Length 47:30 | Release date 30 November 1999 | |
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Released November 30, 1999 (U.S/Canada) Recorded 1998–99 at NRG Studios Recording Los Angeles,California and A&M ,Metalworks Studios Similar The Renaissance, Ventilation: Da LP, The Love Movement, Kamaal/The Abstract, The Last Zulu | ||
Q tip wait up
Amplified is the debut solo album of American hip hop artist Q-Tip, released November 30, 1999, on Arista Records. Production was primarily handled by Q-Tip and J Dilla, who had previously produced for A Tribe Called Quest. Q-Tip's lyrics throughout the album feature boasts, playful seduction raps, and abstract lyricism.
Contents
The album debuted at #28 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling over 90,000 copies in its first week. On January 5, 2000, it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments of 500,000 copies in the United States. As of July 2008, Amplified has sold 675,000 copies in the U.S.
Background
Recorded after the dissolution of Q-Tip's former group, A Tribe Called Quest, the album was produced primarily by Q-Tip and Jay Dee, who had previously collaborated for production on A Tribe Called Quest's two last albums. The majority of the beats were initiated by Jay Dee with Q-Tip adding some final touches to it; “When we would work together, he would have it, like, 75 percent there and I would add a kick or bass line".
Colin Ross of PopMatters writes of the album's music, "Amplified's content is very much a vibe-orientated affair. Infectious hooks, Jay Dee's trademark keys, and some seriously funky beats all work to create a captivating soundscape upon which Q-Tip drops his traditionally abstract rhymes". Jon Pareles of The New York Times notes Q-Tip's lyrics as typified by boasts and playful seduction raps.
Track listing
Sample credits
Sampling information for Amplified adapted from The-Breaks.
Songs
1Wait Up3:43
2Higher3:30
3Breathe and Stop4:04