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Other people connected the dots between hip-hop and jazz -- both were revolutionary forms of black music based in improvisation and flow -- but A Tribe Called Quest's second album drew the entire picture. The sound is dominated by the low end of the title -- they even recruited legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter (who'd worked with Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis). Meanwhile, the Tribe discourse on matters ranging from the music industry ("Show Business") to sexual politics ("The Infamous Date Rape"). Each time Q-Tip rhymes over Carter's bass lines, the groove just gets deeper.
Total album sales: 1 million
Peak chart position: 45