NR Essentials #2: A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
 

 

A Tribe Called Quest
Midnight Marauders
1993, Jive Records

As made clear from the cover, this was meant to be a thematic sequel to THE LOW END THEORY. And although LOW END seems to be name checked far more often (perhaps for the innovative jazz samples used in a mainstream -- remember "Scenario" was rocked on Network TV) but MIDNIGHT MARAUDERS has always felt to me like a more perfected version of the same thesis.

From the horns that open "Steve Biko (Stir It Up)" you know that jazz samples are (still) going to play a huge part in the Tribe's sound, but as the record continues (thanks to narrative by a female robot) it becomes clear that this is actually a perfected balance -- ahem -- beats, rhymes & life.

Many have, and will argue with me on this, but I've always felt that this is THEE greatest hip hop record ever recorded. And fifteen years of constant listens have never allowed a moment of this record to sound "played out."

As an added bonus, the cover art (arts, if you count the 3 different color schemes) collaged a huge list of golden age hip hop artists to check out -- not unlike the infamous 'Nurse With Wound list.'

That's awesome.

It is. I think the wiki page has a pretty good listing of all the faces. Not sure HOW complete it is, though.

fucking a. gots to have love for tribe.

I love this album. It really flows song to song and the music is just fucking awesome.

another great album-keep up the good work!

I fully endorse this statement.

THEE greatest Hip Hop record ever created was It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back

See?

i only like a few hip-hop records and this is one of them. good shit.

i'm still stuck on low end theory, which fucking rocks my world, but the tribe is awesome.

stir it up, stir it up, stir it up, Steve Biko

this album is great, but i much prefer the low end theory.
re: the colour schemes for the cover art, the three differnt colour schemes each have different faces too

shit i've never listened to this. gotta get it. I like me some good US hip hop. nigga.
homey.

amazing album

good call, son. I meant to point that out, but slipped. Thanks!

low end theory is obviously better. i love the lo fi but still very groovy production on that record, in my top 10 hip hop records. midnight marauders is inferior but still sounds like a perfect follow up to low end theory, same sorta feel to it but obviously much higher production value.

ive always like hip hop a little gritty and underproduced though. the rza still puts out brilliant beats, but the first wu records (enter the 35 chambers, return to the 36 chambers, liquid swords, only built for cuban linx, ironman, tical), with those gritty ass grimy beats and barely present production, still the best and coolest rap ever made. the wu tang clan is the most important hip hop group of all time. they were the pinnacle of that late 80s/early 90s period when lots of hip hop was starting to be less about parties and shit and became much darker, violent, scarier, dangerous, and just plain fucking awesome. public enemy, boggie down productions, rakim, ultramagnetic mc's geto boys, a tribe called quest, wu tang clan. that is hip hop as far as im concerned, it doesnt get any better than that. and, i mean, i was to young to experience this, but it seems like hip hop/gangster rap would be a logical place to turn for the people who got sick of punk. when punk rock got lame in the 90s, and the hardcore guys were sick of not getting laid on account of moshing to cro-mags all day, rap was perfect. it was still very agressive, loud, punding, beat based, folk music, yknow what im saying?

Never heard Enter the 35 Chambers. Is it the prequel to 36 Chambers? (joke)

And yes, Hip Hop IS the new Folk. And Electronic the new Jazz.

he meant folk music as in music FOR THE FOLK, THE PEOPLE.

Yeah. I know. Like Springstein.

The screen door slams, Mary's dress sways
Like a vision she dances across the porch
As the radio plays
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
Hey that's me and I want you only
Don't turn me home again, I just can't face myself alone again
Don't run back inside, darling you know just what I'm here for
So you're scared and you're thinking
That maybe we ain't that young anymore
Show a little faith, there's magic in the night
You ain't a beauty, but hey you're alright
Oh and that's alright with me

Low End Theory is to Tribe what Daydream Nation is to SY. ''Mainstream'' music editors will call both records the bands crowning achievement, their best work.

Me, I love Midnight Marauders, its a masterpiece. The vibe throughout the record, the beats, the vocals, all of this is top-notch. It is my favorite Tribe album. But, if I were to recommend which Tribe record to listen to first, I would say Low End Theory, because it personifies the group better than any of their other releases.

RdTV, you are so right. LOW END to me is a fine album, but MIDNIGHT kills it. But yeah, Critics are always quick to name drop LOW END (much like DAYDREAM).

This is probably my favorite Tribe one too. the groove of the whole album is incredible.

still, my favorite tribe song has to be Jazz (we've got) whch is just way too perfect

the opening measures of "Jazz" are one of the finest things Tribe ever committed to tape. Yes.

hip hop isnt "the new folk" is is folk music, as is hardcore. i just mean its very grass roots, very inclusive, and very AMERICAN type music. i mean, early punk and early rap are certainly the most pure american music forms since the early folk and bluesmen.

[quote=batreleaser]hip hop isnt "the new folk" is is folk music, as is hardcore. i just mean its very grass roots, very inclusive, and very AMERICAN type music. i mean, early punk and early rap are certainly the most pure american music forms since the early folk and bluesmen.[/quote

I see your point here, although I think the most original and purest American music has been Jazz.

[quote=RdTv]
its very pure and very american indeed, but it aint folk music. haha, all the wierd music rules. but jazz is prolly the farthest thing away from folk music that is still sincere, maybe classical and 20th cent avant as well.

Perhaps the greatest failing in recalling American music history, is the downplay of the responsible parties, namely black people. They are responsible for the greatest and most original artforms in music to come from this country, and what do they get? Poster, plaques, maybe a film made about them.......oh and by the way they say ''country'' is americas music.

I'm agreeing with you, man. Yr preaching to the choir. I was just trying to say the same thing in a silly way.

truly one of the greatest hip hop album i've heard.

I have to say I hugely prefer People's Instinctive Travels too Midnight Marauders. Low End Theory comes in at number 2. That said, M.M. is still a great album, just less great than those two. I find 'Midnight' extremely moving.

Wow. Really? I like PEOPLE's, but I'd rank that behind MM and LOW END. In fact I probably even listen to REVISED QUEST more than PEOPLES. But it's defintitely better than LOVE MOVEMENT.

Midnight Marauders is the best!

I like listening to Midnight Marauders and The Low End Theory back to back just because their style and atmosphere is so different. On The Low End Theory the beats are so bare and the rapping is so to the front that you gravitate towards the rapping. It sort of reminds me of the Beat Generation... abstract poetry set to bebop. Midnight Marauders feels like a different beast though since the beats take so much more prominence that I can't help feel it's more accomplished and a lot more work was put towards it. That might not be true but it's how I feel personally.