A Tribe Called Quest ‘Beats Rhymes & Life’ 20th Anniversary
Release date: 30th July 1996
Label: Jive
Producers: The Ummah, Rashad Smith
Profile (courtesy of Wikipedia):
“Beats, Rhymes and Life is the fourth album of the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. Released in 1996, it followed three years after the highly regarded and successful Midnight Marauders. This album is a departure from the joyful, positive vibe of the earlier albums and is regarded as the group’s darkest album in content. It reached number-one on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B Albums charts. The album was also the first to feature production work from The Ummah, a group that was composed of Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jay Dee. The album frequently features rapper Consequence, Q-Tip’s cousin. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 1997 and contains a single titled “1nce Again” that was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group the same year. It was certified Platinum by the RIAA on October 27, 1998, even though it was not regarded as highly as the group’s first three albums.”
Additional info:
- Listen to the ‘Beats, Rhymes & Life’ 20th Anniversary mixtape, mixed by Classic Material’s Chris Read.
- “Stressed Out” from the album appears on our Classic Material 1996 Mixtape.
- “1nce Again” and “The Jam” from the album appear on our 1996 Rap Megamix.
Purchase: Discogs