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
. 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
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,
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
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"
"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
sample favorites,
jazz
guitar and '70s
fusion
synth. Restless and ceaselessly imaginative,
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