Q-Tip, 'The Renaissance'

The buzz: As a member of hip-hop golden age legends A Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip has been under constant pressure to reach the same stratospheric heights as that storied band on his own. Q-Tip’s 1999 solo debut, “Amplified,” was a much-maligned affair that was actually just ahead of its time, featuring fantastic productions from the late J. Dilla and a grip of great songs. He’s been stuck in hip-hop limbo ever since, with the sonically ambitious 2002 album “Kamaal the Abstract” still unreleased.

The verdict: With Q-Tip himself handling a bulk of the production duties, “The Renaissance” crackles with top-shelf beats and Tip’s inimitable vocal flow and lyrical prowess. He cooks up a smoothed-out chorus reminiscent of Steely Dan on album opener "Johnny Is Dead," and teams up with the long-lost soul icon D'Angelo for the quietly stormy "Believe."  But it's the late J. Dilla who posthumously contributes the album's standout track, flipping a sample of the Jackson 5's "Dancing Machine" into an all-out assault on "Move." ATCQ fans will dig into the classic styles of album closer “Shaka.”

Did you know? Q-Tip is a member of Leo DiCaprio’s infamous circle of close friends that includes actor Tobey Maguire and magician David Blaine, notorious in the mid-‘90s for their model-chasing party antics.