People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

Wipe your feet really good on the rhythm rug. One of the greatest hip hop records of all time. Genius writing. Flawless delivery. Impeccable production value. Every song runs like honey and each interlude provides a perfectly paced breath to introduce the next chapter of the story. Packed with some of the greatest 90's hip hop tracks of all time, Can I Kick It being the obvious example. Description of a Fool is the progressive antithesis of the toxic behaviour glorified by so many of their peers at the time. Left My Wallet in El Segundo is a comedically leaning work of story telling perfection. Both Devoted to the Art of Moving Butts and Mr Muhammad even have elements of early 90's rave styles (it's a stooone groove, baby). Dropping a track purporting the benefits of a healthy diet in the middle of it all is a master stroke, not to mention hilarious. The near incoherent French over Lucien also falls into this category. One for the collection.

A Tribe Called Quest came out swinging with this phenomenal, genre-changing record. It was positive, experimental, well-rounded, and exclusively different than anything that rap and hip-hop was known for in the early 90's. The foundation of jazz music paired with modern hip-hop rhythms is exceptionally beautiful and joyous to listen to. Each member is a master of their craft, and though Q-Tip was more of the frontrunner than he was in later releases, you can tell each songs was given the proper treatment by every member's role. I just get pure bliss and comfort from listening to this record, even if it doesn't hold the spot for my favorite ATCQ album. Favorite Songs: Footprints, I Left My Wallet in El Segundo, Can I Kick It?, Mr. Muhammad Least Favorite: Rhythm

Really solid Tribe album, complete with fun rhymes and creative, old-school instrumentals you would expect. Classic!

I want to live in the multiverse where the "Native Tongues" style of Tribe, De La, Monie Love and Jungle Bros ended up defining 90s hip hop instead of gangsta rap. The ratio of great hip hop singles to great hip hop albums is roughly 4,080:1. It's very hard to do but these guys pull it off - on their debut no less, and the first of three great albums in a row for them - with self-effacing, creative rhymes delivered with a laid back flow full of youthful charm over clever beats that act like a tour of the pop culture my generation grew up with. Also, pour one out for Phife Dog, the Five Foot Assassin who left us way too soon.

Favs: Can I Kick It?, Bonita Applebum, Ham 'N' Eggs, all of them really Mehs: The opening bit of Push It Along isn't my favorite but, yeah, all these songs are great Lot of fun to listen to for the first time in a couple years. Still sounds fresh and innovative. Great lyrics and song variety (STDs, breakfast food, French Cassanovas!). Fun little unexpected jazzy bits. Great sampling (always love the Lou Reed on "Can I Kick It?"). Is it just me, or did Hamilton totally rip off "Luck of Lucien" in tone and sound? Hmm.

A full rebellion against gangster rap… these guys respect women, misplaced their wallets, and watch their cholesterol.

91/100. This is a fantastic and fun record. A Tribe Called Quest masterfully fuses jazz and boom bap—two of my favorite rap styles—into something truly special. The album flows effortlessly with no weak spots.

Never realised just how great this album is. The samples are picked from seamingly everywhere. Lots of it seems to have been grabbed from From, Fusion and R&B. I love the flow, the lyricism. Everything here is a joy to listen to. Paced really well too.

Love Tribe, I like the next few albums more though, feel like they were still finding their way with this one. Regardless, it's another 4.5 (5) stars.

If part of Q-Tip's strategy was ensuring I slapped a juicy rating on this, he couldn't have done much more than ending Description of a Fool and the album with a Sly & the Family Stone sample. Of course, I didn't figure into his strategy one (Diogo) jot(a). As with all the groups in the tentative Natives Tongues collective, the target audience here is other black people, who Tip & co. want to join them in a celebration of all things pan-African. As ever, I'm humbled to be allowed to the party--especially one whose DJ has Luck of Lucien, El Segundo, Bonita Applebum and Can I Kick It on the decks. To my ears, this doesn't groove to rhythms as Afrocentric as you'd assume from ATCQ's image, but therein in lies my ignorance. Celebrating your African roots ain't about aping Youssou N'Dour, Fela Kuti or Tabu Ley Rochereau. The very Americanness of ATCQ's sound is a reminder of how deeply American music has been shaped by people of African descent, and how disgracefully that's been overlooked and overwritten. Slapping the Ghanaian colours on this puts it front and centre, where it should be.

Not only brings me down memory lane but reminds me of the brilliance of this group. Their sampling is groundbreaking, lyrics exciting, and their sound? Chef's kiss.

Can I kick it?

In case you had any doubt that everything was cooler in the 1990’s than it is today, consider this exhibit A.

Another absolutely phenomenal album, with some iconic tracks in it. The groove, the rhythm, all of it comes together to create a wonderful experience that just doesn't let up.

Bold samples, boasts for days, cerebral and street level at the same time. This is Tribe really nailing how to burst into the music scene, and especially the hiphop scene

Took van in for check up,talked to Brenda. JENNI rent paid. Her behavior out of control.

Hard to believe this is a debut album--seems so confident in its quiet blend of hip hop, rap, funk, even a riff or two from Lou Reed and Stevie Wonder. Genius and to know they followed this up with the Low End Theory.... I owe this project for introducing me to the Tribe!

LOVE THIS SHIT

I always felt too white to listen to this and still do but man I wish I could get over it cause this rips!

Crazy this is probably the third best tribe called quest album

Teraz to mnie pikerka pozytywnie zaskoczyla, nie sadzilem ze ATCQ pojawi sie na tak wystakowanej liscie i to w dodatku debiutanckim albumersem, chociaz z drugiej strony, to nie jest glupi pomysl wybrac akurat peoples instinctive travels and the paths of the rythm, jako przedstawienie tworczosci tribowej, bo zakladam ze jednak zaden inny albumik sie nie pojawi, niestety, bo jako debuitancki album slychac na nim najwiecej kreatywnej wolnosci, bo plyta wydana byla przez jive, ktore raczej jest kojarzone z popowymi wydaniami, no i swiezym ksieciem, kolejnym czynnikiem ktore z pewnoscia mialo wplyw na brzmienie plyty bylo studio calliope, w ktorym obok tribersow tworzyli junglowi bracia, czy chocby prince paul razem z stetsasonic, ktory pojawia sie nawet goscinnie na traku rhythm, ale najwazniejsza jest chemia miedzy czlonakami ekipy, a tutaj ukazuje sie ona przede wszystkim jako koperacja miedzy qtipem i phifem, czyli duetem lirycznym ktory rozumie sie bez slow i konczy jeden drugiemu linijki, jeden z najlepszych duetow na majku w historii murzynskiej piesni rapowanej, a jak w dobrej historii, to tlem bedzie tutaj przyjazn od malego i wspolne dorastanie, jada jada, chociaz ta plyta jest bardziej przychylna dla qtipa, jesli chodzi o podzial linijek, ktory wedlug mego odczucia wynosi 4:1 po stronie Q, co do kolejnych czlonkow to za produkcje odpowiedzialny jest dj muhammad, czyli polaczenie perfekcyjnosci w masteringu, skillsow djskich i instyntku samplowego, bo jest to album opierajacy sie glownie na brzmieniu zlotej ery jazzu, choc potrafia sie pojawic bardziej funkowe zapetlenia, czy nawet cos bardziej rokowego, nie mozna takze zapominac o szadolowym czlonku, czyli panu bialym jarobim, ktory chociaz nie rapuje i pojawia sie jako wodzirej i jest osoba ktora przedstawia bande na openingowym push it along, ale ktory takze mial swoj udzial w tekstach, zwlaszcza na najwiekszych hitach plyty, czyli i felt my wallet in el segundo czy can i kick it, a jesli juz przy liryce, to plyta jest mocno zwiazana z tak zwanym pozytywnym rapowaniem i jest utrzymany w klimacie de la soulowego 3 stopy wysoko i jeszcze wzlatuje, wiec milosc, pokoj i mlodosc, a jak mlodosc to robienie glupot, a to wszystko przedstawione z humorkiem i inteligentnym samokrytycznym spojrzeniem na samego siebie, im wiecej wiesz o plycie tym trudniej jest zapisac jakas notke, bo o kazdym traku mozesz napisac osobna note, ale przynajmniej na plejke nie bedzie problemu, bo z 14 trakow albumu 6 znalazlo sie na niej wczesniej, wiec na dokladke otwierajacy push it along i polowa jest, oby wiecej takich pozycji

Although it's their debut album, this is actually the second Tribe album in this collection for me (I had already heard "Low End Theory" quite a while back). In this case, I wish I'd gotten their albums in chronological order, as I don't think both albums warrant four stars each, yet I foolishly gave "Low End Theory" 4 stars, not realizing we'd get more. This album definitely deserves the four stars more--really 4.5 stars if that were possible--in part because it's their debut album and also because there's simply more variety on this album than on "Low End Theory". And of course there's the eternally fun "Bonita Applebum" on this album, plus a few other fun tracks ("Push it along" for the first 4 minutes or so, "Pubic Enemy"). I'm also really impressed at the range of Q-Tip's samples and references, even if many of the tracks end up having a very similar format. Much like with "Low End Theory", I was struck by how much this album evokes De La Soul at times, and thankfully the Wikipedia entry for this album finally clarifies why that is, as Q-Tip not only appears on De La Soul's "Three Feet High and Rising", but also early on Tribe, Funk Brothers and De La Soul all formed a "collective" called "Native Tongues". Too bad they never did a mega-album with all of them (and the other later members).

I'm not very well-versed in early 90s hip hop. This album has inspired me to start going down that rabbit hole because this album is fantastic. The humor and flow in their lyrics are a lot of fun and must have been revolutionary at the time.

I finally have a 3.5 that gets rounded up to a 4 rather than down the the 3. Some classic things in here absolutely. I did feel their "sound" kind of starts to all feel the same after awhile, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Album koji je lansirao ATCQ na duge kvalitetne staze hip hop, jak debitanski album sa par klasika i neotkrivenih dragulja. Iako mi je njihov Midnight Marauders u top 3 hip hop albuma ikad, nikad nisam slušao ovaj naslov. Misleći to što imaju dva jako kvalitetna albuma iza ovoga da će ovaj biti neki slabiji trud, naravno sam promijenio mišljenje nakon slušanja. Za 1990. godinu, beatovi su friški, groovie i mog reć u neku ruku za tancanje dok se spremaš na posao (što je u mom slučaju bilo) pa se ujedno sklopilo sa lijepim vremenom i tako stvorilo pozitivnu vibru. Razlikuje se od prethodna dva albuma u tome što nije toliko jazz inspiriran/sempliran. Tldr; kvalitetna grupa kao što su ATCQ - nerazočarava! (4/5)

Helt okej för att vara hiphop. Tre.

Having found ATCQ's next album, Low End Theory, to be extremely dull and dated, I was surprised to actually quite like this. Fun, catchy and laid back hip hop with a good balance of instrumentation and samples from a range of genres. Can/do I kick/like it? Yes you/I can/do. 3/5.

Smooth, joyous melodies, with a mix of serous and light-hearted lyrics covering a wide range of themes. Musically, this is trippy and laid back, but full of crisp and tasteful compositions, slickly produced but seeming almost like an extended jam session. A testament to the confidence of the group. Top tracks: footprints, public enemy, can I kick it?

Hip Hop und Rap... was kann das schon werden? Witzig! Und überraschend! Kein Schimpfen oder schlüpfriger Lobgesang an eine „thicc biatch“. Dafür eine witzige Geschichte, wie er seinen Geldbeutel in einem Restaurant vergisst. Relatable! Der Beat ist entspannend und wenn ich wollte, konnte ich den Rap überhören. Teilweise gab es sogar groovy Melodien. Quasi das beste, was man aus Rap rausholen kann.

Well, here it is. A Tribe Called Quests debut. I first listened to Low End Theory a while ago, and I gotta say it is absolutely incredible. That album is for sure a 5. However, venturing from Tribes sophomore album to their debut, I was interested in what improvements, if any, they’d made or how consistent their discography would be. This album did only release a year before Low End Theory, after all, so I was expecting similar quality. And I was definitely not disappointed. The album, and really Tribes entire legacy, begins with Push It Along, a 7 and a half minute rap song. Like, for a rap song, let alone a 90s rap song, let alone the opening track to an album, let alone the opening track to their career, that’s pretty long. Tribe is really showing from the get-go that they are a force to be reckoned with, a group that doesn’t engage in the typical formula. Pair that with the lyrical ability in societal commentary and the oh so wonderful execution of jazz rap pervasive throughout the record, and you have a band making a statement, one they would hold onto for their entire career: this is the new hip-hop and it’s here to stay. They make sure to maintain some old-school rap group elements, however. They finish their opening track by introducing all the members of the group one by one, a style reminiscent of that 80s and early 90s staple. I’m looking at you, N.W.A, Beastie Boys. And I’m loving that reprise of the chorus at the end, more echo-y and all together a completely different vibe. Tribe is just flexing their flexibility at this point. So yeah, incredible opening to their discography and really setting the vibe for the record. Oh my god I have 13 more songs to talk about so I’ll have to pare some of this down a bit. Luck of Lucien offers a chill, rap vibe. The rhyming is immaculate and beautiful. The flow is perfect. Everything you could ask for from Tribe. But I do have something else to ask, is that All You Need Is Love? The sampling on this album is incredible, as also evident in the next track, After Hours. Taking a beat and immediately scratching the record, ooh! This album really is old-school hip hop at its best. On d again, the rhyming scheme on this song is impeccable and entrancing. It all kinda reminds me of Everything is Fair from Low End Theory, my favorite song off the record by far. And so this is probably my favorite song off of this album, at least as of current. Next song up is Footprints and… is that a Stevie Wonder sample?? They know me all too well with these samples man I swear. It’s like the Beatles sample on Beastie Boys’ The Sound Of Science. You also get some playful lyricism on this record like you with the Beastie Boys; they ask for a “level on the bass and on the treble” as such instruments come in. Peak. Every song on this album just proves further what Tribe is doing: hip-hop is still gaining popularity yet this group is already trying to flip it on its head. Change the game in the first inning, if you will. Reinvent the rules at the start of the first quarter. Ok I’ll cut it out. But really, they were way before their time. I don’t have much to say specifically about I Left My Wallet in El Sugundo, other than that the story telling is wonderful. It’s so clear and coherent. And of course the beat is just as beautiful. Now, I’m gonna be honest: I thought the song was called Public Enemy for almost all the time I was listening to it. It’s no doubt a play on words, but that was quite the surprise. Anyways, this song offers some of that more up-tempo, no breath songs that I love from Tribe. The story telling here is also just as amazing as in El Segundo. But… you know who’s the main prop master? Meeeeeeeeeee. So stupid. It was only really at Bonita Applebum that I realized how many of the songs lead into eachother, same with Rhythm into Mr. Muhammad. There’s an overarching story here that I can’t even begin to digest. Maybe later. Same with much of the lyricism and commentary that hip hop is known for. I didn’t live through the 90s and so I am not as tuned into the references as 90s kids would be. Still, I can recognize the poetry and lyrical mastery that Tribe has. Ok, after Bonita is Can I Kick It? the number one hit from this album and Tribes whole career. And probably for good reason cause it sums up their vibe so well. And man is it catchy. It kinda feels like a De La Soul hit with the chemistry between lead and background vocals. It’s also got some changing of the chorus in the same fashion that Push It Along did. But yeah, love this song. All I can say for Youthful Expression is: the bass and pen must have been on fire in the booth. I can’t tell which part I like more. The amount of entendres and play-on words here are too much to count. Everything means everything. To wrap this up, Mr Muhammad is funky as hell, Ham N Eggs has superb flow, and Description of a Fool has the cheekiness that I only wish to have a fraction of. Alright this is a pretty long review and took me a while to write so TLDR; this album is really good. God I didn’t even talk about the influences it had on so many modern day artists and Tribes career going forward! Another time!

Awesome and consistent flow

All hail the algorithm! Two great hip-hop albums on consecutive days! Q-Tip is such a great lyricist. His flow is smooth like butter. The beats are so good here too. Top notch album all around.

frickin awesome for a debut! Incredibly influential and you can really hear the tonal shift in rap and hip hop coming from the 80's to the 90's. Lots of samples and a great variety of sounds here keeps it interesting, I love the tempo the album keeps throughout. This was great for a day walking through nature. Going in I only recognized Can I Kick It, but man it was so good to discover so many new (to me) songs. Great addition.

Favorites: After Hours, Footprints, I Left My Wallet in El Segundo, Public Enemy, Can I Kick It?, Ham 'N' Eggs, Go Ahead in the Rain, Description of a Fool

One of the best from the pinnacle of hip hop.

This record was such a breath of fresh air when it came out. It was funny, it had great beats, the content was very relevant to everyone... I particularly loved "Ham 'n' Eggs", "El Segundo" and the silly keyboard on the first track "Push It Along". It makes me feel a bit old to read about how historic and groundbreaking this record was LOL as it came out while I was in college. That said, we listened to it on and off more or less constantly for probably four months!

They didn't transfer my notes, so I guess no real review. Bob Power mixed/produced this album, is a total badass, and I owe him a good chunk of my career. So five stars!

One of the greatest hip hop albums, let alone greatest albums, of all time. Masterful lyrics and delivery, exceptional samples and mixing

Nearly Perfect Album

Hoewel de twee daaropvolgende albums nog beter zijn, is dit ook gewoon een vijfsterrenplaat.

Tribe is my favourite hiphop group ever. This was the third album that I bought of theirs and it took me a while for it click. I would run every day through London listening to it and eventually I loved it. Q tip talks about writing a lot of these songs when he was 14 and 15 on ‘pause tapes’ and you can tell - there’s a sample followed by another section etc because that’s how he sketched the song out on a tape recorder. Hard to state how anticipated this album was (I think they received the biggest advance ever for a hiphop group to record it). Some of the tracks are good but many are iconic and paved the way for their future sounds and inspired others. Love the playfulness and lightness of this album. Hard to believe these guys were 19 when it was released.

Favorite Track: Can I Kick It?

Love Q- Tip

first time full listen the production truly bangs

Tribe is one of my favorite hip hop acts ever, and easily my favorite hip hop group, so was psyched to get this one. I always have listened to Low End Theory and Midnight Maurauders more, but this is an insane debut. These guys just loved listening to music and making music, and its all so vibrant. The joy of creating this record shines through. The witty lyricism of Q Tip, unique flow of Phife Dawg, and production skills of Shaheed are on full display. Fun samples throughout the whole thing. Even on the goofier tracks like El Segundo and Ham N Eggs, the precision and skill is unmatched. Foundational album right here

I legit loved this album so much. It was so groovy and I enjoyed every song, even recognized a few. I'm definitely going to listen to this one again.

There was no option, I had to move my body when listening to this album. Great beats, great lyrics, positive social topics. Love it.

It’s a classic that defines my people and my childhood! Just makes you want to rhyme.

9/10 This was pretty perfect - and amazing it is as far back as 1990. Amazing production, terrific choice of samples. Great, fun raps. Best: Footprints

Always delightful, except for the moaning remix

One of my favorite artists ever. The impact Tribe has had in shaping hip hop as a sophisticated genre is undeniable. Their debut album was a sign of things to come: youthful energy, clever bars and great beats. Undoubtedly, they would take it to the next level in Low End Theory and even farther in Midnight Marauders, but People's Instinctive Travels is a very inspired first entry in the legendary group's discography. Absolute classic!

Highlights: Youthful Expression,Mr. Mohammed, Bonita Applebum, and Can I Kick It. I could listen to Can I Kick It on repeat for 24 hours. Great album. Dancey, good samples. I love an early hip hop album with no skits.

Genius

Tribe in the raw. I absolutely love this album, hit after hit after hit. Phife and Tip are young and hungry with so much contagious energy. The golden age of sampling for hip hop. This was an album that was a such a great continuation of what the fun in hip hop was/is supposed to be. Their next 2 albums blow this one out of the water though. This is great, but they are still finding themselves and their voices. 8.9/10 #67/1001

Love ATCQ, knew most of the songs and loved hearing new things I hadn’t heard yet.

“Earth to your brain, is anyone home?” Love the lyricism, the way it flows over the beats, the samples, the occasional scratching. It all fits so seamlessly. I went into this knowing that bare minimum I can tolerate ATCQ but I was not expecting to love this as much as I did. Loved the jazzy feel to the beats and rhythms. The lyrics are great, tell stories poke fun at stereotypes and are otherwise just worlds apart from the asinine gangsta rap that would come to so heavily influence hip hop and rap. Really wish it had been this album and others like it that had a greater influence. Despite it being over an hour I did not mind in the slightest which is rare for any hip hop/rap album. “Description of a Fool” was a great track to end on and perfectly encapsulates what I love about this album and hate about gangsta rap.

Low End Theory hænger en smule bedre sammen men det er sgu svært at slå energien på det her album

Hot take (?) De La Soul kravlede så Tribe kunne gå. Elsker den her plade, vildt fede beats, fjollet på en lidt Malk de Koijn agtig måde. De leger og de er afsindigt gode til det. Can I Kick It er måske den bedste brug af Walk on the Wild Side inkl originalen

god i love a tribe called quest. they took hiphop and jazz and put them back together. so incredibly talented and i will forever love them

One of my favourite albums of all time.. perfection. So much hip hop, and beyond, would not exist if it weren't for this album and group. But it isn't just a nostalgia hit, it is timeless and masterful. Effortless rhymes, the coolest of beats. Love love love it

i mean name better

Of course this one gets me out of the woodwork. Dope samples + amiable, goofy rhyming = a good time, every time.

perfect soundtrack for a sunny Memorial Day in NYC

Incredible album. As someone with a CD copy of The Low End Theory I wouldn’t have thought I’d love their earlier album so much, maybe even more than that one. It is just so full and rich with wonderful sounding beats, samples, and rhymes. The sense of bounce and fresh style is palpable and fun. Pure artistic intent plus vibrant life. Must-listen #145.

I mean…. A TRIBE CALLED QUEST. that’s all that needs to be said. REST IN POWER PHIFE DAWG 🕊️

Didn’t expect to love a hip hop album with a title longer than most IKEA receipts.

Can I Kick it? Bonita Applebum? ⭐️🌟⭐️🌟⭐️

Great summer vibes

Great

Bring back fun rap.

Love it, funkiest beats around. This is the kinda 90s rap that I love. Make sure to wipe your feet real good on the rhythm rug.

Great album through and through. Love the lyricism & range of samples. 5/5 every time all day..

Effortlessly cool.

Flip this is mint

Lo habia escuchado. Ya conocia varias canciones, varias clasicas, pero nunca le di la atención que debia al album completo. Joya.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD

I really enjoyed this album. Excellent record on a Friday. Wolf

My favorite rap album of all time

5 Absolute belter of an album and essential listening

Solid classic

Amazing, prescient, seminal, infectious, joyous, essential

Used to listen to this all the time in middle school. Easy 5.

I got Low End Theory a few days ago and gave that a 4. This is perfect though. My favorite Tribe Called Quest record, and after this one Midnight Marauders, which would also be a 5 if it was on the list. Just still so fucking good and hasn't aged a day.

Not the best tribe album but still really excellent. Great beat selection and fun bars, absolute classic

No skips, what an awesome first album

THIS STUFF IS MAGNIFICENT, HOLY FUCKING AIRBALLS

Oh, hell yes.

stasera ci ho fatto sopra una dormita pazzesca con Anita.."mostly happy hip-hop, featuring gently humorous, casual, conversational raps"

don't finish but it's good song

Love Tribe. Love this album. The first rap group I ever really fell in love with and still a great listen whenever I go to them to this day. 4.5/5

This is their debut and it absolutely slays. What a momentous debut!

Classic 90s hip hop with true jazz samples. No gansta just beats and life and rhythms.

Pretty good

Absolutely loved this one

One of my favorite hip hop albums ever. I totally see why ATCQ are as influential as they are.

Fantastic rhymes very fun. Very dense topics but light lyrics. Great groove. Fun samples 10/10

The Low End Theory was my first Tribe album, so while songs from this album (certainly Can I Kick It) led me to purchase Low End, I had never listened to this one completely… until now. I miss the 90’s.

Wow. I usually don't like or listen to rap, however this hits hard. It blends in jazz through samples and that really appeals to me. I hope there is other rap out there like this because it's great. Ham n' eggs is great. That horn riff will be stuck in my head for a while now ngl

Love this album so much. It's just so cool and smooth. It makes me feel cooler just for having listened to it.

One of my favorite records by one of my favorite groups! Feels like a love letter to 16 year old me. Only outdone by The Lowend Theory, this is as strong a debut album as any on this list. Tribe is something special in the rap world, even among the Native Tongues collective. Creative rhymes delivered with a laid back flow full of youthful charm over clever, jazzy beats that act like a tour of the pop culture my generation grew up with. 5⭐️