On Nov. 13, A Tribe Called Quest released their debut album, “People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm,” to celebrate its 25th anniversary, which originally debuted on April 10, 1990.
The third single off of the album was “Can I Kick It,” which was released in 1991. The upbeat, jukebox mash-up single featured verses from A Tribe Called Quest’s group members, Q-Tip and Phife Dawg.
Other producers included on the album are Pharrell Williams and CeeLo Green. St. John’s alumni and platinum recording artist J. Cole is responsible for the remix to the 1991 hit single.
The original song featured many samples, including “Walk On The Wild Side” by Lou Reed and “Dance of the Knights” by Sergei Prokofiev.
In the J. Cole produced remix, Lou Reed’s sample song has been removed and the overall vibe is softer.
The original verses by Q-Tip and Phife Dawg remained, but the smooth, head-bopping, upbeat rhythm has transitioned into a modern day relaxing, atmospheric aura.
This remix, surprisingly, doesn’t feature a verse from J. Cole. Cole was solely responsible for reproducing the song. He isn’t known for his production work, but actually has a few production credits under his belt.
He produced a majority of the songs on his mixtapes (mostly samples) and has worked with other hip-hop heavyweights, including Kendrick Lamar, with his “HiiiPoWeR,” and Talib Kweli, with his “It Only Gets Better.”
It’s too early to state what the reviews will be on the re-released album, but the members of A Tribe Called Quest have previously stated that they would not reunite.
The album release and performance on Jimmy Fallon have made a reunion and possible tour seem like a possibility in the future. Fans will have to sit back and wait for any updates on the group reuniting.
For now, let’s feel the vibes and the nostalgia as we bop our heads to the pioneers that we know and love. “People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm” is now available and can be ordered on Amazon.