A TRIBE CALLED QUEST 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Influential and ground breaking American hip-hop legends A Tribe Called Quest dropped their fifth album The Love Movement in 1998. It was the last one with their complete original line up before the passing of Phife Dawg. It continues stylistically from where the previous album, Beats, Rhymes and Life, left off with the group's signature minimalist beats, r&b overtones and jazz-flecked production, all of which was taken care of by The Ummah. The mature vocal themes, laid back delivery and subtle style of the album makes it one of the many classics in their oeuvre. This limited reissue spreads it over six sides of essential wax.

Review: As long as there is hip-hop, debate will rage as to which album by A Tribe Called Quest is their finest. Of course, they're all superb, but 1993's "Midnight Marauders" - their third full-length - may well be the best of all. That's a big call, but we'd ask any doubters to give it another listen. The New York crew is in particularly fine form on the mic throughout, while the backing tracks, which make great use of crunchy, head-nodding beats and hundreds of superb, hand-picked samples, are amongst the most intricately produced, groovy and deep ever committed to wax. It's one of those hip-hop sets that should be in the collection of any committed music head, and not just rap fans.

Review: The general consensus is that We Got It From Here, Thank You 4 Your Service, A Tribe Called Quest's sixth and final album, is something of a triumph, with many critics hailing it as the best full-length of 2016. It's certainly a fine set, full of their trademark musically rich backing tracks (enhanced, this time round, with a greater reliance on live instrumentation), conscious lyrics and distinctive, on-point vocal delivery. Given their legendary status within hip-hop, it's unsurprising to see a string of similarly high profile guests dotted throughout, with Busta Rhymes, Andre 3000, Kayne West, Consequence, Jack White and Elton John (presumably in sampled form) all lending a hand. Even if you're only mildly interested in hip-hop, this should be essential listening.

Review: We're big fans of these educational 7"s that often crop up, with a legendary hip hop jam on one side and the source of some its samples appearing on the flip. This time out we get A Tribe Called Quest's deep cut 'Sucka N***a' - which is taken from their legendary Midnight Marauders album - with its buttery rhymes and funky bass buried deep within. Jack Wilkins's 'Red Clay' on the flip isn't that much of a deviation. Though it's slower and free from the rhymes, it is a brilliantly effective and emotive cut. More like this please.