Q-Tip's "Renaissance" Not "Amplified" Enough
Latest Effort Strong on Beats, Not on Rhymes
Feb 19, 2009 Michael Irvin Arrington
"What good is an ear if a Q-Tip isn't in it?" the rapper says in "Johnny is Dead," the opening track from his new album. As co-leader of the one of the best rap groups of all time, Q-Tip contributed to some of the most enduring hip-hop music of the late 1980s and 1990s.
Doubters need only listen to A Tribe Called Quest's best-of album (Hits, Rarities, and Remixes) to realize that their hits would top the charts if they had been released today.
Weaknesses of the New Q-Tip Album
Therefore, it is somewhat surprising that Q-Tip's latest solo release, The Renaissance, fails to realize the potential displayed in his earlier work. In its weaker moments (of which there are far too many), the album is lyrically a watered-down version of the rapper's debut solo CD, Amplified, with less original beats and a less coherent identity to hold the album together.
The Renaissance feels more like a collection of singles than an album. (Perhaps this is a function of the changes that digital downloads have created in the music industry. Ah, what hath iTunes wrought?)
"Manwomanboogie" is a misguided set of lyrics over a club-worthy beat. "Life is Better" wastes the talents of Norah Jones, whose chorus is ill fitted for the song's tempo and its lyrical history of rap music.
Several other tracks could be described in terms of their lyrical failures, whether by Q-Tip, guest musicians, or a combination thereof.
In a noteworthy exception, "We Fight/We Love" is a well-executed description of the complexities of romantic relationships that appropriately features a vocal assist from former Tony! Toni! Tone! frontman Raphael Saddiq.
Strengths of the New Q-Tip Album
Despite the album's lyrical shortcomings, The Renaissance has its high points. In its best moments, the songs' beats and samples illustrate the continuing maturity of Q-Tip's creative process. The beats he finds and/or creates are, on the whole, at least as strong and danceable as the beats on Amplified, an underrated dance album. The bass drum on "Gettin' Up" subtly dares listeners not to . . . well, to get up.
Professor Arrington's Grade
Q-Tip's voice is a large part of the success of A Tribe Called Quest. Unfortunately, that voice seems to have little to say on The Renaissance. There's simply no there there. Aside from the one-liner that opens this review, there are few lyrics on the album that listeners will find themselves remembering and repeating. They are much more likely to enjoy the disc as a mellow dance album.
The beats separate this album (albeit barely) from the average contemporary hip-hop album and earn the album a B-.
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