Midnight Marauders
by A Tribe Called Quest

From HoldenM 08/30/2024 14:30 | #305042

Maybe the most consistent ATCQ album?

Very good follow-up to album as great as their prevoius one, beats are fantastic and rapping is mostly top-notch too.

This is an inconsistent listen with there being some brilliant tracks but also some cuts that feel like B sides and shouldn't have made it on to the album. The flow of the record is great though and the way they make the music feel like it never stops is very effective and makes the release feel cohesive and focused. It is also so easy to just stick this album on and relax as the style they have on here makes you just drift through from song to song and you never get sucked out of the music. This really impressed me and makes it fun to revisit this record often. Overall, a perfect album to just chill to and it also has a lot of quality on it.

Hip Hop is ridiculously underrated on this site. Midnight Marauders is one of the best albums across all genres.

From Larcx13 06/02/2021 03:26 | #270260

Such a great classic. Under rated on this website... like nearly every other hip hop album that's not by Kanye.

Stand out tracks:
Steve Biko (Stir it Up), Award Tour, Sucka Nigga, We Can Get Down, The Chase Part II, Electric Relaxation

My least favorite:
Oh My God and Keep It Rollin'

From VictorVale 03/22/2021 19:24 | #267629

Fresh demais! Pai e mãe da metada do hip hop atual.

Now, it may come as a shock, but I have to confess this is one of those classics (actually there are alarmingly many albums that belong in this category, both in hip hop and in general) I appreciate more than I enjoy. If you ask me to name a negative attribute of this, I will most likely reply with some awkward silence and a helpless look. I mean, all of its elements are of the highest standard. Production-wise they go for a sound that feels like the natural evolution of their previous album. It is based on the same jazzy yet energetic background, but a bit more challenging, more daring, that's why it might not be as accessible during the first couple of listens, you need some repeats to properly evaluate it. The rapping is at least at the same level and arguably even a slight improvement in comparison to their previous album, Phife Dawg and Q-Tip seem to have found the perfect balance here. The lyrics combine socio-politcal commentary with captivating storytelling ("There's activities a-plenty in the nighttime For the ghetto child it seem to be the right time See, kids be getting stuck with jewels and fly gimmicks Shorty see the action and then start to mimic Running to the corner, the dice game is blazing Looking at the loot, it seems so amazing Puts the short down, to be exact one pound He shakes the stones in his hand, then he lets it down Scared money don't make none He threw a trip on the ace now he's out son Hits the local bodega to wolf down a hero Son is on a midnight run like De Niro"), some typical rap themes ("Musically, the three, poetically we be The enchantment on the airwaves, kids just fade Obey the MCs, cos the MCs say We flipping on niggas like we Super Dave ... Moving with the grace, here we go, let's begin Making people jump out their goddamn skin Lyrically, we bite like we Rin Tin Tin Peace to Grand Pu and his many many skins Don't mark us for the 'L' cos you know we get the wins It's the Ab, Shaheed, and the Dawg for the blend") and their trademark rhymes ("Told you in the jam that we can get down Now, let's knock the boots like the group H-Town You got BBD all on your bedroom wall But I'm above the rim and this is how I ball A gritty little something on the New York street This is how I represent over this here beat"). And to think they came up with this right after The Low End Theory, which at the time seemed like mission impossible to repeat or even come close to it, makes their achievement even more impressive.
To sum it up, it may not be among my biggest favorites, but it's status as an absolute classic is undeniable and well-deserved.

From planetneutral 12/05/2020 06:26 | #262007

Not bad at all, but doesn't stand out the way Low End Theory does.

From Droophus 01/07/2020 06:28 | #246509

Oh ma gawd! For my money the best hip hop record ever. Hard as hell, smart and catchy.

From Brad1770 04/17/2019 01:40 | #235103

How does a Tribe Called Quest follow up 1991's seminal 'The Low End Theory' ? With the remarkable 'Midnight Marauders' 2 years later

Essential west coast rap from one of the 90's most important artists