A Tribe Called Quest

ATCQ's fourth full-length, "Beats, Rhymes And Life" falters a bit compared to their earlier work. While still a high quality record, and better than many others that dropped in '96, it lacks the spark (and classic singles) of previous efforts. Standout tracks include "Crew," "Word Play," and "Mind Power."

"Damn, we ain't prophets/And if you think so, you need to stop it." A Tribe Called Quest
launch that fiery verbal projectile in "Get a Hold," a slamming, paradox-driven track from
the group's near-flawless fourth album, Beats, Rhymes and Life. A denial that serves as
confirmation, the couplet snaps and frames the essence of this collection: selfless social
commentary sneaked in between immodest claims to greatness. Elsewhere in "G... More >

Fighting sensationalist obscurity with philosophic subtlety, which I wish could work ("Jam," "Crew," "The Hop") (Grade - ***)