The Vinyl Brew: A Tribe Called Quest - People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

“People’s Instinctive Travels”, as we will now refer to the album, is one of those albums where it is very obvious from the first listen that the phrase ‘groundbreaking’ is fitting. The L.A. Times described the album as consisting of "mostly happy hip-hop, featuring gently humorous, casual, conversational raps" and on the surface that’s exactly what it is but layered below those lyrics is a production that is inventive and ingenious.

Comprising of everyday sounds sampled by the group, along with samples from overlooked artists and in the case of artists who were frequently sampled, Q-Tip would take samples unique to each artist. What we are left with is some thrilling soundscapes that underlay the laid-back vocals and lyrics of Tribe. Recording of the album began in 1989 and it would take the group just Three months to finish. The group chose Calliope Studios as their primary recording space as they were known for promoting artistic freedom, something integral to the group’s sound. I mention the laid-back sound but I don’t want it to come across as though Tribe’s sound was immature or casual; there is a real refinement and polish to the sound on “People’s Instinctive Travels” which counter balances the at times playful break beats.

“People’s Instinctive Travels” is an easy entry point to hip-hop and as an added bonus, it’s a hip-hop album that was an instant classic and everyone should own a copy. With the lyrical flow from all members being backed up with the production and mixing skills of Q-Tip, and the scratching and programming skill of Ali Shaheed Muhammad, this is a perfect storm situation. At a time when a lot of the hip-hop and rap we were listening to was harsh, dealing with gangs or violence or on the other hand over sexualized, “People’s Instinctive Travels” came as a breath of fresh air with its smooth sound that spoke about life without having to portray that tough guy image.

If you need something slick and laid back to throw on the player every time things get too much, then you could do a lot worse than “People’s Instinctive Travels”. With massive hits a plenty including the instantly recognisable ‘Can I Kick it’, this album paints a picture that highlights a massive change in the world of hip-hop and the image that had been portrayed up to this point. If you want to dip your toe into the world of hip-hop then Tribe are here to make things easy. As always pop over to twitter @vinyl8records and let us know you’re favourite Tribe track.

“This rhythm really fits like a snug glove
Like a box of positives is a plus, love

As the Tribe flies high like a dove”

Till next time Brewers,
T