This album feels like a total 180 from the hip-hop trends in the early 90’s. It’s still got that signature 90’s sound from the perspective of 2024, but it’s unforced and tight, without relying on any super-extreme elements like the other big names of the late 80’s and early 90’s seemed to do. It seems like the big, bad east coast / west coast rappers were stuck in an escalating upward spiral, more and more extreme sounds and boasts and violence, while A Tribe Called Quest rose above that (or stayed a little bit underground, perhaps) and just focused their energy on making an album. They were an essential part of the East coast sound, of course, with the New York jazzy influence that many others employed and developed together with ATCQ, but this album feels more focused on itself than others despite the taunting and bragging that was a genre hallmark.

Jams

“Steve Biko (Stir It Up)”
“Award Tour”
“Oh My God”
“Keep It Rollin”

From the roundup Jamwise #42 - Best Albums of 1993.