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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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

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

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?

I never realized this was the debut album for Tribe. That's insanely impressive, it's such a great album experience. This is the hip hop that I asked all my friends to listen to in school, along with De La Soul, and it's even more to enjoy over 2 decades later.

Ik kan hier niet zoveel mee. Dit album gaat tekstueel nergens over. Het zou hiphop/rap moeten zijn, maar ze hebben het amper tot niet over teefjes en hoeren. Aan het einde van het album heb je geen enkel idee van hun financiële situatie: ze zeggen niks over de hoeveelheid karaat van hun kettingen, je weet niet wat voor auto ze rijden of welk merk horloge ze om de pols hebben hangen. Bovendien lijkt het alsof ze een hekel hebben aan de wijken waar ze vandaan komen want nergens geven ze aan dat hun wijk gevaarlijker is dan alle andere wijken. Bij ons in het dorp zou je daarop aangekeken worden. En dan hebben ze de muziek ook nog duidelijk gejat van andere artiesten. Dat begin van 'Luck of Lucien' wat gejat is van dat kerstprogramma van Robert ten Brink. Of 'Can I Kick It?' wat overduidelijk van Lou Reed is. Overigens is dat sowieso een matig nummer. Na 28 seconden wordt gevraagd of 'ie het kan schoppen en hij krijgt eigenlijk meteen het antwoord "ja dat kun je" al. Een veel te snelle resolutie met een totaal gebrek aan spanningsopbouw. Daarna is het eigenlijk één grote herhaling van zetten. Heel repetitief. Volgens mij kan niemand van deze groep een echt instrument bespelen en ik betwijfel of iemand van hen weet hoe de kwintencirkel werkt. Een paar gunshot geluidseffecten of iets van een slagzin als "Dit is een Tribe Called Quest exclusive!" in elke track hadden dit album goed gedaan. Desondanks 5 sterren.

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

78/1001 :: A Tribe Called Quest - People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm Heard before? ✅ Would I revisit? ➖ Rating: 7 Listen before you die: Yes Fav Songs: Bonita Applebum, Can I Kick It, I Left My Wallet in El Segundo I think the first Tribe song I ever heard was Can I Kick It?. The fact that they sampled Lou Reed resonated with me even though I don’t think I really knew that at the time (1990). This album is probably more influential than it is great and as went through it today I realized it runs a little long. It’s also not their best IMO but as Tribe’s first album it’s pretty monumental and has some all timers sprinkled in. They really bridged the gap between 80s hip hop and 90s Hip Hop. They’re also the ultimate conscious Hip Hop group. They’re actually so good at it, It’s probably why I don’t really like that kind of rap. Because I would rather just listen to Tribe. Tribe always came off as cool AF too. I love that their lyrics have an edge to them but they’re not trying to be tough. They’re just so smart and so is the production. Lastly, beyond just a lyricist Q-Tip is a hell of a producer. I’m sure they’ll be other Tribe albums in this run. Excited to get to those.

This review might get me in trouble, but...it's a 4. I love Tribe, and I know that this is just a debut, but I still think it is a little undercooked and unfocused. If anything, it seems a little TOO Native Tongues, whatever that means, and when I want to hear some classic Native Tongues, I feel like groups like Black Sheep did it with more personality. Or, for some offshoots, Das EFX or Digable Planets. To me, this isn't Tribe's greatest talent, which ultimately comes to fruition on their next 2 albums. The samples here seem just a bit more limp than their two classics, where they moved into more unified jazz samples. All that said, Bonita and Kick It are all-timers, and as bad as I might have made this review sound, it is still a 4. Forgive me 🙏

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.

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.

A Tribe Called Quest make such enjoyable laid back hip hop. They blend laid back beats and samples effortlessly. Whilst Can I kick it it? Is far from their best song it is probably their catchiest and best known and will always bring a smile to my face. Overall just a great album

When I say I don't like jazz but I do like jazzy, this is what I mean. This takes a lot of what I really like from this era of rap/hiphop and replaces the parts I don't like with something more interesting. The songs aren't all about crime, misogyny and the rapper's ego and so are instantly more attractive to me. The samples and loops on this album are fantastic, creating such a funky backdrop. Plus it has Can I Kick It? on it. A genuinely inventive, fun and interesting record. Probably a 4.5 for me on first listen, but I think I'd enjoy this even more with repeated listens so 5/5

This was great. I have never listened to A Tribe Called Quest before any thought they were amazing. It was like a nerdy social commentary version of old school hip hop

Holy shit this is good. Smooth rap all-time high, bumps along jazz-like and quirky, playful, self-aware. Sick production, warm, right amount of grit. This is above all really fun to listen to (e.g. frog sounds?? <3) . Feels like you are living your best life

Album 964, and I finally get one of the two albums from A Tribe Called Quest. I’m about 95% sure that I’ve listened to one of their albums at some point, but I think it was The Low End Theory (this is why I log everything I listen to these days). I seem to remember think that it was a good album, but that it just wasn’t really to my liking. I’m not quite sure what to expect out of this album, but most of the hip-hop on this list has been really good, so I have high hopes that I’ll enjoy this. PIT&POR (I’m way too lazy to type this album’s full title out) wasn’t totally up my alley, but I still thought it was a really good album, and well worth a listen. The rapping was great, regardless of who was performing. I thought that all of the guys in Tribe had an excellent flow, their rapping was crisp yet relaxed, and they all seemed to work together incredibly well. I really love when someone has a distinct voice when it comes to rapping, and I felt like that was missing on this album, but the sum of all the members was better than the individual voices. The production was simple, but the beats were solid, and Tribe’s way of using samples is incredibly unique. I don’t know this album particularly well, but there were so many parts of it that my ears immediately recognized from their use in other songs. PIT&POR flows seamlessly from one track to the next, crafting a really cohesive sound. My favorite songs on the album were “After Hours,” “Footprints,” “Can I Kick It,” “Youthful Expression,” “Rhythm,” and “Mr. Muhammad.” All of these songs were really unique, with great rapping, wonderful beats and samples, and excellent production. I was going to give this album four stars, mostly because it’s just not what I gravitate towards in hip-hop music, but after listening to it, parts of it were playing in my head over and over again, and I found myself being drawn in to listen to it again. On my second time through it, I was really hooked, and I could easily imagine myself listening to this album again and again. I had a lot of fun with this album, and I’m looking forward to reviewing The Low End Theory.

Discovered A Tribe Called Quest through Midnight Marauder and The Low End Theory earlier this week, so this is a very fun happenstance. This album is solid, especially for a first album. I still think MM and LET are better, but this is a solid entry. 5/5.

This is a great album you can play front to back without skipping a track. There are some real standouts like “Luck of Lucien,” “After Hours,” and of course “Can I Kick It.” I’m not sure it quite hits a perfect 5/5, but it’s definitely a strong 4.5/5.

Such a stunning debut…it has so much personality and its own distinct sound. Not my favorite Tribe album but this was a pivotal one in my education. The samples themselves are a library into entire musical worlds. “Get the force like Wan Kenobi.”

A hip hop album you can bring home to mother…. Big rhymes, boogie beats, and moving butts! So many classics. I didn’t know if this would be a 4 or 5, been about a decade since it’s gotten a full listen. I won’t let so much time pass between listens ever again.

This was great! I can see why it's on this list. Nice to hear Can I Kick It? with the context of the full album.

Amazing album, top to bottom. I'll never pass up an excuse to listen to this Favorite Songs: Can I Kick It?, Ham N' Eggs

A breath of fresh air in rap music 1990. Sound is retro and forward-looking at same time; completely innovative. Contains many iconic tracks, overlooked gems, never loses momentum. Sense of humor and fun-loving spirit evident throughout. As an extra the remixes are dope.

Dope.

This deserves at least 7 stars!

Never listened to this before - this is a vibe. Their voices come in and out seamlessly and every song is like a cipher. Really neat production with crispy drums and great samples. I can tell Lin-Manuel Miranda is a huge fan of A Tribe Called Quest. Embarrassing, but my biggest through-line to this is Hamilton! It's really cool how the outro of one song leads right into the next one, it's a true mixtape. All in all this just a great album, fun to listen to and not a dull minute on it.

Nice, creative rap

It’s not as good as low end theory, but still perfect….how were tribe ever real???

Just undeniable

très cool

It's so joyful and occasionally jazzy - and Q-Tip has got crazy prophylactics. What's not to love?

A masterpiece that’s fun and repeat friendly is a rarity. So much to love on every track. Favourite track: After Hours

A classic! A time and a place! Thank you to Philadelphia and the people I am lucky enough to call my friends.

Tribe was one of the most influential original rap groups and this album still stands up today easily. What sets Tribe apart is their beats almost have this loFi, African, hypnotic chill vibe. It's not overly aggressive, especially when you compare with the rap albums that gained a lot of attention in the 80's/90's. QTip made a lot of these beats as a high school kid, experimenting with sampling other songs, which you can hear clearly in some of the songs like Can I Kick It? There are some beats that don't "work" or a bit off, but overall they are fun beats like you would make for your friends, which is what original rap was all about. Hanging with your friends, trying some rhymes and talking about just the little things in a young kids life. No drugs, drive-bys; just chilling with your friends.

5 out of 5 One of the best. Every song is incredible.

Just incredible!

Absolutely one of my all time favourite bands and albums

fire

Great album. Q-tip is always great to listen to. Wyatt seemed to enjoy it.

Was familiar with Can I Kick it , but gladly discover the rest of their discography, I can dig it!

Q-tip шикарен

However people tried to define A Tribe Called Quest when this came out, alternative hip-hop, progressive rap, jazz rap, whatever--it's clear this record is near perfection.

Amazing early hip-hop record.

There's an alternate reality where the foundation of popular hip-hop culture sprouted from A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul, instead of N.W.A., and I wish I lived there.

Vibes

Great album!

Best album I've heard in the past week. Favoriting this one for later. Great rhythm, solid narrative without being to much in a direction of explicit or silly, and great individual songs. I can get lost in this album.

This was just such a fun listen. It’s funky, it’s funny, and the beats are so cool. I love A Tribe Called Quest

Бачиш трайбів - ставиш 5. Тут дуже проста логіка. Одна з найкращих дискографій в історії хіп-хопу (та й загалом мабуть теж). Купа бенгерів, супер круті семпли, неймовірний продакшн, класна динаміка між Q-Tip та Phife Dawg (останній все-таки більше почне розкриватися на наступному). Альбом який подобається тим, кому хіп-хоп взагалі не подобається

5/9

Bonita Applebum is seriously catchy I've listened to it like ten times in the last hour

Yeah so this is epic. So many styles of music blended into something that actually sounds awesome. Hip hop/rap isn’t my thing but this actually blew me away.

Loved it!

Another example of ATCQ being near perfection in every execution. When this album launched in 1990 hip-hop and rap were at a cross roads. East Coast / West Coast rivalries were being amped up and Q-Tip just slips in this masterpiece. 5/5

each song on this was a banger and i wasn’t bored through the over an hour runtime, low end theory is a classic and i never really thought of this record but this is absolute quality, would 100% listen again and get on vinyl

Such a great record. While it feels so much of its time, I love the vibe. 'Can I Kick It' all day long

- This was their debut? Man, what a good record. Somehow, I had not heard this one ..... so good. Fuck gangsta rap ..... -

I was only really familiar with The Low End Theory before but this is similarly top tier.

Ah, I forgot how much I love A Tribe Called Quest. This is a powerful, groovy, and impressive debut album. There's so many banger tracks before you even get to "Can I Kick It," and the great raps keep coming after that. Tribe is one of the greatest of all time, and this is a true gem of an album.

Classic for a reason. While I still prefer Low End Theory, Tribe's debut was a seismic moment for alternative hip-hop and you can feel the influence today. RIP Phife Dawg. 4.5/5

Some of the best lyricists eVeR!

thoughts: absolutely no skips. “bonita applebaum” is legit one of the most gorgeous songs. one of the most confident debut albums you’ll ever hear songs: “luck of lucien”, “footprints,” “bonita applebaum” rating: 9.6/10

First time listen. Very satisfying. Smooth, funky, and really tight. Also, some cool progressive elements and surprising samples. This really feels like a benchmark for hip-hop moving forward.

Smooth, great beats, thoughtful lyrics, political, a fusion of genres- I feel like this is when hip hop is at its absolute best.

I am definitely not peer or target consumer, and culturally this is all very remote from me. But this is the great thing with ATCQ: it is entertaining and educational, helps understand difference and identity, sameness and diversity, without being preachy or prescriptive. In short words: great storytelling, great musicianship, and that kind of hip-hop that I like listening to.

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

Growing up I usually gravitated towards Tribe's other albums like Midnight Marauders and Beats, Rhymes and Life, as it seemed to show a more polished style where Tip and Phife had perfected their beat making, flows etc. But this album is where it all began, and along with De La Soul's debut, heralded a new era in rap where you didn't have to be gangster. And the beat making is super on point and visionary. There are so many classic rap tracks on this album--Push it Along, Luck of Lucien, El Segundo, Bonita Applebum. A lot of these are just great artists having fun. Tip's flow and delivery are on point right from the beginning, though Phife doesn't begin to shine yet in this album--it'll be Tribe's second disk where he really comes into his own. Aside from the classics, the album is filled with many great sleeper tracks like Youthful Expression, the Art of Moving Butts and Description of a Fool. This is a complete album, and respresent the beginning of an epic run that inspired countless other rap albums in the future as well as spawning Busta's solo career, Mobb Deep and helping to propel J Dilla. Rap would not be what it was in its best points if it wasn't for Tribe. So Can I Kick it? Yes, I can.

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.