Originally set to be released in 2002, what should have Q-Tip's second studio album has finally officially seen the light of day as his third. The album had been shelved by Jive Records' LA Reid, because he deemed it to be "too un-commercial". Whether or not Reid was correct is left to be seen, as of this writing the sales numbers have not yet been tallied. However sometimes an album can transcend unit sales. Sometimes it's meant to show others, artists and fans alike, that music can be experimental, genre bending and understandable all at the same time.

Kamaal The Abstract is the album we all hoped Q-tip would have made when he decided to release a solo project. There, I said it. Most Q-Tip fans were not fans of Amplified, it was too Pop-like and too far left of the Tribe Called Quest sound. I for one viewed it as an attempt at commercial success, that sacrificed his personal voice. Thankfully he appears to not have sacrificed anything on this project, it has all of the core trademarks of a Tribe album. It's jazzy, it's soulful, it's playful and it moves you.

Tip doesn't rap on all of the tracks, but when he does it's you can't help but bop your head to it. It's something very hypnotic about his flow when he's on point. "Feelin" is a perfect example of this, so is "Even If It Is So". On about half of the tracks he opts to sing instead, and while not a classicly trained singer, he has a great feel for the music. His singing style is very reminiscent of a Jazz singer improvising, unorthodox, but perfectly imperfect. "Barely In Love" is the best best example of this. The music on the album is excellent as well, as it provides the perfect back-drop from him to showcase his talents.

It's hard to believe that this album really is six years old, but harder to believe that it wasn't previously released. Very solid album that Q-Tip and Tribe Called Quest fans will be thrilled about, despite it being ..."too un-commercial".