This album has many influences all mixed together, bringing a much greater meaning to the hip-hop culture. The greatest influence heard is of a jazzy musical mix of horns, snare drums, and the jazz guitar. Jazz has many influences on hip-hop, but A Tribe Called Quest took it to the limits by creating the relaxing atmosphere that Jazz seems to create for the listener. Mellow electric piano notes chime in the background of almost every song, as flowing lyricists (Phife Dawg, Q-Tip, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad) rhyme about anything from the type of women they like to touring the world, Redman being locked in the car trunk, and the various night-life's that lurk the inner city. The greatest feat this album offers is of the simple poetic pauses in-between knowledgeable lyrics by the addition of noise or of a simple piano beat with the chorus. Music is poetry and life is poetry, and this album offers the musical aspect and the lyrical aspect of life (poetry). Cop this album up for real, if you really want a head trip!