People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

Youthful Expression

A Tribe Called Quest

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

17

End

64

Internal

54

Multi

130

Slant

7

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Interlude: Jarobi & Q-Tip]
The economy... Politics... Police...✦ Everything
Except for the youth
But the youth about✦ to come back
Alright, here they come
Uh oh, uh oh, uh!
[Verse 2: Q-Tip]
With expressions✦ and I'm guessin
19 years is a youthful lesson✦
Fallin✦ skies babe, open✦ eyes babe
Can't you see what lays inside✦ babe
Makin✦ mentions✦ on this tension✦
Rhythmic✦ lovin,✦ my profession✦
Hips, they gyrate,✦ scripts I narrate✦
No banana,✦ I ain't a primate✦
Ain't no Soul Glo, just an afro✦
The head is bred to let the thoughts grow
Quest together, to lands of never✦
Sleet and snow and storms can't sever✦
Tribe is growin,✦ never✦ know when
For this time, six necks may show in
Dialogues have been accepted
Negatives have been rejected
That's the music,✦ negro✦ music✦
Is here for all, so you must choose it
Phonies✦ fondle, watch it throttle
3-6-5 straight out the bottle
Bustin✦ caps, finger✦ snaps
I prefer✦ the second✦ for ghetto✦ tracks
Phife, Jarobi,✦ Ali✦ told me
Get the force like Wan Kenobi✦
Force his teachin,✦ beats are screechin
Poly✦ plateaus, we aim for reachin✦
Tribalization,✦ freaks the nation✦
A mass of peers in celebration✦
Hopes✦ been real high, since the knee high
Days of youth, feelin✦ good and real spry
Avid combos,✦ hear those bongos✦
Boom cacka✦ boom, that's how they go
We ain't nomads, but we real glad
Hip hop slams through the nineties,✦ no fad
As a rhythm, have been given✦
Hurry✦ up, become,✦ we breakin out, out
[Outro: Ali Shaheed Muhammad]
With a rhythmic✦ instinction✦ to be able to travel
Beyond existing forces✦ of life
Basically, that's Tribal✦
And if you wanna✦ get the rhythm
Then you have to join a Tribe
Word, peace

Technical Breakdown

7.4
Multisyllabic Rhymes8.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes7.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres6.0

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm7.5

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity8.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control7.0

Performance and control

Computed Score7.38

Production

— Q-Tip, A Tribe Called Quest, Ali Shaheed Muhammad

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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Q-Tip exhibits an early mastery of rhythmic precision and internal cadence, utilizing a highly structured AABB rhyme scheme that highlights the 'jazz-rap' aesthetic of the era through precise syllabic placement rather than complex narrative metaphor.

B+
8.5
Multisyllabic
7.5
Internal Rhymes
7.5
Cadence / Flow
8
Vocabulary
6
Wordplay
7
Delivery
Internal RhymingMultisyllabic Slant RhymesSyncopated PhrasingEnd-line Repetition
Rhyme Architecture: The verse relies on a consistent, tightly-knit AABB structure with pervasive internal rhyming within each couplet, creating a steady, rhythmic bounce characteristic of the Native Tongues collective.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"No banana, I ain't a primate"

① A direct reference to the stereotypical and derogatory associations between black people and apes.② A rejection of the 'monkey' trope, asserting human dignity and intellectual superiority.

"Ain't no Soul Glo, just an afro"

① A pop culture reference to the hair-care product featured in the film 'Coming to America'.② A statement of natural, authentic identity versus artificial, chemically-processed standards of beauty.

Excellent rhythmic pocket and cadence control

Strong commitment to thematic consistency

Sophisticated use of internal rhyme to maintain forward momentum

Occasional reliance on forced rhymes to satisfy the scheme

Lack of deep metaphorical density compared to later Q-Tip verses

Punchlines are functional rather than witty

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