Someone back in 2012 posted a compilation of old reviews that Quest posted in the Lesson way back when these albums came out. I miss these days...

https://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=5&topic_id=2674970&mesg_id=2674970&listing_type=search

"q - tip - amplified (arista )"

(oops...I think someone's spellcheck was on the fritz when this review was written.) HOW TO REALLY GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS RECORD.....AKA HOW TO ENJOY THIS RECORD..... AKA HOW NOT TO FEEL LIKE YOU DID WHEN YOU FIRST HEARD BR&L, AND THE LOVE MOVEMENT (THAT'S IF YOU DIDN'T ENJOY 'EM)......AKA REASONS NOT TO HAVE UNREAL STANDARDS WHEN LISTENING TO THIS JOINT...........AKA WHEN WILL HE JUST START THIS REVEIW?!?!?!??!!?!?................

dear tip,
hey this is ahmir, remember me? i have to say that i'm really impressed with the new record. well, isn't that always the case? remember when i was all over the top when you rocked beats, rhymes, and life for me in the whip.......if my initial reaction was mirrored by the public then perhaps BR&L would've been your best work (then again when you rocked the rough of the love movement's ''let's start'', and ali's instrumental of ''common ground'' i almost threw up in disgust (at myself of course) in the passenger's seat.......ok it's 4am and i'm talking nonsense.

the night my father was rushed to the hospital you called to see if i was ok, and i do recall saying that i'd be ok........but inside i really wanted to ask you what talent am i lacking that you don't feel the need to include me on this record. seriously. i remember telling you that i'd cut you off if i found myself on the customer end of this record. something: skits, handclaps, one snare.......something. i understand that i'm no jay dee, or d'angelo when it comes to songwriting but i think i can hold some shit down.....ok, i'm getting ahead of myself. this is supposed to be a congratulatory letter in proving my theory all along. that you are better off on your own than in a crew.

after careful observation i recommend that people who are really hell-bent on casting you aside should start with the hidden track ''do it, be it, see it'' (fast forward track 12, and release when you hear silence) it's here that you tell your rollercoster history with hip-hop from beginning to end (however i'm shocked that you mentioned tommy mattola gettin' that hitman to off you for that mariah bullshucks.....).......but i thought it was a peculiar/perfect/vulnerable way to explain your position.

i mean for most of us tribe was the soundtrack of our lives (i was 19 when i copped ''people's instintictive....'') and those w---hang on didn't i already say this in the source?............ ''acting like grown ups''.....such a strange line to pull from an even unlikely source. but this one line really describes the situation that most of us are having a hard time to deal with. tip. you have grown up. paul says in the new testament that when he was a child he acted like a child, spoke like one, and was one.......but now that he's a man he's put away childish things. come april you will turn 30. should we still expect you to have crazy provolactics? in light of most artist's dealing with growing pains (jimi in '70, james in '76, stevie in '84, michael in '95 (however i hear the new shit is bangin?), pe in '94, prince in '93.....)i could go on. i still stand by my word that your ''so called decline'' in music is better than most cat's best moments in radio 1999. i mean what's left? i like this better than forever, and i like it better than on the 6, and will is my negro but this has got more spins than willenium........so what's the word on the street on who your real comp is? mos? tribe? us? nope. most will agree that you are your worst competition. i say you are your worst critic. i know you ''handled'' the disappointment of the public's disdain for the gold lov e movement well. but deep inside you and i are the same and i can't stand criticism specially for something you bled over. so i know in your head you figured that your shit would be better off if you had no one to answer to. i didn't want to hear it. i needed ''footprints 99''......or so i thought. once i saw the ''incident'' backstage between you and phife at the beastie show last year (don't sweat that, riq and i argue worse than that) i knew it was coming to an end. however i never knew you was gonna loop barry white up to be the biggest hit of your career.

so i guess you are aware that most cats 'round here are just waiting to blast this record to smithereens, and i suspect there will be some who don't understand that this record here is the best possible retort to all those spirit's who try to stop you from doing your thing (watch me start to accuse these okayhater's of not gettin no bush for their frustrations).

truth be told (it's an hour later since i started writing) this record is everything i wanted it to be. for starters not a tribe album. for if it was then that would be foul for you to ''john paul jones'' phife off the record. (translation: jimmy and robert plant said that the page/plant project was not a zep reunion, even though they did zep shit, thus frustrating jpj cause they wouldn't let him get in on all that ca$h action) are the beats innovative? hey my opinions of jaydee are borderline suspect round these parts. he's flipped nuff breaks on this record to give primo a run for his loot(p), peep how he flips ''giant steps'' on ''let's ride''.......or him freaking the shit outta kool and the gang's ''nt'' on ''breath and stop''. the rhymes? cats are all goin crazy over ''vivrant's'' lyrics like you were biggie or somethin. ''the rhymes are too simple'' ''it's whack!!!''---whatever, i mean you are the same cat who once rhymed ''if i was working at the club you would not pay....'' again, you are a dope mc. voice and all. that's why i wasn't (and never) expected biggie like miricles for any rhyme that came out of your mouth. (''i learned how to build mics in my workshop class'' vs. ''birthday's was the worst days....now we sip champagne when we thirs---stay!!!! who wins?) i mean your shit is more like an instrument to the bigger picture, than the sole focus.........anyway i'm tryin to figure did i mention something.....oh yeah ignore all naysayers....they're comin ''thought he was a devout muslim and shit'' why is he singin about sex and shit?!?!!?? i dunno this ain't no surprise to me. you been singin about gettin the ass for almost 10 years now, and quite honestly, i dig this stuff. sure some will say you all jiggified, but i'll be damn if puff gonna stat rockin over a track like ''all in'' (probably the funkiest shit you've ever done in eons). so as i close i just wanna say that even without my involvement this record is a great introduction from Q-tip to the world. congrats.......still cuttin you off though....