Asif Khan Inc.

The Renaissance – Q-Tip

Genius has a capacity for hibernation which would probably beat the voracious examples Nature would have endowed upon some creatures. Such has been the case with Q-Tip, who was undoubtedly been one of the greatest producers in hip hop in a time long past, but even a decade after his last release, The Renaissance still feels absolutely fresh off the block. In a time when hip hop is abundant with a vocabulary which knows nothing beyond gangtas, hoes, and blows, listening to this album has a surprising calming effect due to its quality of nice clean lines. Q-Tip walks on water as he smoothly glides on poetic rap verses which feel more like eloquence sliding down a board on a gently undulating snow capped slope, which is evident right from the start on Johnny is Dead, Won’t Trade and Getting Up. And then you have a slight transition on We Fight We Love which has greater R&B emphasis in collaboration with equally smooth edged Raphael Saadiq. Though Q-Tip has made this to be as much of a solo effort as can be (considering most of today’s albums which have at least three rappers on at least 3/4^ths of each solo album), the random collaboration efforts thrown about in between are to good effect. So if we have Saadiq, we have Amanda Diva on groovy paced Manwomanboogie, the immaculately pedigreed Norah Jones on the jazz influenced Life is Better and D’Angelo on the vocal heavy Believe. Listening to Hip Hop is seldom such a pleasure.