Midnight Marauders - Tribe Called Quest (A) (CD 1993)

A Tribe Called Quest reuniting!?

Whether you re a fan of the trio or not, it s impossible to deny that the reunion of the legendary trio is a good thing. Since going their separate ways, the group has proven that ATCQ was definitely greater than the sum of its parts. It s certainly no crime to contend that Phife Dog has never really been a pitbull on the mic, and his solo work without Q-Tip is often all bark and no bite as a result. Conversely, Tip s vivrant solo efforts enjoyed more commercial success than Phife s, despite the fact that the principal redeeming qualities of his music were the blazing hotties he cast in his videos. Arguably, deejay Ali Shaheed Muhammed may have garnered the most post-Tribe acclaim with his work as a member of Lucy Pearl, with Raphael Saddiq and Ms. Hey I Don t Like This Group Anymore, Lemme Join Another ex-En Vogue fox, Dawn Robinson.

So with a new Tribe Called Quest album looming on the distant horizon, it only seemed appropriate to take a look at one of their earlier works; specifically the group s 1993 LP, Midnight Marauders.

Of course, the best reason to delve into A Tribe Called Quest s Midnight Marauders LP is to get a taste of those classic singles that dominated the airwaves back before the recent crap-deifying media deregulation. Award Tour is the most memorable cut from the album thanks to the animate horns, bumping drums, and Trugoy of De La Soul running through tour cities in the chorus. Fans of Busta Rhymes will be excited to hear him screaming with that memorable LONS wildness in-between the ringing brass and bounding bass of Oh My God. But my personal favorite is Electric Relaxation, featuring Tip and Phife lyrically macking on girls over airy strings and a lush bass groove. All the above are timeless cuts that in the right mix, can liven up any party even today.

Still, there s much more to Midnight Marauders than party vibes and juicy singles. Sucka N*gga is Q-Tip s mini lyrical dissertation on the proliferation of the use of the n-word in black youth culture, a joint that would later be the inspiration for Rawkus rapper Mos Def s own study on racism, Mr. Ni**a. The Abstract Poetic even expresses his own ambivalence in placing the word in his rhymes, rapping other ni**as in the community think it's crummy/ but I don't, neither does the youth cause we embrace adversity it goes right with the race/ yo, I start to flinch, as I try not to say it but my lips is like an oowop as I start to spray it

Also, it s fascinating to listen to the utilization of the jazzy low end production method present throughout the effort that the production team would revolutionize the industry with for years to come. The wafting, spiral harmonies of Lyrics To Go and shadowy tones of Midnight are as entertaining to hear as any rhyme by Tip and Phife. Definitely credit for the composition of the samples belong to the original artists from whom they re borrowed, but nothing can take away the inventive way the Questers crafted stirring new material from the old.

Unfortunately there is one blemish on this near-flawless example of Hip-Hop excellence. Clap Your Hands is the one of the few wack tracks in A Tribe Called Quest s discography, and sadly it s presence disturbs the aesthetic flow of MM. The poor selection of horn samples, layered vocal cuts, and swampy percussion create a very unenjoyable track, and Tip and Phife s vocal do nothing to justify the need for the song. Allowing Clap Your Hands to hit the cutting room floor would have helped create a more spotless release for ATCQ.

Regrettably, few artists make music of this caliber anymore, not even A Tribe Called Quest themselves. Too many rap artists are preoccupied with mean-mugging, jewels, girls, record sales, and whatever else that doesn t really matter to realize that first and foremost, Hip-Hop is supposed to be fun. But the popularity of this lamentable trend doesn t mean that you have to reside permanently in this plastic rapper era. Check out Midnight Marauders and travel back in time to the golden days with Tip, Phife, and Sha. Quest on!

Track Listing
01. Midnight Marauders Tour Guide
02. Steve Biko (Stir It Up)
03. Award Tour
04. 8 Million Stories
05. Sucka N*gga
06. Midnight
07. We Can Get Down
08. Electric Relaxation
09. Clap Your Hands
10. Oh My God
11. Keep It Rollin
12. The Chase, Part II
13. Lyrics To Go
14. God Lives Through