People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

4.5/5

A great debut from the GOATs of hiphop. They went on to perfect their sound later on, but still a very strong start.

Awesome record. Laid back, jazzy, and intimate. I love a calm hip hop record.

Now I could get into hip-hop if they were routinely this good - unfortunately that doesn’t seem to be the case of the other examples that’s on the list. Liked the Lou Rees samples!

Great vibe all day long.

Smooth

This was a good debut album, The rhymes were great, samples were tasty. Far different than the gangster rap of the era. The 'sameness' of the flow and songs brought it down a bit for me, but solid for sure.

J - 4/5 Best Track - "Can I Kick It?" F - DNL

Leider etwas repetitiv aber sonst nur sehr gute Songs Top Push it along

A really enjoyable album, I am fast becoming a fan of late 80’s / early 90’s Hip Hop. While there aren’t any bad songs on here it was missing some ineffable element that would make me give all five stars. Top Track - Can I Kick It?

We all start out by being disappointed when we think we're going to hear "Walk on the Wild Side" and instead it's "Can I Kick It". But then we grow up, and we learn that the proper order of things is to hope for "Can I Kick It" and be disappointed by "Walk on the Wild Side".

ATCQ is an act that I've alway kinda walked around the edges with. Never really going as deep with them as I should. A bit repetitve but fun and a lot of good jams here. 7/10

Good beats Good rapping Good times

Really strong throughout, good listen

Sampling with no consequences. A classic!

I like Ham 'N' Eggs and I liked this. Good samples, funny lyrics

Favorite track: Luck of Lucien. Overall score: 7.6/10

Just some good, groovy '90s jazz rap. Not a whole lot to say other than the middle of it did lose some steam, but it picked it all back up in the end. I loved Luck of Lucien and Ham 'N' Eggs. The 4 guys are all awesome lyricists. Also shoutout to this album for making a song berating wife-beaters <3

I really liked the chilled vibes and the trumpets that keep showing up. The lyrics aren’t always my thing, but I like how funny they can be. They fit the casual feeling of the album. I liked the samples, sometimes adding really unexpected elements, although there were some sound effects I didn’t like as much. I wasn’t a fan of some of the talking bits and I thought the intros to the next song at the end of some of the songs were a bit strange. But overall I really enjoyed the album and would listen to it again. Fav song: Can I Kick It? Least fav: Bonita Applebum

Had a good time, the storytelling was pleasant.

Cool, and I don't usually listen to rap in English.

Really enjoyed. Especially ‘Can I kick it’…very De La Soul-esque.

4 stars

Really enjoyed this, great vibes for my afternoon. I have never listened to them before. Had to laugh when I realized that the closest they came to profanity was "nincompoop" 😂

I can understand why this was so forward thinking and revolutionary in 1990, even if it’s not my favourite hip hop album by any stretch.

Really good old skool hip hop. I’ve always had time for TCQ and I hadn’t heard this album before so all good!

This is an excellent debut album. Cool beats, decent sampling, Q-Tips, and excellent lyrics combine for a very smooth listening experience. Head bopping and foot stomping during the whole record.

I haven't really listened to a Tribe Called Quest before. I'm a bit surprised I missed out. It's groovy fun hip hop. The album is too long, though. It drags at the end. Favorites: Luck of Lucien, Bonita Applebum, Can I Kick It? It's a 3.5, but the great outweighs the ok, so I round it up to 4.

A bim bop a bim to the bop

Immaculate head bobbing album.

Another banger this week. Not my favorite Tribe record but it’s iconic in its own way and I can’t give it 3 stars.

Hip Hop als er noch funky, jazzy .. und eben OK und hörbar war. Tolles Album!

Cooler Hip Hop

Fun

Fresh beats! Very chill, wholesome and good vibes

Probably one of the coolest hip hop groups out there, Tribe always brings a smooth and infectious energy inlaid with moments of pure distilled swagger. Looking forward to some buttery beats and creative lyricism. Looking forward to this one. Push It Along Scary sounding intro. Funky and smooth instrumental, love the repeating lick. Q-Tip has such a great voice for hip hop. There are some really well constructed rhyme schemes in here. Love how the sax solo comes in as a palatte cleanser. Love how the introduction interlude is included at the end, feels more dynamic than just tacking it onto the start of the album. Great. 4.5/5 Luck of Lucien Great transition. Fantastic first verse, really keeps you engaged throughout it. Creative verse composition, a fun piece of storytelling. The "spoken word" passages for the lack of better term, that bridge the verses add some more chaotic energy to the otherwise measured and structured track. Good. 4/5 After Hours Love the sample. Extremely relaxing beat. Really like how the instrumental changes throughout the first verse, feels like it works in tandem with the vocal delivery. Awesome instrumental break. The lyrics are at times pretty funny. The frog noises... Strange choice. Entertaining track. Good. 4/5 Footprints The Sir Duke brass sample goes hard no matter where it shows up. Like hoe they've made it kinda ominous. Great flow on the beat. Chaotic sampling. Clever well thought out lyrics yet again. The militaristic marching at the end is yet again quite ominous. I'm very intrigued with the lyrics of this track. Has a really distinct writing style that's extremely clever and fun to follow along with. Had to immediately replay. Fantastic. 5/5 I Left My Wallet in El Segundo The latin guitar is pretty fun. Great sample. Love the bassline. I find the story here a bit dumb. Doesn't feel as clever as previous tracks. The delivery is still pretty good. Fine. 3/5 Pubic Enemy That's a great beat. Stylized and unique. Okay that's kinda funny. Yep it's about crabs... Love the heavy use of record "scratches". Good. 4/5 Bonita Applebum Classic sample, I can swear I've heard it somewhere else. Love the jazzy keys in the background and the smooth guitar. It's a bit repetitive and dumb, but it's performed charismatically so it's hard to take it too seriously. Catchy chorus. Decent. 3.5/5 Can I Kick It? The Lou Reed sample has got to be one of the most recognizable samples in hip hop. It's extremely clever that they somehow discovered that this worked this well for a hip hop track. Very dynamic and varied instrumentally, especially when it comes to the strange bridges between verses. The hook remains iconic to this day. Really catchy while remaining eclectic and weird. Timeless classic, deserving of its legacy. 5/5 Youthful Expression Amazing sampling, really bouncy, funky and dancable. Love the chilled out rapping on top the smooth keys and the thick bass. Some corny lines in there, but I can't deny they're pretty fun. The beat alone sells it. Good. 4/5 Rhythm (Devoted to the Art of Moving Butts) Definitely rhythmic. The hook works pretty well, though I'm struggling a bit to remain invested in the verses. The beat grew on me quite a lot throughout the track, decently catchy. Decent. 3.5/5 Mr. Muhammad Was not expecting the disco adjacent vocal sample. Interesting sampling and effects. Feels a bit dated and lacks some direction, does give some plundephonics vibes. Fine. 3/5 Ham 'N' Eggs That's a stupid hook, though it's kinda charming. Bring back rapping about random food items. It's a fun gimmick. Can't help but smiling at this. I guess these guys just proved that they can literally rap about something as boring as breakfast and I'll still be intetested. Really fun. 4.5/5 Go Ahead In the Rain Awesome bass/guitar sample. Love the change up in flow. Feels a bit more melodic. Has dancy qualities to it. Uncomplicated but works. Decent. 3.5/5 Description of a Fool A continuation of the funky smoothness of the rest of the album. Love the storytelling, takes up a serious subject without being overwhelming. I like how they let the sample play itself out. Feels like a "To Be Continued". Decent. 3.5/5 Yeah that was really fun. It's refreshing to hear a when a hip hop group, despite having some serious songwriting chops don't take themselves too seriously. Embracing many decades of music before them, they take the great rhythms and grooves of the past and make them their own with impeccable flows and amazing pieces of delivery. There's storytelling, there's themes of identity and there's a lot of silly dancable tunes that keep you moving. Tribe delivers something for everyone, staying ahead of the curve with their unique jazzy, funky sound. You'll be hard pressed to find a group as charming and charismatic as them. A great debut which really paves the way for their later catalouge which would build upon the ideas of this album further. 4.5/5, closer to a 4. Fave Track. Footprints

A classic. Great beats and flow.

Funky and fun but the intermission kind of stuff in the the actual songs annoys me a bit. Like I want to add this to a playlist but I can’t be arsed listening to their 2 minute monologue. Still great though. Specific rating - 4.3 Fav song- luck of lucien Least fav - footprints

I loved this album. I had heard of them at the time they were around and wouldn't have liked them then but this was super great to hear now, well now that I am an adult and not some irritating, waiting for the hair metal to come teenager

Really good

These guys are just to good with so much genere influences its hard to keep up. Great album although low end theory is their greatest one.

Wasn't my favorite but respect what it did for the genre

A tribe called quest is just awesome. No one pushed the opposite and beeing genuine, respectful and as fun in rap like them. Also during a time were Rap was also mostly connected with Gangsters Gang etc. (4.5/5.0)

Classic hip hop

Some trax incredible, some trax unfortunately sound like the undertones. I dont wanna hear about ur sandwich

Hell yeah

> the Beatles Can I Kick It? Is an all timer

It was good for what it was, maybe it’s because I listened to the remix version, but it was a bit long for me to keep up with? But I enjoyed it, and appreciate the artistry of it. Solid 4 to 5.

A great ride of fun and energetic and groovy boom bap jazzy hip-hop! I loved the overall inexhaustible flow of the album.

Sampling and production great on this record, very old school, prefer this to modern hip-hop and rap.

All rappers should hope to have a tenth of the personality that ATCQ inject into each song on this album. All rappers should also be hopeless when they hear how easily the bars are delivered on this album. "Luck Of Lucien" was such a fun, linear story that was so easy to go along the ride for. It is in this track that I can practically hear MF DOOM taking notes - he strikes me as one of the few rappers to ever honorably iterate on the blueprint that ATCQ laid down here. My song of the record is probably "Rhythym (Devoted To The Art of Moving Butts)" for that beautiful, futuristic beat under some fun rhyme schemes.

Love the combination of jazz, audible lyrics and overall positivity of this album. 8/10

Probably my favorite hip-hop band ever. Listening to I Left My Wallet in El Segundo took me back to the days of Colts and big speaker !

Classic!

"Push It Along" - Since I, shame on me, never heard of A Tribe Called Quest before, and I had some ancipations about what this could sound like (I thought of something Salsa-like; as I said, shame on me.), this was quite surprising, but not in a bad way. It is quite rhythmic, indeed, and I liked the saxophone part for some reason. I could imagine listening to this in a club or a bar, it would have people dancing soon! "Luck Of Lucien" - Quite a few musical samples I recognise. These lines stood out to me, too: "If you go to jail, then who'll pay the bill? (...) Instead of finding pleasure, all you find is misery..." I believe this is about Lucien having come to the United States, in hope of finding something worth living for, but having to rely on other people in the end. While the community itself is something I would say can help others in times like this, it also feels like Lucien is going through a rough time emotionally and mentally. I like the idea behind this song, very cool. "After Hours" - "The Moon dabbles in the morning sky, as the minutes just creep on by"... A nice way to express this, in all honesty, I should keep this line in my mind. I am actually feeling a bit overworked just listening to this, and I am wondering whether it is because I got up at 5am after a few hours of sleep (likely!), or whether the song is "to blame" (Also, random frog noises!! *__*), but if it's the latter, they really reached their goal. "Footprints" - The stomp sounds in the beginning (They return later, too.) are really starting to pull me into the song, and I can actually imagine what the music would look like in colours and moving objects (Don't have this usually.) in visualiser tools. It also feels like the song's structure is getting denser while listening to it. "I Left My Wallet In El Segundo" - I had to replay this because I was shortly distracted and felt like this didn't give this song the attention it deserved. It is fun to listen to, but I easily forget time when listening to it, apparelty :D. The guitars in the beginning remind me of Carlos Santana for some odd reason, and the topic of a roadtrip, once again, made me think this is quite outstanding. "Pubic Enemy" - Yes, I fell for writing a different title at first, lol. :D Actually a really fun song! "Bonita Applebum" - Quite smooth. I am actually beginning to feel like I understand why the album was called "People's Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm"; they really talk about subjects that are important, like cravings for freedom, community, love, fun, ... "Can I Kick It?" - Yes you can! :) I've heard this before, but it has been decades, and I am not even kidding here. Makes me want to dance, too. The contrast between the bass line pulling you back to the ground again and the other tracks that sort of feel like "flying away in freedom" makes me feel like this was a true masterpiece, and I am so glad they released this song. The organ's super fun. "Youthful Expression" - This is exactly what the title says, but actually so much more. There's hope for the future in this song, and rebellion, and a strive for freedom and experimenting with life. Brings me back to the "good old days", but also feel somewhat sorry for youth nowadays, not because "They never experienced this.", but because they do experience the same longings, yearnings, etc. still and the world around them shows them no empathy? It's hard to explain. "Rhythm (Devoted To The Art Of Moving Butts)" - Another song that truly makes me (you?) dance! "Mr. Muhammad" - Celebrating yourself is also something people strive for, right? "Ham 'N' Eggs" - LOL, why do I think of Dr Seuss right now? As a vegetarian, I am not sure what to say about this one, though, as I do not understand the need for meat, but then again, this is just me. "Go Ahead In The Rain" - I first thought the song sampled might be by David Bowie, because the voice sounded a bit like him. "Devoted to the arts of movin' butts, so get on up and / Think about what's yours / I mean your culture and your laws" - True words. Tongue-in-cheek, definitely, but very true. "Description Of A Fool" - Another great song idea, and: YES for standing up against physically abusing your partner! I do not want to over-analyse this piece, tbh, because it feels like in school, and this is certainly NOT what A Tribe Called Quest would've wanted. However, honesty is a value that many of us have, after all. Overall rating: 8/10.

Really good will come back to write review 4/5

surprisingly easy to listen to. Couple of familiar tunes, not normally my thing but interesting enough to leave on

without question, this is an iconic debut from one of the most iconic groups in the history of hip hop. one thing that ever-so-slightly holds People's Instinctive Travels back in comparison to a later album like The Low End Theory or Midnight Marauders is how wet ATCQ feels behind the ears. Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad demonstrate a hell of a lot of prowess as producers on nearly every track here (the one-two punch of "Bonita Applebum" into "Can I Kick It?" remains one of the highest points of any Tribe album tracklist), but knowing just how colorful and unique their production would become on future records spoils things here just a little bit. thankfully, the group's MCs nailed their sounds from the jump! Q-Tip's rasp and Phife Dawg's smoothness each make for some of hip hop's most iconic voices. plus, for a long time, this was the only album to feature vocals from Jarobi, who makes perhaps his most notable contributions to People's Instinctive Travels as a chatting DJ in the skits that introduce each song. again, this is a pretty great album all around, but it's hard to observe in a vacuum. their first three records form this tremendous trilogy which it's hard to isolate any one piece from. they'd probably rather I focus on the whole anyway, since ATCQ notably credited all the production and writing to all of their members, somewhat obscuring the lines between who was doing what and making it all about the collective. it's a pretty great formula for free-wheeling group chemistry that they would capitalize on even further in the future. decent 8/10.

didn't like the lyrics but the music is a vibe

I be traveling down the big road

Rhythmic, lyrical, musical awesomeness.

Great classic

Ik ben geen expert in rap en heb dus nooit gehoord van a tribe called quest. Can I kick it was al bekend maar heb het nooit zelf geluisterd en dit was voor mij ook wel het hoogtepunt van dit album. Erg genoten van de productie en keuze van samples, wat erg modern voor de tijd aanvoelt. Hier kan ik me in vergissen aangezien ik nogmaals geen expert ben van rap, al helemaal niet van de early nineties. Erg charismatische cast en ze houden je aandacht vast met hun straight forward story telling. Ik zou dit qua lyrics alleen niet heel hoog plaatsen, hoewel er uitblinkers tussen zitten voelt het voor mij dat veel van de flow ouderwets aanvoelt voor mij. Dit kan ook komen door de minder consistente rapstijl wat komt bij het hebben van een rapgroep, wat moeilijk bij te houden is als je nog niet bekend bent met de groep. Deze review kan dus aangepast worden naarmate ik naar het album luister en meer van de band leer kennen. Voor nu dus een 4/5.

I see how this was groundbreaking and genre-defining in 1990. Sick beats, innovative fusion of jazz and hip-hop, classy execution.

Un genesis. Lo más cerca al paraiso habrá sido poder usar samples de toda la industria y tener a Q-TIP para rapear arriba. Hip hop puro. Le pongo 4 estrellas solo porque los mismos "A Tribe Called Quest" se superaron en los próximos dos discos.

Surprised by this. Great bassline. Love the jazz funk vibe. Amusing rather than the standard whinging hiphop lyrics. Had me dancing around the kitchen. I didn't think I was into hiphop that much but this is really rather good.

Very calm and I liked the vibe. The jazz is beautiful and I would like to play some of the songs for background music. I have heard of one of the songs before, I liked the one about finding a way of hope through depression, especially since I have been depressed for a couple of years already, I feel like that song might help me out right now or at least give me motivation.

mögulega þeirra besta plata. þetta er 4,5.

Really enjoyed the storytelling and humour elements to this which went alongside the multi-dimensional music. Might buy on vinyl

Faktisk ganske bra. Litt spess

Some filler mostly all killer.

Starten på Tribe. Føler de ikke helt hadde funnet sin stil og sin greie, så det er litt variabelt, men en del moments of genius

I don’t eat no Ham N Eggs cause they’re high in cholesterol. 8/10

Pretty good. There were some weird bits, like the very start, but mostly it was just energetic hip-hop and quite nice to listen to.

Whilst you technically could kick it, you probably shouldn’t.

still kicking it

My favorite part of tribe is the give and take between tip and phife and I’m missing that. I think that’s why I like other tribe albums better but the overall vibe and mellow beats are unmatched

Allgemeiner Eindruck: Seele des Hip Hops, sehr roher Sound (Klassisch Tribe, noch mehr als Midnight Marauders und Low End Theory), das funklastigste Album von ATCQ, krasse Flows von Q-Tip, Phife Dawg leider ein wenig vernachlässigt Underrated Tracks: -Push it Along -I Left My Wallet in El Segundo -Mr. Muhammad Least Favourite: -After Hours -Footprints -Youthful Expression Favourite Tracks: -Bonita Applebum -Can I Kick It? -Public Enemy

Really loved 'Luck Of Lucien' and 'Ham & Eggs'. 'I Left My Wallet In El Segundo' was great too. Great soundtrack for a walk!

My favourite songs were luck of Lucien and I left my wallet in El Segundo. Overall I thought it was a great album. It was very chilled and I liked the chemistry between Q-tip and phife and, the storytelling in a lot of the songs.

Highlights: After Hours, Can I Kick It

pretty good and funky

ATCQ are right up my alley, though like I said with Fear of a Black Planet I struggle to put into words what I like and dislike about hip hop. I can say I prefer this to that album though, and this style more generally. I like listening to them when I'm sitting about not doing too much Phife and Q-Tip are some of my favourite rappers, their flows are really smooth and, with the jazzy beats they use, sort of relaxing. Q-Tip is excellent right from the start, it never seemed like he had to grow into his role and knew what he was doing immediately This is a great album, and this set them up well on their way to creating a masterpiece like The Low End Theory. It's just not quite as memorable or creative as that album, maybe a bit overlong too (I think with the drumming lacking the variety to go over 60 minutes), but it's still really good. Just needed some fine tuning Highlights: Can I Kick It?, Luck of Lucien, Description of a Fool

Please...

East coast babyyyyy

Absolutely solid album.

Another great album from Tribe. Not sure if I like this one more or less than Low End Theory. This one has a runtime longer than I'd like, but even with that it's pretty great start to finish.

Good album. Not as good as Low End Theory, but I liked it quite a bit. 3.5/5

[4]

This was a dope album. I think it's one of those that just captures a vibe, and while a couple standout tracks (Can I Kick It), it's really enhanced by the fact that almost all the songs have the same vibe while being different. Very chill, very relaxing, I loved it.

A Tribe Called Quest hits the ground running on their debut LP. Jazzy samples and playful rhymes keep the mood lighter than some of their gangta-rap contemporaries. Q-Tip, Phife, and Jarobi keep the fun flowing for over an hour including Tribe's magnum opus, "Can I Kick It". I can understand the praise for this album in particular, but I do find Low End Theory to be a bit more consistent.

Super fun all the way through.

This is not usually my kind of music but I really enjoyed this. This is the type of hip-hop/rap kinda stuff I prefer. I really like the vibes of the 80s/90s hip hop over the more modern rap we have now and this is a great example of it. Fun samples (always a pleasure to hear the Beatles, even if it was about 5 seconds as an intro) and great delivery. Fun album!

I really enjoyed it, I imagine it had a huge impact at the time

Nice hip-hop, cool interesting beats. Maybe too 90's at times. high 4

This is some good stuff and I don’t even like rap that much but this album is a solid jam. Light one up and chill.

Pretty good

It's a great mix of soul, funk, jazz and hip-hop. There is some great storytelling on here.

Dug it. Apparently I really dig the 80s and early 90s Rap and related areas scene.

Brilliant! Favourite track is still Can I Kick It 4/5

OK LUV this so so much!! Standouts: Bonita Applebum Can I kick it

A fun listen! Good 90s hip-hop. Highlights are "I left my wallet in El Segundo", "Bonita Applebum", "Can I Kick It?," "Youthful Expression" and "Mr. Muhammad"

I've been loving all the classic 90s rap we've been getting lately. Haven't really dove into Tribe too much outside of their popular albums (Low End Theory, Midnight Marauders). And the only song here I know is Can I Kick It, so I'm excited for this album. Pretty damn solid for their debut album. Not a lot of bangers outside of Can I Kick It and Left My Wallet (I also liked Luck of Lucien quite a bit), but most of the songs here are still fairly good. The beats throughout are laid back and cool. This doesn't reach the heights of their later works, but it was enjoyable from start to finish. Solid 4 from me.

Solid album from one of the greatest hip-hop groups to ever do it. Jazzy instrumentals and effortless flows from Q-Tip and co. What's not to love? The hits are timeless (Bonita Applebum, Can I Kick It?, and Left my Wallet in El Segundo) and some of the deep cuts are even better. My favorites are Pubic Enemy (which has a RZA, esq flair to it), Mr. Muhammed, and Go Ahead In the Rain. This falls at a high 4 for me.

Interesting we get the debut here. Hope they have Midnight Marauders or Low End Theory. This have some obvious hits (Can I Kick It, Bonita Applebaum, Left My Wallet..) and pretty much every other song is above average. Tribe is always a welcome listen. The flow is real.

Good album but very experimental.

Enjoyable

Old school hip hop. Always a good choice. I liked the sampling of well-known songs "Sir Duke" in "Footprints," for example). Beastie Boys' "Paul's Boutique" does this in abundance. Definitely something that can't be done today. The rapping seems so effortless from these guys. I just really liked the flow here. I also liked how songs bled into each other. I like this idea better than "interludes". One of the big things here is relistenability, and most of the songs really warrant more than one listen. There are a few tracks that are a little goofy ("Ham and Eggs" and "Pubic Enemy", I'm looking at you...). But besides those few songs, it's an album I am looking forward to hearing again, and I'm looking forward to the other album of theirs on the list. Top tracks: "I Left My Wallet In El Segundo," "Footprints," "Push It Along," "Can I Kick It?", "Mr. Muhammed"

Such a unique band/group, bringing a whole different style and chill cool to hip hop. And this is the album where it all started. A fusion of jazz, soul, and rap and such an eclectic mix of beats. Their lyrics are very clever - even when being goofy. They're just different, making you think about a wide variety of topics. Great wordplay. I don't love every song but mad respect for their style. Favorite tracks are Push it Along (before the live part), Luck of Lucien (smooth), Footprints (love the Sir Duke sample combined with some industrial sounds), Bonita Applebaum (though I always liked the Sir Piers remix more), Can I Kick It (such good sampling, even some Lou Reed), Mr. Muhammad (showing off the DJ's stylings), Go Ahead in the Rain (funky).

Favorite Track: Can I Kick It

Seminal and legendary record, the length isn't felt because of how easy it is to listen, and the lyrics take it to a new dimension. Themes we still talk about to this day and a perfect execution that reaches the point it wants to make while being great to listen to.

Rather humble origins for one of the most influential hip hop groups of all time, slacks in the end but the first 60-70% of the album is fantastic, pretty much everything until Mr. Muhammed.

This is the fourth best Tribe album. Four stars.

My least favourite out of the OG 3 but still an awesome album, the use of samples and drum stop and starts is exceptional. Only thing that brings it down for me is the lack of Phife Dawg and some of the songs are a bit weak compared the rest most notably Bonita Applebum for me despite it being a single.

Great samples, great flow.

Great feel.

Pre-listening thoughts: every time we get a hip hop/rap album I jump for joy. So much rock on here and hip hop is a wonderful break from it. Post/during listening thoughts: I know a lot of people don’t like early/formative rap, but I think there’s just such a charm in it. I read up on the background of this album and I’m so glad I did. And I’m so glad we got Jungle Brothers and De La Soul before this one. You can totally hear the influence of both on this. It’s pretty conversational in terms of lyrics/flow. However, the patchwork of sampling here is pretty unique to this group. Why does Robbie Williams sampling “Can I Kick It?” in “Rock DJ” make me mad 😭?? This is pretty good. I think it would grow on me with more listens but for now it’s a solid 8/10. DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: maybe Fav tracks: Luck of Lucien, Public Enemy, Bonita Applebum, Can I Kick It?, Ham ‘N’ Eggs Least fav tracks: Rhythm (Devoted…)

It’s interesting to be getting repeat artists at this time, because I can also take into consideration the growth of them. I definitely thought the other album I listened to by Tribe was stronger, but since this one was their first album, it makes sense. One thing I did think was really cool was they used this voice warping effect in multiple of their songs which was sick in regards to the cohesiveness of the album. I still enjoyed this one a lot.

Masterful lyricism and simple but effective beats/sampling. Quintessential late 80s/early 90s hip-hop.

A Tribe Called Quest really shows off their sample game here, with tracks that give a great, relaxed vibe while also rich in storytelling. I enjoy this a lot.

Old rap is always a really cool vibe. Stripped down a little relative to the baroque stuff we get today (which is also nice). I would almost say it has jazzy vibes. Can I kick is a lot of fun. I am terrible at writing about music, but this laid bck vibe is really pleasant. Why does no one do anything like this now (or do they)? I can't really put my finger on what here is different: the beat is a simpler track, it's less produced? Something like that. It feels more down-to-earth. But long-story short this old-school album is great and I enjoyed it a lot. Did think it was a little too long. 3.5 rounding up.

Taken individually these are really interesting songs that show how much fun rap can be, both for the audience and its creators. But it does drag a bit by the end of the album (although possibly that's just the bloat of some of the remixes at the end for the 25th Anniversary Edition).

"I ordered the enchiladas and I ate 'em" is the most seen I've felt since starting this

Dripping with influence

Really enjoyable, good selections in the sampling that make sure this album is consistent but not repetitive across a long runtime

Absolute cracker of an album, perhaps even genre defining. High 4s.

Rap is usually really not my vibe. The variety in this album is impressive though, both in general vibe and in the range of instruments used. I do really appreciate when you can so obviously see that the band is having a really nice time with it. So when asked 'Can you dig it' -- I will answer "Yes I can" (I do know those are not the actual lyrics, thank you)

Better than I expected.

Pretty skibidi

Banging beats! A bit too old school for my taste but definitely has some bops!

the flows and the samples in this one >>>>>😩😩😩😩

Groovy. Last few tracks not as strong as the rest of the album. Fav Tracks: - I Left my Wallet in El Segundo - Bonite Applebum - Can I kick it?

funky

Loved this!

Such a great album full of bangers- I love the storytelling. Listened to this on a sunny train from Paris to Brussels and it gave me so much joy. It got slightly repetitive towards the end, so 4 stars

3.5

Really surprised how much I liked this album. Not a huge rap fan at all. But the kinda laid back hippy groove really got me in my sweet spot (8.4)

Cool old-style hiphop. Quite memorable. 4 stars

3.5/5

For some reason this doesn't get the same attention as their next two, but I think this is a great debut that more than holds it's own. "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo", "Bonita Applebum", and "Can I Kick It?" are bona fide hip-hop classics, but there's a ton of great deep cuts here too -- "Push it Along", "Luck of Lucien", "Go Ahead in the Rain", and "Description of a Fool" are all bangers. I think it sounds as fresh today as it did in 1990. 4.5 stars.

Not a genre I'd listened to before much and I enjoyed more than expected

Second TCQ album on this list. Pure rhythm and witty flows. Wicked production. Ahead of it's time. A bit too long for me

I’d rather give 3.5 but I’ll round up. I like the rhythms.

This album is great! I love the beats and the production on this album. I was blown away that this was debut album. Genuinely an amazing rap album. You will definitely know the hit off this album “can I kick it?”, but there’s a ton of gems on this album especially “I left my wallet in El Segundo”. If you are a rap fan (especially alt rap) you will love this album.

Solid craftsmanship on this album. Beats. Rhymes, flow.

Tribe is quickly becoming my favorite hip hop group

Solid old hip hop

Minus one start for not being Midnight Marauders, that's its only fault.

Solid 3.6, so I guess I'll round up.

Unbelievably smooth and iconic. Love these guys and this is a fantastic debut

Shocked that this is their debut. So confident and consistent and unique

one of the great debuts and a blueprint for the best and most consistent group in hip hop history

Several great cuts. Most of the album is pretty mid. Tribe always delivers though.

A Tribe Called Quest’s People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm is a genre-defining debut that whispers where others shout, flips Lou Reed with finesse, and weaves in Beatles and Stevie Wonder samples like a musical daredevil. Less polished than The Low End Theory but bursting with raw energy, this album is a blueprint for alternative hip-hop’s rise—proof that introspection, groove, and experimental beats could coexist. If Tribe’s legacy was forged in the fire of TLET, this album was the spark that started it all.

Great! 4/5

This will definitely be a repeat listen especially in the summer

Hip hop. Pretty good beats but the flow sounded about the same every song.

I like this. Very old school. Cool Rhymes. I like it more than most of the modern hiphop albums. There were some really good songs. It is very chilled music. "After Hours" is not bad. Also "Bonita Applebum" is somehow funny. "Push it along" also not bad.

Great album

Neat.

8/10

A wonderful hip hop album that still stands up today

like yes and if you think no then youre racist

Liked this a lot! Favorite tracks are Luck of Lucien, Can I Kick It, and Ham ‘N’ Eggs. Loved all the sampling!

I liked this quite a bit. A fair number of songs sounded roughly similar, but there were a fair number of decent melodies, loved most of the sampling, and good musicianship throughout.

I’m sure I’ve listened to this before, but the only songs I was confident I knew were “el segundo” and “can I kick it.” I thought about a 5, but I think it falls short. The back half felt weaker than the front half and even the original length (setting aside the remixes on the 25th anniversary edition) is maybe a little too long.

Have never actually heard Tribe's debut before. Solid. Samples are great, beats are great. Enjoyed the weird marriage of Cannonball Adderley and Sir Duke. They even travel forward in time to steal the sample from the Fugees Killing Me Softly cover.

A Tribe Called Quest - People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm This band is considered to be one of the greatest hip-hop bands of all time, and you can clearly see that even in their debut album. Albeit a long one, all the songs in here are consistent and packed with bars and flows that'll you make think more. ATCQ definitely paved the way for the next generation of rappers that were about to come later on. Overall, this is great! 1.- Push It Along = 10/10 2.- Luck of Lucien = 8/10 3.- After Hours = 10/10 4.- Footprints = 8/10 5.- I Left My Wallet in El Segundo = 9/10 6.- Pubic Enemy = 8/10 7.- Bonita Applebum = 10/10 8.- Can I Kick It? = 10/10 9.- Youthful Expression = 9/10 10.- Rhythm (Devoted to the Art of Moving Butts) = 9/10 11.- Mr. Muhammad = 8/10 12.- Ham 'N' Eggs = 10/10 13.- Go Ahead In the Rain = 8/10 14.- Description of a Fool = 8/10 FINAL SCORE: 8.9/10

Enjoyed this. Good hip hop and great work listening 7/10

I like Tribe's stuff. Just good, 80s/90s hip hop. I love the samples features on this album - Hendrix, Lou Reed, Stevie Wonder, and Phil Spector. The album is full of the word play and double entendres I've come to enjoy from their work. Favorite song: I Left My Wallet in El Segundo Least Favorite Song: Really not a bad song on this album.

dope

Why my head bobbing?

I really like A Tribe Called Quest, and this is a good album. There’s nothing really wrong with it, but I don’t feel like it’s good enough for a 5 (Low End Theory is, though).

I do like me some ATCQ, but Low End Theory is still my fave.

Old school tribe called quest

Hecks yes! Smoooooooth and silky and transitions melting so seamlessly. The fade out and in YOUTHFUL EXPRESSION was sweet as Gushers.

Lajk

Hugely enjoyable but way too long.

Aussi bon que l'autre. 8/10

The beat is frogs.

A funky introduction to one of the most notable Hip Hop groups of all time. It's easy to see how their approach has resonated over the years, injecting funk and rhythm into all of their tracks. Content that is relatable to most of us, all with a head-nodding groove to follow along with. They so clearly stand out in a league of their own, and this is just the beginning.

This is an awesome album. Had it on high rotation this weekend, especially in the car. Very chill. Loved it.

Great album! Can I kick it - a classic!

90s hip-hop is always hit and miss for me, and I've listened to the Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders off and on over the years and have never been that impressed. That being said, this is a very impressive debut album for the group that I prefer to those other releases. The sampling was great, the lyrics were good, and the jazz elements fit well. 3.5/5 -> 4/5

Putain, 1990. Quelle année. Le mur de Berlin venait de se péter la gueule, l'Apartheid commençait à sérieusement sentir le sapin, et le rap, de son côté, était en pleine crise de croissance. D'un côté, la testostérone et la rage politique de Public Enemy avec leur monumental "Fear of a Black Planet". De l'autre, la gangrène gangsta qui commençait à infecter la côte Ouest avec un Ice Cube fraîchement échappé de N.W.A. et son "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted". Le décor était planté : du béton, des sirènes, des poings levés et une colère sourde qui menaçait d'exploser à chaque coin de rue. C'était lourd, c'était nécessaire, mais merde, qu'est-ce que c'était lourd. Et puis, au milieu de ce champ de bataille idéologique et sonore, un ovni a atterri. Sans bruit, sans fracas. Juste une petite soucoupe volante colorée qui s'est posée en douceur, et de laquelle sont sortis trois mec, Q-Tip, Phife Dawg et Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A Tribe Called Quest. Rien que le nom, ça sentait l'aventure, le truc pas commun. Moi, à l'époque, je commençais à peine à user mes fonds de culotte dans cette radio indépendante où tout était permis, du moment que ça sortait des sentiers battus. Quand on a reçu "People's Instinctive Travels...", je me souviens encore de la gueule de mes collègues. On passait du son qui te décollait le papier peint, et là, on se retrouve avec "Bonita Applebum". Une déclaration d'amour à une meuf, posée sur une boucle de jazz-funk si douce, si lascive, qu'on aurait pu faire des bébés dessus. C'était une anomalie mais une délicieuse, une indispensable anomalie. Ce disque, c'est l'anti-thèse de tout ce qui se faisait à l'époque. Là où le rap sentait la poudre et le bitume chaud, A Tribe Called Quest sentait l'herbe fraîchement coupée, le patchouli et l'innocence. C'était l'acte de naissance, avec De La Soul et les Jungle Brothers, de ce qu'on a appelé la "Native Tongues", cette mouvance qui prônait l'Afrocentricité positive, l'humour et une approche de la musique complètement décomplexée. Le sampling n'était plus une arme, mais une palette de peintre. Et quelle palette ! Q-Tip et Ali Shaheed Muhammad, en véritables archéologues du groove, sont allés déterrer des pépites improbables. On y trouve du Lou Reed ("Can I Kick It?", ce classique absolu qui repose sur "Walk on the Wild Side"), du Roy Ayers, du Weather Report... Tout un pan de la musique noire (et blanche) que le rap "sérieux" avait superbement ignoré. Le résultat est un disque qui flotte, un long road-trip nonchalant sous un soleil de fin d'après-midi. Les thèmes abordés sont à des années-lumière des préoccupations habituelles des rappeurs. On parle de végétarisme ("Ham 'n' Eggs"), de road-trip foireux ("I Left My Wallet in El Segundo"), de sexe, mais avec une candeur presque adolescente. Q-Tip, avec sa voix si particulière, feutrée et nasillarde, est le guide parfait pour cette balade. Phife Dawg, lui, est encore un peu en retrait, le sidekick rigolo qui balance quelques punchlines bien senties, mais on sent déjà la complicité qui éclatera sur leurs albums suivants. Quand je repense à mes années de disquaire, entre 1996 et 2007, cet album avait une place à part. C'était le disque que tu conseillais au client qui disait "le rap, c'est pas pour moi, c'est trop violent". Tu lui mettais "Can I Kick It?" entre les mains et tu voyais son visage s'éclairer. C'était une porte d'entrée, un pont entre les genres. Il ne s'en vendait pas des caisses, bien sûr. Les gamins voulaient du 2Pac ou du Wu-Tang. Mais les vrais, les curieux, repartaient toujours avec un petit sourire en coin, comme s'ils venaient de découvrir un secret. Alors, pourquoi seulement 4 sur 5 ? Pourquoi ne pas crier au chef-d'oeuvre absolu ? Parce que "People's Instinctive Travels…" est un premier album. Et il en a tous les charmes et tous les défauts. C'est un disque génial, mais aussi un peu naïf, parfois un peu longuet. Il y a quelques errements, quelques morceaux plus faibles qui cassent un peu le rythme. C'est un diamant brut, encore un peu maladroit. La production, bien que révolutionnaire, n'a pas encore la profondeur et la perfection de ce qu'ils allaient accomplir un an plus tard avec le monumental "The Low End Theory". Ce premier essai, c'est le brouillon de génie, l'esquisse qui pose les bases. Le chef-d'oeuvre, le vrai, c'est le suivant. Mais ne vous y trompez pas. Ce disque est essentiel. Il a ouvert une voie, une troisième voie dans un rap qui semblait se diriger vers une confrontation inévitable. Il a prouvé qu'on pouvait être intelligent sans être chiant, cool sans être poseur, et profondément hip-hop sans jamais lever le poing ou sortir un flingue. C'est l'album qui a ramené le "fun" dans le funk, et qui a rappelé à tout le monde que le rap, avant d'être un combat, était avant tout une musique. Une musique qui pouvait, elle aussi, raconter les voyages instinctifs de l'âme et les chemins sinueux du rythme. Un disque fondamental pour comprendre tout un pan du hip-hop qui a suivi, de The Roots à Mos Def en passant par Common. Une bouffée d'air frais qui, même 35 ans plus tard, n'a pas pris une ride.

Good fun listen

Enjoyable! Their later stuff sounds even better but this eases to a 4

Dated but fun!

Liked a lot!!👏🏼

Perfection

Ugh this is just good hiphop at its best w the samples and the lyrics and everything

To dage med to Hip Hop albums. Og sjældent har der været så stor forskel på lyden og stemningen. ATCQ er laidback jazz-hop. Det er lækre flows og sjove beskrivelser. Ikke et top album, men noget af det bedste Hip Hop vi har haft

I added this one to my library.

Timeless, great album

Good bumping beat. Some old faces like Bonita Applebulm and some new discoveries. Will keep coming back

Sometimes I can have a hard time to find earlier Hip.Hop entertaining to listen to. This album though had a really nice and what felt ahead of time beat selection and from the first track you can tell how good both their pen and performance is. This album gives me more perspective on them as a group and the future success they would have after this album makes a lot of sense.

Great old school hip-hop

First Wu Tang, then Lauryn Hill, and now A Tribe Called Quest. I've been getting a lot of 90's Hip-Hop groups I've been meaning to listen to for a long time these past 2 weeks. Very enjoyable, and funky album. I liked the way they incorporate all of the samples. There are some really big sample in there that would be really hard to get nowadays. The second half isn't as good, but it is still a pleasant listen. Very high 4 (almost a 5).

A lot of old jams I remember from way back, I didn't realize this was them. Solid chill background music

An iconic album from an iconic group. Excellent music, great songs and solid rhythm. They almost bring a sort of class to genre of the day.

Laid back beats, creative samples, and lyrics and flow that were different than anything else at the time with a chill vibe. Hugely influential and you can hear it.

Didn’t like it as much as others from them but still good.

A lot of fun. Lots of times where I wanted the beat made me feel more like dancing rather than the cleaning and prepping I had to do. The way they chopped samples was really cool. I appreciate the artistry. Not really something I’ll throw on often but I get it.

I love A Tribe Called Quest. Their Beats and their Lyrics are amazing. The only bummer is that if you listen at low volume, it all starts to sound the same. This is definitely an "active" listen in my opinion.

Would watch a movie based off of left my wallet in el segundo

Gary admitting to eating eggs at the end of Ham n’ Eggs is one of the greatest twists in modern music. Really good album, I mean it has Can I Kick It. Probably a couple songs I could do without, and I do think they have a couple better albums, so I’m gonna go with a 9/10

Based on sound alone, I'd give this 3 1/2, maybe a low end 4. But then there was the influence. And it was refreshing to hear rappers just having fun without the need to be tough, so I'm going to round up. I came across this comment on RateYourMusic, and it's so accurate, I will quote it: "This album is like Jordan's rookie year. You already know they're gonna be legends, but there was still room for improvement; their pinnacle was yet to come and there were aspects that they fine-tuned later on."

This was good. No cussing on a rap album. What?? Unheard of. This took me by surprise.

Sick beats

Shmoooove

Super mellow rap. Washes over nice and easy.

I liked most of this album... I had to break it up into sessions though and I think that the last session was the worst, so it ended on a bad note for me. Still, considering I enjoyed most of the album I'll stick with a low 4.

Enjoyed the beginning more than the end, but I thought it was great overall. Favorite track was Can I Kick It?

I bought this when first released. Have always loved this album.

Big fan

This is very solid. Great lyrics and feel without some of the anger (not NO anger, but maybe a little less) compared to other rap at the time

Funky shit, good stuff

Nothing more clever and groovy than Q-Tip & company!

There isn’t very much to say other than that this was the most precocious album of the 1990s

Fat basslines and funky drums put modern rap instrumentals to shame. Flow and lyrics are fun, but songs can be a little samey. Favorite songs: I Left My Wallet in El Segundo.

Do you like upbeat hip-hop? If so, this album is for you! I think this album is perfect for any upbeat hip-hop fans out there. I believe the lead singer's voice has a good range and goes well with the background music. Also, he sang really good hip-hop when this album was released, and his songs still have a good rhythm to them as well.

I really liked almost everything. The samples lyrics instrumentals. Great album totally recommend it 9/10

Great album, messaging is great. Nothing beats old school rap. Ham n’ Eggs is my favorite

Alright, I get to check out A Tribe Called Quest's debut after the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. After listening to People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, I can see how they were considered pioneers in the conscious hip hop I've come to appreciate. Ali Shaheed Muhammed worked wonders on the programming and turntable to create strong and accessible hooks amidst all the experimentation. The jazz-influenced style served as an eclectic backdrop to rap, accentuated by Q-Tip's clean production and sample choices. As for the wordplay, Q-Tip, Jarobi White, and the late Phife Dawg struck a balance in poetic wordplay that comes off as a conversation where thought and expression were valued over machismo. I am genuinely impressed with their flows early on in their career. That said, as much as I enjoyed the album, I still had in the back of my mind that this is a debut album and it shows in places. For one, this album is a bit longer than it needs to. Not that any one song was particularly bad, but the opportunity was there to tighten the overall experience. Especially where attempts were made to connect songs with short interludes led by Jarobi where it seems like they had a loose concept for the album but never coalesces into a truly meaningful or engaging narrative to tie it together outside of the funkiness. Still, I had a good time traveling through the paths of funk and rhythm for Tribe's debut. This debut gets a solid recommendation, and I look forward to checking out Low End Theory later on this journey.

Jag gillar A Tribe Called Quest.

Very good. Feels like something I would like more and more on repeated listens.

Another terrific album! I hadn’t heard this particular Tribe album before but not surprisingly it was fantastic.

Really cool album that's slightly marred by over length and a lack of Phyfe Dog. Still, an important album from the old school hip hop days that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Muy buen álbum. Aunque no conozco mucho, debe ser de lo mejor del género. El sampleo aquel con Walk on the wild side me pareció increíble.

Not bad at all, but also not outstanding. A few highlights that bring it up to 4 stars but I have to admit it's a push.

Albumi #89, 25.10.2024 A Tribe Called Questin debyyttialbumi vuodelta 1990 oli kovassa kuuntelussa itsellänikin sen ilmestyttyä.

Two great songs with Can I Kick it and Youthful Expression

It’s hard not to wax poetic about the Golden Age of Rap, in which albums like this said something important. Q-Tip and crew were revolutionaries carrying rap/hip-hop into new directions by blending Afro-beats with Brooklyn rap and Harlem jazz. Key tracks for me include AfterHours, which lyrically puts you one the streets with him, and the flamenco-flavored I Left My Wallet in El Segundo.

Quite enjoyed this one. Lots of great cuts on here. Left My Wallet, Can I Kick It. For whatever reason Tribe escaped my young radar which is a shame. I was too into pop and gangsta rap.

Just really pleasant listening.

very fully realized for a debut album.

I was surprised by how much I liked this, but hesitated between 4 and 5... in the end, it was solid with a few numbers that I enjoyed, but just short of 5*s for me.

Sometimes the beat was a bit repetitive, but this was generally fun and fresh.

really cool throughout - as these guys tend to be. might even put this a notch above Low End Theory but idk

And out of all the 80s gangsta rap came People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. Intelligent, even maybe nerdy rap. It’s brilliant, smooth jazzy, flow from start to finish. Amazing what you can do with a real drummer. 8.5/10

Coming back to fill in some review gaps, I decided to explore Tribe’s debut alongside De La Soul’s first album and Ice Cube’s “AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted.” They all came out 35 years ago, and I recently heard an interview with the writer of the new book “High and Rising” about De La. More about that in the “3 Feet and Rising” review, but Tribe had an important place in building in the space that De La Soul created. “People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm” is such a great title and indicator of the kind of mindset and vibe that Tribe and other alternative hip hop artists would bring. It’s a refreshing respite from the anger that was enveloping hip hop in the last 80s and early 90s, and although the gangsta rap that followed NWA and Ice Cube was more popular, I so greatly prefer Tribe and De La Soul and wish theirs was the template that shaped the future of hip hop.

Amazing hip hop and rap setting the stage for the nineties.

Great

Huippuhyvä räppiplatta! Hieno debyytti. 4/5

Hyvällä tavalla levoton ja energinen debyytti. 4/5

Can you dig this?(Yes, you can). This is the second album from A Tribe Called Quest I've listened to, and it slaps. Some fun, old-school hip-hop beats, and lyrics throughout this album(I was born the year this album was released- good shit). Favorite Song: "Can I Kick It?"

Nice

qué placer cuando los samples están bien usados.

Enjoyed this album quite a bit!

An outstanding debut - from the first track, Quest tells us exactly who they are and what they’re about. They manage an album that is thematically sprawling but stylistically cohesive and wholly unique. No finer sampling work can be found anywhere. 8.5/10

I respect it, I just don’t like 90s rap

People's Instinctive Travels starts out slow, but after about 10 minutes it becomes clear that this is a staggeringly rich, deep album that rewards repeat listens. That Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad did this on their first album is mind-blowing. The only real demerit is that Phife, Tribe's secret sauce, was not yet committed to the group as a serious endeavor, so he only appears sparingly.

A very enjoyable album with a few amazing songs. Fun from start to finish

Really like their instrumentals and flow

Really enjoyed this. Regonizing all the samples in permit the fun haha.

Usually not a big hip hop fan but Tribe is incredible.

every song slaps, fun lyrics, very nice beats, very cool very nice would listen again

This was really worthwhile. Ive never given any time to A Tribe Called Quest, so it was all pretty much brand new for me The sampling was creative and the storytelling was generally interesting. There is definitely a flow to the album as a whole. Lots of great tunes that ill be spinning later

A little corny at times, but the 90s were just so damn fun.

Creative, cool use of sampling and production, an enjoyable listen. I could have listened to this around the kids -- I think "jimmy hat" is as blue as it gets here.

My first listen to A Tribe Called Quest, I am very impressed. Favourite Songs: Push It Along, Footprints, Can I Kick It?, Rhythm (Devoted to the Art of Moving Butts). Least Favourite Songs: Mr. Muhammad, Ham 'N' Eggs.

a tribe called quest deliver once again. they absolutely perfected this genre. they are lyrical masters, and the beats flow through you with ease. whilst this record is brilliant, it doesn’t quite top the low end theory for me - that is their masterpiece.

Wasn’t as immediately taken with this album as I was with their other one on this list. Doesn’t mean it’s bad by any means. “Can I Kick It?” is such a good song it gets a star just for that. Listened to a few of the tracks again and came around on the album a little more. Wish I could give it a 3.5, but I’m rounding up because there are some really stellar tracks.

Fav: Footprints Least Fav: Pubic Enemy The highlight for me was the instrumental sections, and overall album was great with 1-2 meh tracks. I’d say overall I am very excited to listen to more albums by A Tribe Called Quest.

One of the classiest hip hop albums ever made. Perfect for Sunday morning porch sitting.

I'm torn between giving this a 4 or a 5 because in terms of its influence on hip hop music, it's a huge milestone. In terms of comparing it in hindsight to their other albums, the Tribe was just getting started. To review this album, it requires you do a circuit of 90s and early 2000s hip hop music before you attempt to appreciate just how well this album was produced and its lyrical content. It's easy to get a club banger with a good producer, it's almost just as easy to find a rapper who can put out a dozen or so lyrically dense songs but it's rare to see an album with timely yet timeless classics composed of good production, great lyrics, and lasting influence. It's easy to exempt those rating this below 4 stars are lacking in their ability to see the historical importance of a hip hop album when all you've been salivating over is heavily made up glam rock and stadium rock bands who have exhausted their audiences' eardrums to appreciate the subtle nuances of samples picked for the stereos of cheap cars.

Still not into Hip Hop, but I liked this album

One thing this book has absolutely nailed is its coverage of classic Hip-Hop from the golden era across the late 80s and early 90s. This is yet another superb entry to the chapter. The beats are slick and just incredibly listenable. It never outstays its welcome and the blend of vocals keep it fresh, fun and arresting throughout. Still find it astonishing that this album, along with its peers, is over 30 years old. It surprises me that there aren't more acts like this in the 2020s; solo rappers and RnB artists seem to have taken over and it's a real shame.

every tribe album just makes you feel groovy. awesome

8/10 Favourite tracks: Luck of Lucien Bonita Applebum Can I Kick It?

Delivered on the promise.

Can I Kick It?

Love this record

I'm still too sick to write a proper review. It bops. 4/5

a teenager's guide to jazz rap -- and that isn't a bad thing! i feel like a lot of people stack this thing up against its follow-up, and to me, that just isn't fair. why should we devalue this album's accomplishments just because it's stacked up against The Low End Theory? pit most albums against TLET and you don't really have to guess which one comes out on top. anyhow, i think what makes People's Instinctive Travels stick out to me is its willingness to delve into being relatively lighthearted. sure, there's a few moments where it gets a little too silly for comfort (and Ham N Eggs is NOT one of them), but for the most part, i feel as if what PIT lacks in maturity it makes up in creativity. q-tip's an incredible MC -- as the main rapper on the album, he better be -- but what mostly carries the album is his and mohammed's production. i can count the number of times i smiled and said "oh my god are they really doing this one" on both hands whenever a sample came up, and yet every single track makes it work. maybe the tribe had yet to mature, but now and then i think we all need to savor when we were a hungry, horny little bastard. you don't stop having fun until the record ends, and then you gotta move on.

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.

Stellar album. One of my favorite hip hop acts. Favorite track: Bonita Applebum other picks: push it along, footprints, can i kick it, rhythm

I’m pretty sure I prefer this to The Low End Theory—it’s not quite as focused, but the beats are fresher, the lyrics are stronger, and there’s a little more range. Great production as you’d expect. Could be a little shorter but a really solid album. Best song: Can I Kick It?

8.5/10

This was fun. Sampling done right. Also, any artist that can fit the word 'nincompoop' in without being cheesy is a winner. 4/5

### **In-Depth Review of "People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm" by A Tribe Called Quest** **Introduction** "People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm," the debut album by A Tribe Called Quest, was released on April 17, 1990. The group, composed of Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Jarobi White, is often credited with pioneering the jazz-rap subgenre. This album marked the beginning of their influence on hip-hop, blending innovative production, clever lyricism, and socially conscious themes. The album stands as a seminal work in the genre, setting the stage for A Tribe Called Quest's illustrious career. ### **Lyrics** The lyrical content of "People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm" is both playful and introspective. Q-Tip, the primary lyricist, uses his smooth, conversational flow to weave narratives that touch on a range of topics from everyday life to philosophical musings. The album is less aggressive than the more politically charged rap of the late 1980s, such as Public Enemy, and instead opts for a more laid-back, positive approach. Songs like "Bonita Applebum" showcase Q-Tip's skill in storytelling, focusing on themes of love and attraction with a poetic and almost whimsical style. The lyrics are not overtly complex but are clever and filled with double entendres and metaphors. On "Can I Kick It?", the group offers a laid-back anthem that plays with the call-and-response style of classic hip-hop, creating an infectious and memorable hook. The lyrics often reflect a youthful exuberance and curiosity, as seen in "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo," which tells a humorous tale of a road trip gone awry. This narrative style is one of the album's strengths, as it allows the listener to engage with the songs on a personal level, making the stories relatable and memorable. However, the album does not delve deeply into the socio-political themes that would later characterize much of their work. While the lyrics are clever and engaging, some critics argue that they lack the depth and urgency found in the group's later albums like "The Low End Theory" and "Midnight Marauders." ### **Music and Production** The production on "People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm" is innovative and groundbreaking for its time. A Tribe Called Quest, led by Q-Tip's production alias "The Abstract," crafted a sound that was heavily influenced by jazz, funk, and soul. The use of samples was meticulous and creative, drawing from a diverse range of sources including Lou Reed, Roy Ayers, and Stevie Wonder. The album's production is characterized by its use of jazz loops, warm basslines, and crisp drum patterns. This jazz-inflected production would become a hallmark of A Tribe Called Quest's sound and influence a generation of producers and artists. The sampling technique on this album is more melodic and harmonically rich compared to the more rhythmically focused sampling of other hip-hop producers of the time. Tracks like "Footprints" and "Push It Along" exemplify this style, blending smooth jazz instrumentation with head-nodding beats. The use of space in the production, allowing the tracks to breathe, is another notable aspect, giving the album a laid-back, almost meditative quality. One of the standout features of the album is its seamless blend of different musical styles. The group was not afraid to experiment, and this resulted in a unique sound that set them apart from their contemporaries. The album also utilizes call-and-response vocal techniques, which add a dynamic and engaging element to the music. However, the production, while innovative, is somewhat uneven in places. Some tracks feel more fully realized than others, and the album's experimental nature sometimes leads to moments that are less cohesive. This is perhaps a reflection of the group's early stage in their career, still finding their signature sound. ### **Themes** The themes explored in "People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm" are varied, reflecting the group's curiosity and wide-ranging interests. The album touches on themes of self-discovery, love, humor, and social consciousness, but it does so with a light touch. One of the central themes is the idea of a journey, both literal and metaphorical. The album title itself suggests a journey through life, exploring different experiences and perspectives. This theme is reflected in the album's eclectic sound and the stories told in the lyrics. Tracks like "Pubic Enemy" deal with adolescent experiences and the awkwardness of youth, while "Description of a Fool" addresses the importance of self-respect and integrity. "Ham 'N' Eggs" uses humor to discuss dietary choices, but also subtly critiques societal norms around food and health. The album also reflects a sense of positivity and optimism, which was somewhat countercultural in the hip-hop landscape of the late 1980s and early 1990s, which was often dominated by more aggressive and politically charged content. This positive outlook is part of what made the album stand out, offering a different perspective on the black experience in America. However, some critics have noted that the themes, while refreshing and diverse, are not as deeply explored as they could be. The album's lightheartedness, while appealing, sometimes comes at the expense of more profound social commentary. This is not to say that the album lacks substance, but rather that it does not delve as deeply into the issues it touches on as some of A Tribe Called Quest's later work. ### **Influence** The influence of "People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm" on hip-hop and music in general cannot be overstated. The album helped to define the sound of alternative hip-hop, paving the way for other groups like De La Soul, The Pharcyde, and Digable Planets. Its blend of jazz, funk, and soul with hip-hop was revolutionary at the time and helped to expand the sonic possibilities of the genre. The album also influenced the way samples were used in hip-hop production. The creative and diverse sampling on this album demonstrated that hip-hop could be more than just beats and rhymes; it could be a rich tapestry of sounds and influences, creating a new musical language. Lyrically, the album's playful and introspective approach helped to broaden the scope of what hip-hop could be about. It showed that rap did not always have to be about bravado or social issues, but could also explore personal experiences, humor, and abstract ideas. This opened the door for more diversity in hip-hop lyricism, influencing countless artists in the process. The album also had a significant impact on the development of jazz-rap as a subgenre. By incorporating jazz elements into their music, A Tribe Called Quest helped to legitimize hip-hop in the eyes of a broader audience, including jazz aficionados and music critics who may have previously dismissed rap as a passing fad. However, the album's influence was not immediate. It took some time for its significance to be fully recognized, as it was somewhat overshadowed by the more commercially successful and socially charged albums of the time. But as the years passed, "People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm" came to be seen as a classic and a blueprint for what hip-hop could become. ### **Pros of the Album** 1. **Innovative Production**: The album's production is one of its most significant strengths. The use of jazz, funk, and soul samples created a unique sound that was fresh and groundbreaking at the time. The production is warm, melodic, and has a timeless quality that has aged well. 2. **Creative and Clever Lyrics**: The lyrics are witty, playful, and often introspective. Q-Tip's storytelling ability and Phife Dawg's energetic contributions add depth and personality to the album. The lyrics are accessible yet thought-provoking, making the album appealing to a broad audience. 3. **Cohesive Theme**: The theme of a journey is woven throughout the album, both musically and lyrically. This creates a sense of coherence and unity, making the album feel like a complete work rather than just a collection of songs. 4. **Pioneering Jazz-Rap Sound**: The album helped to define the jazz-rap subgenre, influencing a wide range of artists and helping to expand the boundaries of hip-hop. Its blend of genres was innovative and set a new standard for hip-hop production. 5. **Cultural Impact**: The album's positive and optimistic outlook was refreshing and provided an alternative to the more aggressive and confrontational hip-hop of the time. It helped to broaden the scope of what hip-hop could be, influencing both the genre and the wider music industry. ### **Cons of the Album** 1. **Uneven Production Quality**: While the production is innovative, it is somewhat uneven. Some tracks feel more fully realized than others, and there are moments where the experimental nature of the album leads to less cohesive results. 2. **Lack of Depth in Themes**: While the album touches on a variety of themes, it does not explore them as deeply as some of A Tribe Called Quest's later work. The lighthearted approach is appealing, but it sometimes comes at the expense of more profound social commentary. 3. **Youthful Inexperience**: The album reflects the group's youthful exuberance, which is both a strength and a weakness. While the album's energy and creativity are infectious, there are moments where the inexperience of the group is evident in the execution of certain ideas. 4. **Overlooked Upon Release**: Despite its innovation, the album was somewhat overlooked upon its initial release. It did not achieve the same level of commercial success as other albums of the time, and its influence was not immediately recognized. This means that its impact was somewhat delayed, and it took time for the album to be fully appreciated. 5. **Lack of Phife Dawg Presence**: Phife Dawg, who would become a more prominent voice in the group's later albums, has a relatively limited presence on this album. This results in a somewhat unbalanced vocal dynamic, with Q-Tip dominating most of the tracks. ### **Conclusion** "People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm" is a seminal album that helped to shape the future of hip-hop. Its innovative production, clever lyrics, and pioneering blend of genres set it apart from its contemporaries and laid the groundwork for A Tribe Called Quest's later successes. While the album has its flaws, including uneven production quality and a lack of depth in some of its themes, its influence on hip-hop and music in general cannot be denied. The album's positive outlook and creative approach to storytelling and production opened new possibilities for what hip-hop could be. It stands as a testament to the group's creativity and vision and remains an essential listen for anyone interested in the evolution of hip-hop. As the album's influence continues to be felt, it is clear that "People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm" is not just a milestone in A Tribe Called Quest's career, but in the history of hip-hop as a whole.

Why does every song so aggressively cut off I don’t LIKE it

Outstanding. Never heard anything other than can I kick it but by god this was amazing.

Finally something that was worth listening to unlike the previous shites. First few songs were quite good (lyrics and beat wise)

Ah, the times where hiphop was funky and rap didn’t go deeper than “I went to the store and bought a hat”

This is a group I had heard of but never heard. I really appreciated it and how well it was written. Rap gets so bogged down but tittes, drugs and how amazing the rapper things he is so I always really appreciate rappers that go beyond the obvious and talk about deeper topics and do it so flawlessly and effortlessly. This was a great example of an album and group that did that. Titties, drugs and their egos may have been included but they all had purpose and reason, not just because it sells records. Overall great album.

When it comes to old-school hip-hop, I’ve often pointed out how a lot of it hasn’t aged particularly well. But this album is an exception—it’s definitely held up better than most from its time. It may not have the same energy and punch as some of the other records that dropped around the same period, but that’s exactly what makes it timeless. The lyrics are more thought-provoking, and the production has a jazzy, laid-back, smooth vibe that plays to its strengths. While it might not have aged perfectly, I find myself coming back to this album far more often than other releases from the same era.

Great debut, great beats and great bars. Set the standard for future quest records. Loved it

Stone wall hip hop classic.

When it comes to old-school hip-hop, I’ve often pointed out how a lot of it hasn’t aged particularly well. But this album is an exception—it’s definitely held up better than most from its time. It may not have the same energy and punch as some of the other records that dropped around the same period, but that’s exactly what makes it timeless. The lyrics are more thought-provoking, and the production has a jazzy, laid-back, smooth vibe that plays to its strengths. While it might not have aged perfectly, I find myself coming back to this album far more often than other releases from the same era.

This muthafuckas Jamin’. Was not expecting Bonita Applebum to be the original sample for Fugees Killin Me Softly.

Now this is a hip-hop group that belongs on this list! A Tribe Called Quest is arguably the most acclaimed hip-hop group that I've gotten an album from so far. They're certainly up there. Here we have their debut album. I've been getting a lot of those lately. Does this album hold up? Yeah. I'd say it does. This is a pretty good album right here. It's definitely one of the better hip-hop albums I've gotten so far. The beats are great. There's an element of light jazziness that gives this album a different vibe in comparison to other acts of the time. And you know what? I like that. Of course, the jazz elements apparently end up increasing in later albums of theirs, including their most acclaimed album, and this album's followup, The Low End Theory. I'll have to hear that for myself whenever this generator decides to give me that album though as it fortunately also appears on this list. Another thing that apparently increases on later Tribe albums is the presence of members that aren't Q-Tip. Despite being a group, the vocals in this album primarily come from Tribe's de facto leader, Q-Tip. While he does a great job and I can see why he's the leader, I did enjoy Phife Dawg's verses and hope to hear more of him on The Low End Theory. The writing on this album is also solid. It's a nice album. Songs like "Can I Kick It?" showcase the joys of music quite well. The album's closer "Description of a Fool" is an entertaining call-out making fun of abusive boyfriends. "Ham 'N' Eggs" is about healthy eating. Everything comes together to make an album that's fun but also a bit chill. It's a mellow fun, you know? Good album. Low 4/5.

Much more my speed

Great fucking album. Had previously heard some music from A Tribe Called Quest but never really had the chance to do a discography dive into their work. Glad this site gave me a reason to listen to more.

Tribe is awesome...but I am a bigger fan of other albums. I left my wallet in el segundo and can I kick it are the clear winners of this album. You know, I think I was just put off by the first long song on this album, it is actually better than I was originally thinking.

Liked this, very smooth

If I am going to listen to hip hop, this is the type of album I’d choose: lots of energy, positive, and a bit silly.

Killer album.

song reco: can i kick it, ham n' eggs ⭐⭐⭐⭐ not my thing but they got the vibes.

Oh, this sounds fresh. This is why I like this project because knowing very little about hip hop, I get introduced to some great albums. I like the teases of other songs (footprints intro, can i kick it). 4* Highlights: luck of lucien, can i kick it