People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm – A Tribe Called Quest
May 2020
Scott Coates
Over the last few months, fellow Sonic Collective member Darren Scott has been posting about A Tribe Called Quest (ATCQ), which caught my attention. As we’re doing a round of rap album picks, I gave People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm one listen and decided to make it our album for May 2020.
Released on April 10, 1990, it was the group’s debut album. From Queens, New York, A Tribe Called Quest formed a friendship with hip-hop act Jungle Brothers, both groups formed a collective called Native Tongues, which also included De La Soul. They played with beats, technology and built their skills in the rap world.
ATCQ was led by Q-Tip, who was the only group member present at every recording session for the album. It took 3-months to record and received critical acclaim out of the gates. Q-Tip gained experience for recording this album while sitting in on sessions with the Jungle Brothers who were recording their debut album Straight out the Jungle and De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising, honing his production skills along the way.
People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm appears on many Best Rap Album lists, is rich and complex. Enjoy this sonic journey which traces the early decades of rap’s evolution.
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