Jazzy, Funky 1990 Hip Hop Debut on Double LP!
"A potent blend of Afrocentric raps and unpredictable samples, People's Instinctive Travels... established A Tribe Called Quest as hip hop's funkiest philosophers. Q-Tip and Phife Dawg rhymed on subjects that had never registered on rap's agenda. They delivered a health sermon on 'Public Enemy,' encouraging voting on 'Youthful Expression,' and even recommended healthy eating in 'Ham 'N' Eggs.'
"Although People's Instinctive Travels... is heavy on the message tracks, it never once sounds like a lecture. Phife and Q-Tip's lyrics are always humorous and DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad's beat-centered mixing ensures that even the most insightful tracks can double as ass-shaking anthems. 'Can I Kick It?' transforms Lou Reed's 'Walk On The Wild Side' into a pure blast of hip-hop sunshine, while 'I Left My Wallet In El Segundo' - a National Lampoon-style holiday adventure - joins the dots between Mariachi guitar and rolling jazz drums.
"With similarly quirky albums by De La Soul and The Jungle Brothers, People's Instinctive Travels... marked the birth of the alt.rap scene. It inspired leftfield acts like Company Flow and Jurassic 5, and crossover stars The Fugees, to look beyond predictable James Brown samples and macho posturing.
"Oddly, for such a fresh and creative album, the reaction from record buyers and critics was subdued. The album only just scraped into the Billboard chart and Rolling Stone labeled it one of 'the least danceable rap albums ever.'" -Theunis Bates, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
Features
- Double LP
Selections
Side A:
- Push It Along
- Luck Of Lucien
- After Hours
Side B:
- Footprints
- I Left My Wallet In El Segundo
- Public Enemy
- Bonita Applebum
Side C:
- Can I Kick It?
- Youthful Expression
- Rhythm (Devoted To The Art Of Moving Butts)
- Ham 'N' Eggs
Side D:
- Mr. Muhammad
- Go Ahead In The Rain
- Description Of A Fool
