Can I Kick It?

The track was recorded in 1989 at Calliope Studios in New York City during the sessions for People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. A Tribe Called Quest made the record with members of the Native Tongues collective around them, and the song built around the Lou Reed sample and the group’s call-and-response hook. Released as the third single from the group’s debut album, it became one of A Tribe Called Quest’s signature songs and a defining early example of their relaxed, sample-driven alternative hip-hop sound. It helped push the album’s profile and cemented the group’s place in the Native Tongues movement. The song remains one of the group’s most recognizable recordings and a staple of hip-hop retrospectives, live sets, and popular media. Its bassline sample from Lou Reed’s "Walk on the Wild Side" and its chorus have kept it culturally durable across generations.