Reader Review: Q-Tip - The Renaissance (November 4, 2008)

(For today's Reader Review, PeterStarkz, who has contributed reviews in the past and also has his own blog that you can check out, provides a short and sweet critique on Q-Tip's newly Grammy-nominated The Renaissance. You'll probably breeze through this one in about five minutes, so be sure to leave your thoughts below.)


I picked up Q-Tip's debut album, Amplified, back in 2006 (I know that's really late to be listening to that album, but I'm only 17, which means i was only in the first or second grade when that album originally came out, and I didn't even know who the hell Q-Tip was.) After giving that CD away to a friend, I made a promise to myself to only listen to Q-Tip within the context of A Tribe Called Quest, believing that Tip was unable of carrying an entire album by himself. So I was completely uninterested when The Renaissance, his second solo album (his second released solo album, anyway), dropped. But after watching the video for the first single, "Gettin' Up", and being forced to hear this album from a friend, I found myself pleasantly surprised by what I heard, and I picked it up for myself the very next day.

Here are my thoughts on The Renaissance.

1. JOHNNY IS DEAD
No rap album intros to be found here, just Tip rapping about random stuff. The beat isn't as great as those on the rest of the album, but it's decent enough. I liked the hook and the way the instrumental switches up during it, though.

2. WON'T TRADE
Over some decent production, Q-Tip rhymes about not trading in his morals and beliefs in exchange for fame and money. My favorite part is when he says “The physical ability with mental capability / Legitimately faces me outside of your vicinity / And I ain't really seeing me vacating this community”. Love it!

3. GETTIN' UP
The first single, which is waaay better than "Vibrant Thang" ever was. This is easily the best produced song on here. I love this song, and the video was also pretty creative.

4. OFFICIAL
My second favorite song on the album, I like the beat on this one, too.

5. YOU
I love this song, it has a nice vibe to it, and it gives me a peaceful feeling. (Odd, considering it's all about Kamaal breaking up with his girl.) I don't really mind hearing Q-Tip sing in the background, as he can actually hold a melody, unlike some of these other rappers out there (*cough* Lil' Wayne *cough*).

6. WE FIGHT / WE LOVE (FEAT RAPHAEL SAADIQ)
It seems like Q-Tip is really back into the whole love movement that he started back on Tribe's last album, as this is the fourth song in a row about it. Raphael Saadiq's hook is decent enough, I suppose.

7. MANWOMANBOOGIE (FEAT AMANDA DIVA)
Ridiculous title aside, this is actually a nice upbeat song, one which helps the album from becoming a snoozer. I'm indifferent to Amanda Diva's hook, though. (As was I.)

8. MOVE
“Move” was the second single. Its video was kind of low budget, but it's still a good song that would probably sound even better live. It's followed by “Renaissance Rap”, which is a much better track overall.

9. DANCE ON GLASS
Starts off with a brief acapella verse from Q-Tip. The hook is annoying as fuck, but otherwise, this was a decent song.

10. LIFE IS BETTER (FEAT NORAH JONES)
This song has a good vibe, and I feel that, in small doses, Norah Jones is a good singer. Tip takes his sweet ass time to actually rap, as he first appears halfway though the song. But he names all his favorite rappers in a fairly creative verse, though, so I guess that was a good trade-off.

11. BELIEVE (FEAT D'ANGELO)
Everyone's favorite drug addict manages to come up with a good hook. The beat is pretty creative too. However, this track is just Tip waxing philosophically about religion and what it means to actually believe. You have been warned.

12. SHAKA
Easily the most Tribe-like track on the album, and that's why I liked it. Yeah, I'm biased.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Renaissance is easily the album that all Q-Tip fans have been waiting for. For the most part, the production is top notch, and while it may not be on the same level as any of A Tribe Called Quest's classic records, it's probably the closest we are ever going to get.

BUY OR BURN? Buy this shit!

BEST TRACKS: “Gettin' Up”; “Official”; “Shaka”; “Move/Renaissance Rap”

-PeterStarkz

(Questions? Comments? Concerns? Be sure to leave them below. And when you get a chance, here's a link to my original Gut Reaction post, and another link to my shameless attempt to sell The Renaissance for Q-Tip's marketing team.)