People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm is the debut album by the
alternative hip hop group
A Tribe Called Quest, released April 10, 1990 (see
1990 in music) on
Jive Records. Though the album was well-received critically, it had little mainstream appeal. The album did earn the band a devoted following, however, within the alternative hip hop community.
People's Instinctive Travels was praised for its lyrical inventiveness and bizarre sense of humor, mixed with socially aware and literate message tracks. The record was given the perfect rating of 5 mics in
The Source in 1990. It is one of three A Tribe Called Quest albums included in The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums. It also was certified
gold by the
RIAA on January 19, 1996.