Midnight Marauders

Performer: A Tribe Called Quest
Artist: Large Professor; Trugoy; Busta Rhymes; Raphael Wiggins
Distributor: BMG (distributor)

Notes: A Tribe Called Quest: Jonathan "Q-Tip" Davis, Malik "Phife-Dawg" Taylor (rap vocals); Ali Shaheed Muhammad (turntables). Additional personnel: Large Professor, Trugoy, Busta Rhymes, Raphael Wiggins. Producers: A Tribe Called Quest, Skeff Anselm, Large Professor. Engineers: Bob Power, A Tribe Called Quest, Tim Latham. Recorded at Battery Studios, Platinum Island, Matermix and Sorcerer Sound, New York, New York. Personnel: Phife Dawg, Q-Tip (vocals). DJ: Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Audio Mixers: A Tribe Called Quest; Bob Power. Recording information: Battery Studios; Platinum Island Mastermix; Sorcerer Sound. Photographer: Carol Weinberg. Unknown Contributor Roles: Raphael Wiggins; Busta Rhymes. 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 characterized 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-flavor" 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."

Spin (12/93, p.119) - Highly Recommended - "...the way Q-Tip and Phife trade solos evokes the spontaneity of an improv jam session, but the smoke in the room is cheeba, not tobacco..." Entertainment Weekly (11/12/93, p.65) - "...[A Tribe Called Quest's MIDNIGHT MARAUDER] sounds as fresh as their first...rappers Phife and Q-Tip manage to hold attention without resorting to gun references or expletives..." - Rating: A Q (12/93, p.125) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...another phat and funky platter simply oozing positive vibes and street-sussed style..." Vibe (11/93, p.103) - "...on MIDNIGHT MARAUDERS [Tribe Called Quest] counter with beats that are less jazzy and more jeep-centric...a rap classic..." The Source (12/93, p.88) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...With their third album, MIDNIGHT MARAUDERS, Quest do what they've always done - ignore all of the current trends in hip-hop and deliver a solid collectable..." Melody Maker (11/27/93, p.41) - "...A Tribe Called Quest have expanded their vision with a lyrical gravitas and a musical lightness of touch that has hitherto eluded them across a whole album...." Musician (1/94, p.92) - "...MARAUDER's varied, sophisticated themes hold your attention even as the grooves lull you into head-nodding..." Village Voice (3/1/94, p.5) - Ranked #21 in the Village Voice's 1993 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll. NME (Magazine) (11/27/93, p.32) - (7) - Very Good - "...MIDNIGHT MARAUDERS is [Tribe Called Quest's] most complete work to date..."

The early-1990s advent of A Tribe Called Quest represented one of the key evolutions in rap music. The New York group signaled a shift from the boisterous braggadocio of the old school to a more laid-back, fun-loving form buoyed by sophisticated production and thoughtful, positive lyrics. The Tribe's hallmarks were all in evidence on their debut: the low-key delivery of lead rapper Q-Tip, the jazzy instrumental touches, and the oddball samples. Over the next few releases, the group showed major growth, musically and lyrically, pushing the boundaries of hip-hop and influencing a new generation of rappers in the process.

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