About

The Renaissance is the second studio album by American hip hop artist Q-Tip, originally released in 2008 by Universal Motown Records, and as a follow-up to his solo debut album, Amplified (1999).

The Renaissance was produced primarily by Q-Tip and features guest contributions by D'Angelo, Norah Jones, Amanda Diva, and Raphael Saadiq.

The Renaissance received a Grammy Award nomination for a Best Rap Album in 2009.

"Q-Tip’s forte has always been the way he implemented his unique methods in such a breezy way. Like jazz musicians, from whom he has drawn tremendous influence in architecting his craft, he performs in a way that makes what he does sound easy. .... The production generally sticks to the Ummah-era aesthetic – smooth, soulful, jazz-infused. … The Renaissance feels like a complete album. Each song has distinctive characteristics, and brilliant sequencing allows for seamless transitions between tracks." - PopMatters

"a mostly new, tight refining of everything Q-Tip's done in his attempts to break his solo sophomore jinx-- the album people were spending the last nine years hoping he'd make. It features the deep, smooth neo-soul-tinged production from Amplified and final Tribe record The Love Movement (complete with a post-mortem Dilla contribution for a bit of that Ummah feel), pushes it simultane-ously outwards towards both classic boom-bap and fusion experimentalism, and signals a welcome return of that familiar elastic, swing-cadence voice dropping jewels on the mic. " - Pitchfork

About Q-Tip:

Kamaal Ibn John Fareed (born Jonathan Davis on April 10, 1970), better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American rapper, record producer and DJ. He embarked on his music career as part of the critically acclaimed East Coast hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest.

John Bush of AllMusic called him "the best rapper/producer in hip-hop history," while editors of About.com placed him on their list of the Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers, as well as placing him on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007).In 2012, The Source ranked him #20 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time. – Wiki

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