Modern hip-hop and R&B music can both arguably be divided into pre- and post-A Tribe Called Quest, and the musical efforts of its lead MC and producer Kamaal Ibn John Fareed—better known to the world as Q-Tip. Consider the jazzy sampling, laid-back tempos and boho-chic vibe he introduced, then mull over the bohemian posturing and sounds of the neo-soul movement, plus any rap music that shies away from hardcore posturing. All roads lead back to ATCQ and the beats, rhymes and life of one man: Q-Tip. And now the time is ripe for The Renaissance, the Abstract MC’s first solo album in nine years.

The Renaissance is produced primarily by Q-Tip with plenty of live instrumentation and a love fixation. On “Life Is Better,” singer Norah Jones helps Q-Tip give a unique spin on the hip-hop love song: a love of hip-hop itself, that is. Love talk is all around The Renaissance, but Q-Tip remains as characteristically diverse as ever. “Fight/Love” with Raphael Saadiq, for example, alludes to the ever-present realities of the Iraq War. Q-Tip’s love of hip-hop only rivals his love for the opposite sex, an adoration that’s clear and evident on tracks like “Believe” featuring D’Angelo, or The Renaissance’s first single, “Gettin Up.” “Move” comes closest to reviving the head-nodding kick of A Tribe Called Quest, a fitting testament to the funky skills of James “J. Dilla” Yancey.

The Renaissance marks the return of one of the most recognizable voices and individualist figures in all of hip-hop. At this moment for change in the hip-hop nation and the nation at large, The Renaissance could not have come at a more appropriate moment. Leave it to Q-Tip to be right on time.

Make sure to check for Q-Tip's The Renaissance today at Amazon.com or on iTunes!