Beats, Rhymes and Life

Produced by The Ummah, the unit of Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jay Dee. Jay Dee supplied five beats, including those for both singles, 1nce Again and Stressed Out, and Q-Tip's cousin Consequence appeared on six songs. Ali Shaheed Muhammad described the sound as nothing extravagant, nothing far out, and the album is regarded as the group's darkest in content. Phife Dawg moved to Atlanta in September 1993 and Q-Tip converted to Islam the following year. Phife Dawg later said the chemistry was dead.

It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, went gold within the year and platinum on 27 October 1998. Rolling Stone's Ernest Hardy called it near-flawless, while The Source gave it four mics. It was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 1997 Grammys, and 1nce Again for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.