People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

by A Tribe Called Quest

Overview

One year after De la Soul re-drew the map for alternative rap, fellow Native Tongues brothers A Tribe Called Quest released their debut, the quiet beginning of a revolution in non-commercial hip-hop. People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm floated a few familiar hooks, but it wasn't a sampladelic record. Rappers Q-Tip and Phife Dawg dropped a few clunky rhymes, but their lyrics were packed with ideas, while their flow and interplay were among the most original in hip-hop. From the beginning, Tribe focused on intelligent message tracks but rarely sounded over-serious about them. With "Pubic Enemy," they put a humorous spin on the touchy subject of venereal disease (including a special award for the most inventive use of the classic "scratchin'" sample), and moved right into a love rap, "Bonita Applebum," which alternated a sitar sample with the type of jazzy keys often heard on later Tribe tracks. "Description of a Fool" took to task those with violent tendencies, while "Youthful Expression" spoke wisely of the power yet growing responsibility of teenagers. Next to important message tracks with great productions, A Tribe Called Quest could also be deliciously playful (or frustratingly unserious, depending on your opinion). "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" describes a vacation gone hilariously wrong, while "Ham 'n' Eggs" may be the oddest topic for a rap track ever heard up to that point ("I don't eat no ham and eggs, cuz they're high in cholesterol"). Contrary to the message in the track titles, the opener "Push It Along" and "Rhythm (Dedicated to the Art of Moving Butts)" were fusions of atmospheric samples with tough beats, special attention being paid to a pair of later Tribe sample favorites, jazz guitar and '70s fusion synth. Restless and ceaselessly imaginative, Tribe perhaps experimented too much on their debut, but they succeeded at much of it, certainly enough to show much promise as a new decade dawned. ~ John Bush

Product Details

Release Date:	11/12/1996
Label:	Jive
UPC:	0012414133113

Tracks

1. Push It Along
2. Luck of Lucien
3. After Hours
4. Footprints
5. I Left My Wallet in el Segundo
6. Pubic Enemy
7. Bonita Applebum
8. Can I Kick It?
9. Youthful Expression
10. Rhythm (Devoted to the Art of Moving Butts)
11. Mr. Muhammad
12. Ham 'N' Eggs
13. Go Ahead in the Rain
14. Description of a Fool

Album Credits

Performance Credits

A Tribe Called Quest   Primary Artist
Jarobi & The Rhythm Kids   Guest Artist
CeeLo Green   Featured Artist
Prince Paul   Vocals
Jimi Hendrix   Sampled Vocals
Q-Tip   Vocals
Ali Shaheed Muhammad   Vocals
Red Alert   Guest Artist
Rev. Jesse Jackson   Vocals
DJ Red Alert   Vocals
Phife Dawg   Vocals
Jarobi White   Vocals
Lucien Revolucien   Vocals

Technical Credits

Bob Power   Engineer
Larry Mizell   Composer
Edwin Birdsong   Composer
Lou Reed   Composer
Walter Booker   Composer
Marvin Gaye   Composer
Roy Ayers   Composer
Ali Shaheed Muhammad   DJ,Composer
A Tribe Called Quest   Mixing,Composer,Producer
Kamaal Fareed   Composer
George Clinton   Composer
Malik Taylor   Composer
Anthony Saunders   Engineer
Tim Latham   Engineer
Stevie Wonder   Composer
Hiromasa Suzuki   Composer
William Allen   Composer
James Nyx   Composer
Garry Shider   Composer
Charles Stepney   Composer
Cardell Mosson   Composer
Grover Washington, Jr.   Composer
Ray Jackson   Composer
Jarobi White   Composer,Performer
R. Jackson   Composer
Michelle Birdsong   Composer
Sigidi Abdullah   Composer
Jonathan Davis   Composer
Ari Marcopoulos   Photography
Thomas Callaway   Composer
James Nyx, Jr.   Composer
Dr. Shane Faber   Engineer
Bradley Ridgell   Composer