When an album is re-released in honor of its 25th anniversary, and it’s still better than anything that’s being produced presently, it makes me question the validity of modern music. In the case of A Tribe Called Quest’s album, “People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm,” this is especially true.
The album was released Nov. 13, and features every song originally released on the album in 1990. It’s nearly impossible to rank which songs are best on the album, because they’ve all gained so much airplay and praise over the years. They’re all imprinted in my mind with bumping basslines and revolutionary good vibes.
A Tribe Called Quest originally formed in 1985, sparked out of a friendship between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg, who grew up together in Queens, N.Y. They soon became frontrunners of the New York hip-hop scene; it wasn’t long after when the group signed with Jive Records and put out their first full-length LP, “People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm.”
This album revolutionized a world of hip-hop that hadn’t fully existed prior to its release. They gained widespread attention for transforming the rap scene. Projecting the group into a long line of fame, the album experimented with a wide range of techniques, including experimental sampling and flowing transitions from one song to the next.
Some fine sampling can be heard on the second single from their album, “Bonita Applebum,” in which the group borrowed sounds from songs by artists RAMP, Rotary Connection, and Little Feat. One of the smoothest connections between tracks on the album is found between “Bonita Applebum” and (perhaps the most well-known song) “Can I Kick It?”
Creatively executed, talking and joking voices are heard at the end of “Bonita Applebum,” asking one another, “Can I kick it?” Once that voice is responded to with “Yes, you can,” the transition occurs to the actual song.
The jovial and lighthearted rap produced on this album simply doesn’t exist anymore. Some may appreciate this, in that rap music has transformed into a medium to discuss harsh realities of modern times.
However, the re-release of this album challenges modern rap and proposes we step back and listen to music for the sake of listening to music. This re-release suggests we actually listen to an entire album — start to finish -— to be able to achieve the fullest forms of energy the album has to offer. Listening to “Can I Kick it?” on iTunes or Spotify without hearing its transition from “Bonita Applebum” has the power to change the vibe of the song entirely. There’s something to be said about listening to an album as it was meant to be listened to with each song methodically placed and each sample chosen wisely.
In addition to the 14 songs originally put out on this album, the 25th anniversary edition contains three tracks reimagined and sang by modern artists: “Footprints,” remixed by CeeLo Green, and “Bonita Applebum,” and the classic, “Can I Kick It?” both produced by Pharell Williams and J. Cole.
While I’m glad these remixes exist as a tribute to the original creativity of the songs, they were overall disappointing compared to the originals. The best of the three was easily the J. Cole remix, adding smoother, more drawn out, and sexier vocals to the track. However, the other two songs fall short, presumably due to the abundance of sounds indicating just how often we autotune and use technology to make music these days.
Reach writer Rebecca Gross at arts@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @becsgross
