In stark contrast to the anger and venom of a wave of early 1990s gangsta rap
acts, A Tribe Called Quest built on the influence of De La Soul and Gil Scott
Heron in tackling social issues with poised intelligence and a sound that drew
on jazz, soul and funk music. The childhood friends signed a deal with Jive
Records in 1989 and soon gained recognition for their sophistication and
laid-back rhythms, before the release of classic debut album People's
Instinctive Travels And Paths Of Rhythms (1990). Sampling Lou Reed's Walk On The
Wild Side and Ian Dury's What A Waste, the single C...