Just over a year after A Tribe Called Quest issued its final album, the group´s nominal frontman Q-Tip issued his debut solo album, Amplified. For Tribe fans able to get over the fact that Q-Tip isn´t trading off on rhymes with Phife Dog and Ali as usual, Amplified is an excellent work, almost up to the same level as the group´s underrated final Jive album, The Love Movement. The sound here is very similar to The Love Movement, obviously no coincidence since production credits throughout go to Jay Dee and Q-Tip for the Ummah, the same combo that produced most of A Tribe Called Quest´s material. It´s a style that emphasizes deep grooves and clipped beats with a polished sheen that takes Tribe´s jazz-rap into the age of quiet storm and fusion. Q-Tip´s rapping is as smooth and inventive as ever, though it´s a mild surprise that he doesn´t include any message tracks (most Tribe albums have at least one or two). The band´s breakup was a blow to hip-hop fans all over the world, but Amplified will make everyone feel much better.