Bleep

Sony brings a crucial entry in the ebb and flow of New York hip hop back to wax for the first time in a while with this reissue of A Tribe Called Quest’s 1996 LP Beats, Rhymes and Life. An altogether darker and more cerebral collection than the hits of Midnight Marauders, Beats also marked the longest time between records for the Tribe at three years. While production was officially credited to The Ummah, J Dilla notably makes several appearances behind the decks, and his arresting swing plays well against Phife and Q Tip’s incisive bars that take on heady topics and perceived petty slights in equal measure.