Editing A Tribe Called Quest (section)

===1985–1990: Formation, Native Tongues, and ''People's Instinctive Travels''===
[[File:Merrick Boulevard.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|The neighborhood of [[St. Albans, Queens]], where Q-Tip and Phife Dawg grew up together]]
[[Q-Tip (musician)|Q-Tip]] (Kamaal Fareed) and [[Phife Dawg]] (Malik Taylor) were childhood friends who grew up together in the [[St. Albans, Queens|St. Albans]] neighbourhood of [[Queens]], [[New York City]].<ref name="redbull"/><ref name="Larkin90">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=2000|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0427-8|page=6}}</ref> Initially, Q-Tip performed as a [[battle rap]]per, under the name MC Love Child, occasionally teaming up with [[Murry Bergtraum High School]] classmate [[Ali Shaheed Muhammad]] as a rapper and DJ duo.<ref name="moovmnt1"/><ref>{{cite book |last=Abdurraqib |first=Hanif |date=February 1, 2019 |title=Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest |publisher=University of Texas Press |isbn=9781477316481 |edition=1st |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=evxzDwAAQBAJ&q=Ali+Shaheed+Muhammad+mc+love+child&pg=PA19 |access-date=February 1, 2020}}</ref> In 1985, the duo began making demos over Q-Tip's pause [[cassette tape|tape]] beats.<ref name="redbull"/> Phife Dawg later joined them, though he didn't become a full member until neighbourhood friend [[Jarobi White]] joined; the group dubbed themselves "Crush Connection" and later "Quest".<ref name="biography">{{cite web|url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/tribe_called_quest-verses_from_abstract|title=A Tribe Called Quest – Verses From the Abstract|website=[[Exclaim!]]|last=Cowie|first=Del F|date=January 23, 2008|access-date=February 1, 2020}}</ref><ref name="beats">{{cite journal |last=Rapaport |first=Michael |title=[[Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest]] |journal=[[Sony Pictures Classics]] |date=2011}}</ref> The group's final name, A Tribe Called Quest, was coined in 1988 by [[Jungle Brothers]], who attended the same high school as Q-Tip and Muhammad; that year, Q-Tip made his first recorded appearances on Jungle Brothers' songs "Black Is Black" and "The Promo".<ref name="redbull"/><ref name="allmusic1"/> Shortly after, A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, [[De La Soul]], [[Queen Latifah]] and [[Monie Love]] formed the [[Native Tongues]] collective, known for their like-minded [[Afrocentrism]], positivity and eclectic [[sampling (music)|sampling]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/native-tongues-mn0001948888/biography|title=Native Tongues – Biography|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=March 3, 2020}}</ref><ref name="larkin"/> In 1989, Phife Dawg made his first recorded appearance on the song "Buddy (Native Tongue Decision)", the remix of De La Soul's single "[[Buddy (De La Soul song)|Buddy]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vibe.com/2016/03/phife-dawg-tribe-called-quest-tribute-interview|title=Phife Dawg: Memories Of Native Tongues' Five Foot Assassin|website=Vibe|date=March 23, 2016|access-date=March 3, 2020}}</ref>

A Tribe Called Quest hired [[Kool DJ Red Alert]] as their first manager.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.vibe.com/2016/03/phife-dawg-tribe-called-quest-tribute-interview|title=Phife Dawg: Memories Of Native Tongues' Five Foot Assassin|journal=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]|date=March 23, 2016|access-date=September 1, 2020|last=Murphy|first=Keith}}</ref> In early 1989, the group signed a demo deal with [[Geffen Records]] and produced a five-song demo, which included future single "[[I Left My Wallet in El Segundo]]".<ref name="Hip Hop In America"/> Geffen decided against offering the group a recording contract, and the group was granted permission to shop for a deal elsewhere.<ref name="Hip Hop In America">{{cite book |last=Hess |first=Mickey |date=2009 |title=Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=9780313343216 |edition=1st |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XkCncJ7j744C&q=a+tribe+called+quest++Geffen+Records&pg=PA62  |access-date=February 1, 2020}}</ref> After receiving lucrative offers for multi-album deals from a variety of labels, the group opted for a modest deal offered by [[Jive Records]].<ref name="Hip Hop In America" /> Jive was then known as an independent rap label that partly owed its success to building the careers of artists [[Boogie Down Productions]] and [[Too Short]]. Later that year, the group released their first [[twelve-inch single|12" single]], "Description of a Fool".<ref name="Larkin90"/>

Their debut album, ''[[People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm]]'', released on April 10, 1990,<ref name="Larkin90"/> was marked by a playful lyrical approach and light-hearted content such as safe sex, vegetarianism and youthful experiences.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/peoples-instinctive-travels-and-the-paths-of-rhythm-mw0000204005 |title=People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm – A Tribe Called Quest |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=March 3, 2020 }}</ref> The music was an eclectic mix of jazz, funk, soul and rock samples.<ref name="thesource"/> The album was met with critical acclaim; ''[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]'' rated it [[The Source (magazine)#The Source's Five-Mic albums|five mics]], becoming the first album to receive the magazine's highest rating.<ref name=sourcePIT>{{cite web|title=Today in Hip Hop History: A Tribe Called Quest Releases Debut Album|date=April 17, 2015|author=Nisha|work=[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]|url=http://thesource.com/2015/04/17/today-in-history-a-tribe-called-quest-releases-debut-album/}}</ref> ''[[NME]]''{{'}}s review stated that "This is not rap, it's near perfection."<ref name="McCann">{{cite journal |last=McCann |first=Ian |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101000298reviews.html |title=A Tribe Called Quest – People's Instinctive Travels And The Paths of Rhythm |journal=[[NME]] |date=May 5, 1990 |access-date=November 14, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001012022939/http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101000298reviews.html |archive-date=October 12, 2000}}</ref> The album only gained momentum after the release of the singles "[[Bonita Applebum]]" and "[[Can I Kick It?]]", eventually achieving [[RIAA certification|gold]] certification in 1996.<ref name="Larkin90"/><ref name="riaa">{{cite web|title=Gold & Platinum – A Tribe Called Quest|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=A+Tribe+Called+Quest&ti=#search_section|website=[[Recording Industry Association of America]]|access-date=March 3, 2020}}</ref>