RATING: 3 out of 5  Loading ...

Q-Tip’s solo career reads like a bad joke. As A Tribe Called Quest’s frontman, he led the alternative hip hop movement and helped establish hip hop as a literate and creative art form during the 90s. After the Native Tongues moved on and ATCQ disbanded, Tip released his solo debut Amplified in 1999 and looked forward to a career of production and performing as his abstract genius and legend would warrant. And after ten years, at least three inexplicably shelved LPs (most notably “Kamaal the Abstract,” which got as far as promo pressings), and countless record labels, Tip’s long awaited follow-up “The Renaissance” arrived almost silently. Release delays date back years, and since rumors of “The Renaissance” have floated for so long, the quick and quiet release seems odd, especially given his huge fanbase and genre-defying appeal.

At 43 minutes and twelve tracks, it’s a concise and focused listen and is immediately enjoyable. While it emits a spirit somewhat comparable to a Tribe recording and shows a hint of the smooth Soulquarians vibe of the late-90s, I’d say it’s most similar to Amplified. However, Amplified’s most frequent criticism is that it is too forced and pop-oriented, and “The Renaissance” does not have that problem. The music is comparably playful, upbeat, and bouncy, but is less poppy and more mature and soulful than its predecessor. The production, mostly piano-based, is layered with a range of artistic instrumentation that sounds classy despite its fun and appealing nature. It’s a very clean and consistent sound, and transitions are so fluid that the first half seems like variations upon a single idea.

Tip still has the charm and wit of the wily teen from People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, but his focus has shifted with time and maturity. He’s happier to drop a clever one-liner or a latently insightful verse than elaborate upon social ills as he did in the 90s. He doesn’t often display the style that led to his “abstract rapper” tag; instead his lyrics concern different manners of love, music, and levels of inspiration. The hooks are strong and his approach is well-rounded, seemingly intent upon the combined quality of the music and rap. No guest MCs appear, but vocal contributors include Raphael Saadiq, D’Angelo, Norah Jones, and Amanda Diva.

The disc opens to the pleasant, bouncy guitar strums of “Johnny Is Dead,” which give way to an appealing arrangement with rumbling bass and piano chords and a strong performance from Tip. The breezy “Gettin’ Up” and “Official” are similar in approach, structure, and sound to the opener and achieve the same appeal as well. “We Fight/Love” is an excellent collaboration with a particularly airy Raphael Saadiq, who complements Tip nicely over a great arrangement. Another highlight is the hidden title track after “Move,” which has a hypnotic beat and the album’s most insightful lyrics. “Dance on Glass” picks up when the rich beat finally kicks in about a minute through, and the Norah Jones duet “Life Is Better” is smooth, inspired excellence. “Won’t Trade” is clever, and “You” is a decent love song that sounds good but moves too slowly. However, “Believe” with D’Angelo is wonderful musically and lyrically, and the closer “Shaka” is the track that most resembles a classic Tribe cut.

“The Renaissance” is not the revolutionary opus that some might expect from Tip after such a long layover, but as Dr. Dre should soon learn, hype builds around years of delays. The music is totally enjoyable and well-produced even if not totally uncharted (granted, some of these tracks are years old), and the LP reminds me why I had so eagerly anticipated Q-Tip’s return a few years ago. This album is a great listen and should not disappoint.

Review by ctrx for Amazon.com