A Tribe Called Quest Will Reissue Classic 1990 Debut Album

At a time when it was trying to establish mainstream musical credibility and struggling with its gangsta-rap image — hip-hop was revolutionized by A Tribe Called Quest.

Using easy-flowing, intricate, and sometimes self-effacing lyrics over complicated, jazz-infused beats, the group silenced those that claimed rap was not an art form and helped legitimized hip-hop musicians as artists.

Tribe's first album, "People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm" was released in 1990, beginning a career that would sell millions of records and influence countless artists.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the album, Tribe is planning a reissue of the record, remastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Bob Power.

The reissued album will include remixes by contemporary artists who have been influenced by the group.

"This album means a lot," member Ali Shaheed Muhammad said in a statement.

"It was the beginning of our careers; the beginning of our imprint; the beginning of seeing life the way we saw it, and being able to put it down in words and music."

Muhammad, along with bandmates Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and Jarobi (who has intermittently left the group), continued the success of "People's Instinctive Travels" (it was certified Gold in 1996) with several more albums in the 1990s.

"The Low End Theory" (1991), "Midnight Marauders" (1993), "Beats, Rhymes and Life" (1996) and "The Love Movement" (1998), all were certified Platinum.

But it was "People's Instinctive Travels" that launched the group.

The album included classic tracks like "Bonita Applebum," "Can I Kick It?" and "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo," which saw significant radio play and video exposure on MTV.

It was one of three Tribe albums included on The Source magazine's 100 Best Rap Albums of All-Time list in 2011.

The re-issued version of "People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm" is scheduled to be released November 13.

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