The Renaissance

2008 album from the former A Tribe Called Quest rapper, his first solo album in nine years. Produced primarily by Q-Tip with plenty of live instrumentation and a love fixation, The Renaissance is a stark portrait of the artist as an elder statesman. One listen to the frenetic drumming and strutting live bassline of a track like 'ManWomanBoogie' reveals that Q-Tip is on a mission to create original music as timeless as the tracks he used to sample once upon a time. The Renaissance marks the return of one of the most recognizable voices in all of Hip Hop.