Product Description

Third and last of the "classic" Tribe records (preceding the addition of Jay Dee and the formation of "the Ummah" production team), MIDNIGHT MARAUDERS is not as groundbreaking as PEOPLE'S INSTINCTIVE TRAVELS or as consistently on-point as LOW END THEORY. However, it is arguably the group's most musically sophisticated album. The tracks balance jazz, soul, and even reggae influences with pure hip-hop to arrive at a completely distinctive Tribe sound, the logical evolution of the bop-inflected hooks which characterised LOW END THEORY.
Production-wise, Tribe graduates from a cool school aesthetic to an electric jazz sound (reminiscent of fusion-era Miles Davis). Lyrically MIDNIGHT MARAUDERS finds the group's abstract poetics in excellent form as usual, and Phife is miles ahead of the "mayor-flavour" rhymes of "Can I Kick It". As per the title, the album develops the introspection of "After Hours" into a nocturnal feel which winds it's way through "Midnight", the party-rock of "We Can Get Down", "Clap Your Hands" and the complex layers of "God Lives Through".

Track Listing

1. Midnight Marauders Tour Guide
2. Steve Biko (Stir It Up)
3. Award Tour
4. 8 Million Stories
5. Sucka Nigga
6. Midnight
7. We Can Get Down
8. Electric Relaxation
9. Clap Your Hands
10. Oh My God
11. Keep It Rollin'
12. Chase Part II
13. Lyrics To Go
14. God Lives Through
15. Hot Sex

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #53960 in Music
• Released on: 1997-05-27
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
The thumbnail photos of hip hop's great and good that represent the Midnight Marauders on the cover of the album with the same name are testimony to the esteem in which their peers hold Q-Tip, Phife Dawg and Ali Shaheed. As A Tribe Called Quest, they specialise in producing cogent social commentaries that bubble over a rarefied blend of jazz strains and cute samples. Here the "Native Tongue" movement pioneered by De La Soul is taken to new levels of expression with a laid-back drawl that gives the music the feel of a contemporary lullaby. Busta Rhymes lends his inimitable holler to "Oh My God", but it is the melodious flow of "Award Tour" and "Keep It Rollin" that mark Midnight Marauders out as a very special kind of sonic sedative. --George Lees

From Amazon.com
This might have been the album Tribe Called Quest wanted to make from the very beginning. It's their most even, consistent album of the original trilogy that also includes People's Instinctive Travels... and The Low End Theory. But in spite of this, or maybe because of it, it's also their most uninteresting. With so many competent tracks, there's no chance for something to stand out above the pack, like "Scenario" did on Low End Theory or "Can I Kick It" did on People's Instinctive Travels. The celebration is there ("Stir It Up"), the jazz drums kick ("Oh My God"), and the stand-up bass dribbles, keeping perfect pace with Q-Tip's unmistakable mic-touch ("Electric Relaxation"). There's even a Native Tongues armistice/reunion with De La Soul ("Awards Tour"). Although it comes together like a seamless tutorial in jazz hip-hop style, it comes together so damn well that it's hard for any one track to excel, cursing the album with consistent quality. --Todd Levin

Customer Reviews

Can A Tribe Called Quest "Kick It?"
Hip Hop at its best. These four words are probably the best words to represent the quality this album holds. It is a true gem in Hip Hop and one of those LP's that defines the word "consistency".
A Tribe Called Quest (ATCQ) boasts talent in abundance; from the smooth production skills of Ali Shaheed, the versatility of Q-Tip and the poetical delivery of Phife Dawg. As mentioned before, this LP is very consistent, which makes it very hard to pick 'stand out' tracks, however you can't fault the album for having that consistency. The first track 'Steve Biko [stir it up]' sets a very high standard which all the following tracks live up to.

Here is a comment on each track, however I do stress the ratings are my personal opinion of the track;

1. Midnight marauders tour guide - Nice intro to the LP, the "midnight marauder" that is on the front cover of the CD thanks the listener for the purchase etc.

2. Steve Biko (Stir it up) - Good opening and a well produced beat that sets the standard for the LP. Attentively Produced by Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed. Phife Dawg Opens up with his 'shout outs'. 8/10

3. Award tour - Very catchy 'xylophone' melody, with Q-tip kicking off. This track includes the famous "Do that do that do do that that that!" line. 7/10

4. 8 million stories - This is an influential storytelling track as many hip hop heads would agree. A Solid beat with accompanied with a proficient flow delivered by Phife Dawg. 9/10

5. Sucka nigga - A well oganised beat by Shaheed, with thoughtful rhymes delivered by Q-tip, which nicely finishes with the midnight marauder saying "you're not any less of a man if you don't hold the trigger..." 9/10

6. Midnight - This is a clever inset which conceals itself as a short track (2:41). Q-tip reiterates in the loopy electrical melody that "the night is on my mind". 7/10

7. We can get down - This track is a soulful 'laid-back' track, with an appealing beat and rather interesting wordplay from Phife Dawg, "too many candy rappers seem to be at the top, too much candy is no good, so I'm closing the shop". 7/10

8. Electric relaxation - Here we are presented with one of the best tunes in Hip Hop history, according to many listeners. The beat, flow and production is flawless, thus leading to many more listens to a tune that can never get old. 10/10

9. Clap your hands - At the beginning you don't know what to expect with a very mediocre beat and the hook "clap your hands now" running for 20 seconds. Then the beat changes to a much better one, with Phife Dawg opening up. 7/10

10. Oh my God - This tune is more 'street' than the others, the Baseline line is very memorable, albeit loopy. Busta Rhymes offers some assistance with the hook "Oh My God, Yes! Oh My God!" Also we have a great definition from Midnight Marauder for the initials M C, which she says stands for "Master Of Ceremony". 8/10

11. Keep it rollin' - Another implausible laid back track, with a profound beat and melody, a smooth verse from the featured guest large professor just adds to the luminosity of the track. 8/10

12. Chase Part II - A successful, yet classic example of the fusion of Jazz and hip hop, the beat and melody is well renowned for keeping the listener nodding to the tune. Q-tip tells nearly everyone in the world to 'rock on' at the end!, "every body in London rock, rock on". 9/10

13. Lyrics to go- A very surreal/dreamy beat accompanied by electric guitar samples at the hook, nothing that stands out, but solid nonetheless. 7/10

14. God lives through - A remix of "Oh My God", doesn't do it any justice in my opinion, but still not too bad. An Interesting listen though. 6/10

15. Hot sex - You get tracks sometimes when the beat completely overshadows the lyrics, this is the case in Hot Sex. There isn't a lot more I could say about it that hasn't been said before. 6/10

Midnight Marauders is such a great LP that it makes it extremely difficult to find a weakness for it, however if you are being picky, one could argue that "Hot Sex" is the weakest track. A Must have for any hip hop collection, just look at the other reviews for proof.

Proper off the hook I tell thee, one the the '90s best
Unforgiveably over-looked by those who haven't got their finger firmly on the pulse is how I'd best describe the Tribe. I didnt discover this album 'til a year after the group split, but all of the the songs on this CD stand up 10 years on. Consistently good is no bad thing- only a couple of tracks really have a really bumpin' beat unlike The low End Theory. but this is HipHop album which has been produced by a group who have done their jazz-homework, some great influneces shown here.

The Foundation of Pure & Real Hip-Hop
The best freakin' hip-hop album of all times... alomg with a few others ofcourse... it's essential and true... bye it, if you like REAL hip-hop...