Midnight Marauders

Time to do this review section some good and give a thoughtful, detailed review. Where could we even start, having had our ears marauded for 51 heavenly minutes? This album begins with our gentle, reassuring Tour Guide, Laurel Damn (a Jive Records secretary, whose voice the group loved). She is continuously giving wisdom and reassurance to the listener throughout the album, and acts kind of like a motherly figure. Chills down my spine, 25 years later. We are then barraged by 13 of the most philosophically deep, ascended songs to ever grace human ears. The fact they all converged onto one album is the mark of true genius. Some brief track reviews: "Steve Biko (Stir It Up)" - Starts out with vibes from an old Windows game called "Crystal Maze". 2004. This vibe shows up periodically throughout the song. The rest of the song composes a hella bouncin beat with lyrics that, without another way to explain, "Jump in such a sharp way." Perfect way to start out the album. Rating: 9.5/10. "Award Tour" - Oh my God... What a perfecttttt track. Begins with a perfect push transition from the previous track. The keyboard/bongo intro is soooo freaking hoppable. You just flow with it. Proceeds with a sax main beat that reminds me of an Emerald stage from Sonic Adventure 2. Ya know, the one with Knuckles. Completely perfect song. I find myself bumping this one a few times in a row all throughout the day. Rating: 10/10. "8 Million Stories" - Starts off with a heavy New York, 1993 vibe. You can just feel the cold breath of that November back in 93. Such a cold beat, gently shoved into our ears by a serenading statistics explanation with Secretary Dunn in between the two tracks. The vibes suddenly give way to the downward spiral of Q-Tip throwing in "PROBLEMS. PROBLEMS. PROBLEMS." It instantly takes the song to a very dark place, so masterfully. Song ends with a disorienting cycle of Q-Tip saying "Help Me" in rapid succession. After a few breaths and continued repeating of the phrase, he morphs the ending viciously from "Help Me" to a sharp, final "MUHAMMAD". Legendary song to be listened to in times of great hardship. Keeps you going. Rating: 9.5/10 "Sucka N-" - What can I say? My lips is like an ooo-wop as I start to spray it! Nah, seriously - I dig it. If I had to place it on the chart, it's one of my less-preferred songs on this album. Ends beautifully tho, with a peaceful reassurance from Ms. Dunn. Rating: 8/10 "Midnight" - They were COMPLETELY BRILLIANT to include this song in the album. 4D chess. Incredible foresight. Here's why: Our always-attracting Ms. Dunn makes it somewhat murkily clear to us that this album is best-primed for nighttime play. However, the main message of this track is evident in it's simple heavily repeated lyrics: "The night is on my mind/ though the sun is still shinin' " This is a master's craft, as it makes this album listenable to in the day, although a bit more painfully, as we long for the sweet release of the night. What a dark, ominous beat. Ends with a powerful, shocking, haunting, soul-destroying statistic from Ms. Dunn about AIDS in minority communities. Being set to overly-basic gentle elevator music, with such a dark message on a serious topic, and that little distortion on the decrescendo outro... HOLY GOD. Masterful. Rating: 10+/10 "We Can Get Down" - What a great track for gaming. I love this with Battlefield 3 (yes, I play it still, 8 years later. Multiplayer is hanging on!) The beat fills you with nostalgia. A deep longing to go back in time. I envision my childhood home from the 90s in West Phoenix. Solid beat for reminiscing. Rating: A, E, I, O, U.... AND SOMETIMES, Y... Joking. Actual Rating: 9.5/10 "Electric Relaxation" - Probably the most iconic track from the album. Extremely bounceable. Fitting, considering the ending is Ms. Dunn encouraging us to "Keep Bou-Keep Bouncing." The beat is accompanied by sliiick lyrics from Phife (RIP) and a chill smooth jazz vibe. Great bass throughout the track. Q-Tip provides absolute gems on the mic as well. Great to bump to on a weekend at home. Keep Bouncing. Rating: 10/10 "Clap Your Hands Now" - Goodness. Phife was SOOOO FREAKING SLICK. What sorely-missed talent. Deep underground vibe to this track, while also providing a nostalgically nightmarish "Memento Mori" of time itself. Makes you existentially scared of how quickly time passes. It's only going faster everyday. There is one more track in the end of the album that shares this vibe, so strap in and prepare for another blissful existential journey. To be enjoyed over your favorite "herbal medication." Wink wink. Rating: 9/10 "Oh My God" - Starts with a very trumpet-fueled 70s-themed vibe, and gets replaced (and enhanced) by a deep bouncing bass sound. Tip and Phife give perfect balance to this track. We hear a looping "Oh my gawwwd!" By who sounds like Jim Ross from WWF. Ends with an explanation of what "M.C." means, from our favorite sexy-voiced tour guide. Rating: 8/10 "Keep It Rollin'" - Great balance! Very 90s electric guitar, a smooth flute that again gives off SA2 vibes, and a barely-noticeable, yet chill keyboard. Another great track that gets beautifully balanced by T+P. Rating: 8/10 "The Chase, Pt. II" - Awwwww maaaaan, this sample was engineered sooooo amazingly perfectly. Myyyy GOODNESS. The amount of genius put into this track is not of this world... Perfectly-timed lyrics to boot! Ms. Dunn informs us at the end of the track that "this concludes the Midnight Marauders program." Fear not, however. There still remain two more tracks. But to sum this track up... WARNING - "The Chase, Pt. II" is Extremely nostalgic. Listen at your own risk - you WILL travel back in time (mentally) wherever you are, if this track is anywhere within listening distance. Wherever you are. Absolute MASTERPIECE. My second favorite track. Rating: 10++/10 "Lyrics to Go" - Wacky groovy intro! Whatever that sample was, it was a great segue into the more seasonal, fall-based mellow main beat. Sharp, yet smooth lyrics by Tip. Meant exactly for the month it was released and it's surrounding fall months. Rating: 9.5/10 "God Lives Through" - The PICTURE-PERFECT way to end this absolutely Godlike creation. We humans were not meant to be blessed with such perfect human beings as the men and women who contributed to the creation of this album. This song made me cry harrrrd, yo... Very deep song that picks an element/theme/vibe from every other song on the album and combines them to create quite possibly the greatest song in history. It's certainly my favorite song. The nostalgia bomb hits harder than the Tsar. Completely speechless. Has turned off all of my fears in order to maximize my fear of the ever-quickening, endlessly permanent and irreversible and irreturnable passage of time. Wow. Speechless. Rating: 10+++/10 TL;DR - The greatest album you will ever listen to, if you're a 90s kid. Put on your best set of cans (headphones), spark up a blunt, and enjoy the work of the Four Horsemen of Hip-Hop. You'll feel reborn. I certainly have. Overall Rating: 10/10. A+. Masterpiece.

Excellent record. Plays well and not warped at all. Obviously the content speaks for itself.

I bought this record knowing how great this album is. A Tribe Called Quest is personally, my favorite musical group ever and I grew up listening to everything (in terms of genre and era). I consider this one of the best albums to gift the world of Hip-hop and Music. It changed the perception of hip-hop (with the help of De La Soul) and was one of the grooviest, original sounding tracks at the time in the early 90's. What I love about this LP is that it's NOT a Double LP. I can play one side through out and enjoy the hell out of it. A Tribe Called Quest did a tremendous job with this album, their best work in my opinion. Tracks such as The Chase Part II, Electric Relaxation and Oh My God blow me away and the fact that those three tracks are on one side of the LP makes this record one of my favorite LPs. Don't get me wrong, the whole album sounds, without a doubt, incredible from start to finish, but the second half is just by far superior. Bottom line if you listen to music, you will love this album, regardless of your'e opinions on hip-hop, because it is a great piece of music. In fact, listening to this album is one of Life's greatest pleasures. FYI, A Tribe Called Quest changed my life and perception of life and introduced (REAL) hip hop into my life. Emphasis on LIFE.

This album is an essential listen for any hip-hop fan. The production is smooth, the beats are infectious, and the lyricism is sharp and engaging from start to finish. Every track has its own unique vibe, yet the album flows seamlessly as a cohesive project. The sound quality on this edition is excellent, making it a joy to listen to on headphones, speakers, or vinyl. It’s a true classic that has stood the test of time and remains influential in the genre. Overall, Midnight Marauders is a must-have album for both longtime fans and newcomers alike. Five stars without a doubt.

Top tier Album of 1993 this vinyl album plays well. No chips cracks in the vinyl played from end to end.

Well it’s ATCQ and it’s a classic ! One of my favorite LPs of all time !

Classic LP from ATCQ! Album arrived in mint condition and the sound took me back to my teenage years.

This is a fire album, and everything was intact :D

Great album, love it so much. Phife and Q tip amazing Rip phife.

En perfecto estado y un clásico sin duda

No complaints

Lo compré para regalarlo a mi pareja y le gustó mucho. Llegó en tiempo y forma.

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