Jazzy joint - Can NEVER go wrong with Raphael Saadiq.
Manwomanboogie: 8.5/10 -Fast-paced and frenetic. ManWoman get down! ManWoman makes it all go round! Good God make it easier! Love it!
Move: 10/10 - Tip reworks his classic Chemical Brothers joint - `Don't Hold Back' -and adds a dash of Black Sheep. THEN - flips it and smoooves it out! Damn Q!
Dance on Glass (Keep Hookin'): 8.5/10 - Get past the 1st minute of acapella and this song kicks into a funky ATCQ groove! Tip says he's the 'Luke Cage of the loose page' - thats game-over right there!
Life is Better: 10/10 - I'm not even a Norah Jones fan -BUT- she damn sure sounds butta smoove singing a hiphop hook! Dare I say she's a new Vinia Mojica?
Believe: 8.5/10 - D'Angelo come out of hibernation and sings on the hook! Vintage!
Shaka: 8.5/10 - Ahhhh....the great Tribe sound! Timeless.
The verdict: 5 out of 5 Stars
Beats: A+
Lyrics: B+
Songs: A+
Overall: A+
After all these years ... March 12, 2009
Finally. Passed from label to label, a classic album called Kamaal the Abstract held in the mix, A Tribe Called Quest frontman Q-Tip has at long last released his first record in music's Brave New World, titled The Renaissance. Less blatant (read: less poppy) than his solo debut, 1999's stellar-enough Amplified, Tip's latest is - more than anything he's yet released - the work of a seasoned auteur. Save for a few drops of production goodness from the late J. Dilla and a handful of hooks offered by the finest of today's high-profile soul singers, The Renaissance is 100 percent Q-Tip. He wrote it. He produced it. He recorded it. He played a number of the live instruments. He mixed it. He even offered up the not-always-great scratches sprinkled throughout. These are all good things; all you really need on a Q-Tip solo album is Q-Tip - few in the history of the genre can equal the man's understanding and all-around aptitude. Also, unlike the majority of today's charting artists, Q-Tip can handle the weight of a full-length without stocking his productions full of guests, interludes and other distractions that work against the high level of cohesion his records are long known for.
Similar to his Tribe, who offered a more authentic hip-hop sound than the peers of their time, Q-Tip presents soulful, jazzy hip-hop in the face of the trends the genre is currently drowning in - namely cheap production, unfocused work and empty lyrics. That said, the composition of the album isn't as fluid or jazzy as the Tribe records - hardly a detriment to this very solid album. Production handled not on a souped-up computer but on the classic beat-based tool of the 90s, an MPC, The Renaissance comes off as a collection of organic loops, subtle live musicianship and dusty drums, just as many of the greatest hip-hop albums have since the beginning of the genre. Lots of piano, lots of sturdy bass lines and breaks; imagine what the often-too-clean Soulquarians' productions would've sounded like in, say, 1991 and you'll have an idea of the sound here. None of Tip's arrangements here are too complex or deep, rather, the production focuses on clarity and soul, resulting in a sound that will likely remain just as timeless sounding as The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders - a longtime focus, clearly, for the artist.
It must be said: damn if that classic voice and delivery doesn't manage to sound just as good as it did 15 years ago. That it's still so strong and consistent is a surprise, given the break in output. Lyrically Tip often plays the role of Elder Statesman, though never in a preachy or pompous manner. His writing still doesn't demand any level of academic study or interpreting; everything here comes off as mostly obvious, but in a way that has always worked for the artist. While most of the big-name hooks (most notably the ones sung by D'Angelo and Norah Jones) work well enough, as a whole the blatant R&B element (most notably Raphael Saadiq's lackluster contribution) feels a bit forced and gawky. Q-Tip himself can sing just fine and, more than maybe any rapper ever, Q-Tip himself can supply a memorable hook - as proven on the tracks not featuring other artists. As proven on countless Tribe tracks.
Opener "Johnny is Dead" kicks things off in an upbeat, fleshed-out manner before "Won't Trade" kicks in. Over a simple start/stop beat Q-Tip shows off his influential lyrical lucidity, offering some of his best verses since 1996's Beats, Rhymes and Life. "Getting' Up," a radio hit in-the-waiting, follows, offering a display of the artist's fully developed understanding of his genre - coming off almost as a perfect model for boom-bap song craft. Really, every song here is worth getting to know. The stellar J. Dilla produced "Move" ends quickly before segueing into a mid-album hidden track (huh?) that functions as the album's title - and maybe best - offering. Okay, I'll say it: this song - as well as "Shaka," the slow-building "Dance on Glass" and "Official" - sounds like classic A Tribe Called Quest. It's true, and it's an amazing thing to hear after all these years away from that sound.
The Renaissance may not be the best hip-hop album of 2008 but it's certainly the most needed. Hell, it's probably the best, too. All the young whippersnappers out there still have much to learn from this man and his art. Now if Tip could just get the critically acclaimed (though never released) Kamaal the Abstract, his intended label-shelved follow-up to Amplified, out for the jazzy hip-hop world to learn and love. (Greg Locke)
 Pretty Darn Good! February 11, 2009
Of all the Hip Hop (or whatever its called these days) albums that has dropped since the summer of '08, this might be the most addictive to me. I routinely find myself taking this one for a spin VERY often. Whether listening casually or not, I play this quite a bit.
This album still has that ATCQ sound to it, which leads me to belive that Tip took good notes from Ali Shaheed. For those that don't know, he DJ'ed for ATCQ and still produces Hip Hop tracks deeply fused with Jazz/Funk. Well, you better believe that The Renaissance follows suit. In fact, 'We Fight/We Love', a track featuring the talented Raphael Saadiq, boasts one funky bass line...and I do mean a real Bass! Want more of that? Check out 'ManWomanBoogie'! It's The Abstract & Bass at it's finest.
The production uses a lot of 1970's themes and sounds which you can learn to appreciate. The Renaissance sets itself apart from most that was released this past summer. Overall, if you are looking for something to move your woofer this isn't it. However, if in the mood for a Jazzed out lyrical groove, knock your self out. Aside from it's short length, the album is pretty darn good so don't sleep!
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