A Tribe Called Quest - “People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm” (1990)
The peak of rap music was the 1990s. Point, blank, period. Before Biggie in the East and Tupac in the West, there was a Tribe. Called quest. I’ll be referring to them as ATCQ in this review, along with the group’s individual names (Q-Tip or “Tip”, Phife Dawg, Ali Muhammad, and Jarobi White).
This legendary group pioneered a movement in hip-hop by pushing the genre forward and moving against it simultaneously. Gangster rap was hot on the scene in the early 90s, but members of ATCQ weren’t all too enthralled by this particular style. Their opposition to “gangster rap” was said best by Phife Dawg in an interview: “We gotta kick something else to them other than what kind of car I drive or how many chicks I brought home from the party last night, you know?” (Grunge YT).
Thus, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm did just that. Before getting into the music, the album’s elaborate title needs some attention. Given some context, specifically the fact that over 30 samples are used throughout the project (WhoSampled), it starts to make a bit more sense. As a result, the album takes you in a whole bunch of directions, but never veers too far off from ATCQ’s laidback style you can always count on.
A song like “Push It Along” is that signature invite into the movement, built on a foundation of pronounced drum loops and easy grooves. The song’s chant keeps moving right into a party scene bit, where I then imagine Ali Muhammad hopping on the decks and mixing into the album’s fourth song “After Hours”. Sidenote, this track feels like it could appear on any one of The Avalanches’ three albums.
Some stellar production follows with “Luck of Lucien”. Rapping in between a medley of chords, horns, bass, and drums, the production on this track allows for each instrumental to have its moment. Up next is “Footprints”, where Q-Tip raps with an unmatched connection to the beat. Combining genius production and effortless rhyming, you get Q-Tip in full effect on these two songs.
“Well can I get a level on the bass and on the treble / Footing up and down like a UNLV Rebel” - “Footprints”
A new production effect emerges on the storytelling rhymes of “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo” and “Pubic Enemy”. Tip places his vocals behind the sound of the beat to create a more conversational feel here, going right along with the humorous mood of these songs. Renowned slow bop, “Bonita Applebum” continues the sexual rhymes from “Pubic Enemy”. Here, Tip’s samples Rotary Connection’s “Memory Band” for that dirty, erotic sound over the sweet melody from RAMP’s “Daylight”. In a calculated and soothing manner, Tip spits his game to Ms. Applebum with a style of delivery akin to the song’s overall mood.
“Satisfaction, I have the right tactics / And if you need ‘em, I got crazy prophylactics”
By now, we are headfirst into the jazzy world that the Tribe have created for us. What comes next is a straight hip-hop classic in “Can I Kick It?”. It could be my first time hearing this song and that nostalgic feeling I always get when listening would still be there. Instantly calming, it settles you into a cozy space deep down in the vibrations of the music.
“Rock and roll to the beat of the funk fuzz / Wipe your feet really good on the rhythm rug / If you feel the urge to freak do the jitterbug / Come and spread your arms if you really need a hug”
Due to just how legendary “Bonita Applebum” and “Can I Kick It?” stand in ATCQ legend, the album’s next two songs will get overlooked no matter what. Nonetheless, I will give the tracks “Youthful Expression” and “Rhythm (Devoted to the Art of Moving Butts)” the spotlight they deserve for a second. For starters, the beat on “Youthful Expression” is ridiculously groovy and so, so dynamic. An unexpected blend of bass, spritzy organ, and clashing cymbals give Tip the space he needs to recite his lazy flow. This beat was so good that I was still thinking about it halfway into the next song - “Rhythm (Devoted to The Art of Moving Butts)”. Just when the memory of the last beat started to fade, “Rhythm” swept me right away again; a track with consistent bounce maintained throughout multiple beat switches.
Additionally, the lyrics on both tracks contain a meticulous selection of conscious rap bars. Mentions of the “Tribe” and street life stories are prominent, along with some sly critiques on politics and the music industry slipped in.
Four songs make up the remainder of this album and if there is any common theme woven between them, it has to do with Q-Tip and Ali Muhammad’s increasingly experimental production. Starting with the soulful sample on “Mr. Muhammad” that all of a sudden, explodes into some Daft Punk funk and heavy scratching. Switching it up, we get the easy going “Ham ‘N’ Eggs” that seems to have been performed in front of a crowd of kids. Reaching even deeper into the production bag, some fresh disco-funk sounds emerge from “Go Ahead in the Rain” and “Description of a Fool”.
These last few tracks may lack the individual standout value that the hits from the front end of the album possessed, but they should not be disregarded entirely. Credit must be given where it is due and this is the (not so obvious) spot for it. The tribe demonstrates a commitment to musical progression here that opens the door for their future projects, where they try out even more untraditional production and lyrical concepts. In a category of their own, never satisfied with sticking to just one sound - this was the significance of A Tribe Called Quest and their album, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm.
