I think RateYourMusic’s classification of this album as jazz rap is fascinating. I don’t get the impression that the jazz rap genre is overall populated, and the fact that this album draws from jazz samples and jazzy bass lines seems like a somewhat thin connection to jazz if you’re going to assign it a whole new genre. To me this is 90’s rap with smooth, effortless lo-fi style beats (that term might be wrong, but it fits in my mind) that sounds just as good with the volume turned up high or down low. It’s less angry, thanks to Q-Tip’s laid back voice, but it still seems to divide the internet with the love/hate for the lyrical choices. I had no huge issue with the lyrics even though I wasn’t overly impressed, although it’s hard to tell if the lyrics are simply from an older time, earlier in the development of hip-hop lyricism, or if they’re just not overly good.

Overall the beats are my style, and so are the jazz samples (especially the bass lines), and the vocals are just kind of there.

Jams

“Excursions”

From the roundup Jamwise #37 - Best Albums of 1991.