Q-Tip: The Renaissance
9/10
Taking a hefty break from the game (nearly ten years since his last official album), legendary MC and member of the A Tribe Called Quest/Native Tongues collective, Q-Tip returns with "The Renaissance", a fitting title to the climate of the world of hip hop. The album is a delightful breath of fresh air, as it beckons the feel of ATCQ albums of old; it has the bouncy feel of Amplified, yet it has the same Jazz sensibilities that we've grown to love (Tip mainly produces most of the 13 song set, with the late J Dilla filling in for two tracks, and Mark Ronson doing 1).
Tip is a amazingly toned producer, who isnt stuck in the early 90's style of production, fittingly using the word renaissance to brilliantly craft an album with live instrumentation and up to date sensibilities. It's an unthinkable task, but Tip is going to change the way people produce after this album, "You", a cold examination into a cheating significant other is soulful yet haunting in its composition, while "Life Is Better (Featuring Norah Jones)" is like a beautiful blend of Jazz and hip hop that most Neo Soul artists can only wish to attain.
Q-Tip compliments his undeniable producing muscle with his even sharper lyrical ability. On "Johnny Is Dead" Q-Tip is invigorated ( spitting the excellent line; "what good is an ear if a Q-Tip isn't in it?" within the first minute of the song), and there is very little filler both content wise and song wise on the album, where relationships are the topic du jour on the album (nothing new for fans of Tip).
Q-Tip mentions that rap is in the dark ages, and after hearing "The Renaissance" one would be inclined to say that with Tip in the driver's seat the dark days wont last long.
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