Excuse me, but what LP have all you so-called hip hop fans been listening to? "Tribe really fell off" is a favorite catchphrase people have using since this was released in 1996 and I still don't get it! "Beats, Rhymes and Life" is the most perfect album these gents have ever crafted and stands as a true classic in any genre. Tribes first 3 albums have been elevated to classic status because they all were released in quick succession, but after a 3 1/2 year lay off, the group lost some of it's core audience and the narrow-minded, fickle people who call themselves true hip hop 'heads' jumped on the "let's bash Tribe" bandwagon and deemed this album wack. What a terrible mistake! From the bangin' opener "Phony Rappers" this is a new, refreshed and mature Tribe and over the course of 15 tracks, Q-Tip, Phife and Shaheed top themselves over and over again. My personal faves from this album change every week (currently it's "Jam" featuring some of the best drums EVER to appear on a tribe album) so I won't single out any tracks, I will merely say this album can be listened to from start to finish without ever hitting skip/forward on your CD player. Special Musical Note: This CD gets special love from me for giving a much deserved shout-out to the then recently deceased Phyllis Hyman (on "Baby Phifes Return"). Ignore the naysayers, "B R & L" is a stunning achievement. Worth Owning.

A Tribe Called Quest's (Q-Tip, Phife, Ali Shaheed Muhammad) fourth album was "Beats, Rhymes & Life" (1996). Following the release of three albums I consider classics ATCQ dropped this solid fifteen-track release after a three-year hiatus. Jay Dee (R.I.P.) teamed up with Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhamammad for "The Ummah" and helped with production on this release. My favourite track on this one is "Stressed Out", ATCQ and Faith Evans collaborate for an outstanding track. Faith Evans really impressed me on this cut, her soulful singing is excellent. Backed by some sick production ATCQ shine on cuts like "Jam", "1nce Again" and "What Really Goes On". Overall their is a notable change in production (more hard, less upbeat) and lyrics, less Jazz oriented cuts (the type I love), and more serious lyrics in my opinion. I don't consider "Beats, Rhymes & Life" to be among ATCQ's best work, it does however have some memorable moments, and some impressive production, which makes it a keeper for any big ATCQ fan. A Tribe Called Quest 1988-1998.

I believe this was the last true Tribe album. The Love Movement didn't exactly seem like the way they should go out to me. This album reminds me of high school and being down the shore. I can't even explain to you the way I used to zone out to "Get a Hold", an overlooked track on this album. The rhymes are slick, as is to be expected from Q and Phife - and the tracks are all soulful and creatively constructed. 1nce Again was the single off this album and it really captured the Tribe sound as it had developed over time.

A solid effort from one of the greatest hip hop groups of all time.

I'm a make this short and sweet. Tribe is one of the greatest hip hop groups ever(next to Wu Tang Clan)and I can honestly say that what makes this group so special is how they connect, Phife and Q Tip blend so freaking good together especially with Muhammads amazing yet very kick back beats. Why is this getting less then 5 stars or more I really dont know, all I know is that this is an incredible hip hop album with some really kick ass songs. Is it "Midnight Mauraders"? Nah, is it "The Low End Theory"?...Nope but is it still an amazing hip hop album....hell yes.. It even has one of my favorite Tribe Songs ever "The Hop"...god I love the chorus to that song..

Well anyways COP THIS album! Its deff a must have for any Hip Hop Heads...best songs on the album are deff "Mind Power" "The Hop" "Phony Rappers" "1ce again" "Stressed Out" and many more....thats it im done.....not really a review but a rant...

5/5!

I admit, ya'll: Beats, Rhymes and Life was my first Tribe album. I listened to that disc up and down and thought that it was the bomb when it came out in '96. Then I heard all of the negative comments about it. How can it be bad? So I thought I'd school myself and listen to their first three albums. Then I listened to Beats, Rhymes and Life again, and I said, "Oh."

This album ain't the bomb, it's a bomb. The first and major flaw is the production. Instead of Tribe producing everything as usual, The Ummah takes care of everything: soft, radio-friendly R&B drenched vibes that lack the gritty and bumpy feel of past Tribe tracks like "Clap Your Hands" and "Show Business". "1nce Again" and "Stressed Out" are good in their own way (the latter features Q-Tip saying, "Brothas on the block packing nines like September"), but the production just isn't A Tribe Called Quest. "Wordplay" is lyrically a decent song but that music in the background sounds like a lullaby. And another problem is that one-time protege Consequence has a few verses too many. He's good, but he needed more practice back then.

But another shocking flaw is the lack of dope rhyming by Tipster and Phife Diddawg themselves. Here's an example: "Phife Dawg swinging back and forth just like Aaliyah/Making moves on your heart like that kid Tamia/No doubt about it, I love hip-hop to death/But yo, Tip, bring in the chorus 'cause I'm losing my breath" (from "Baby Phife's Return"). This line sounds like a baby wrote it. It was hard to admit it back then, but the Tribesters were aging and just weren't hot anymore. This especially shows on the unfocused, wannabe-thuggish song "Crew" where Q-Tip bucks someone down for gamin' at his wife. We all know Tip ain't no fighter. That incident makes "Phony Rappers" sound like a dedication to Tip.

There are still some songs that show vintage Tribe like "Keep It Moving", "Get a Hold" (where Tip says, "My record company be on some true jerk ish/But that's aight cuz now I'm on some true work ish"), and "The Hop" where Phife REALLY shines ("This ain't no Barnum & Baliley show, I don't get down with no clowns"). Those songs work well and the production is dope enough. Also, honorable mention goes to "Jam" where they give a story about a not-so-memorable party. Too bad that this album is not so memorable. This would be a classic album if this were Tribe's first album, but judging from their first three albums (especially Midnight Marauders), I expected better.