A Tribe Called Quest
Midnight Marauders

THE REVIEW

Few albums achieve total perfection.
It is indeed a rare hypothesis that an artist, regardless of their genre, releases an album perfect from every point of view (artistic, musical, production-wise), as the flaw or detail that makes one frown is almost always present, even in works of the highest quality. Exceptions are made for some albums, fundamental for the evolution and history of music, which we call "masterpieces." "Midnight Marauders" by A Tribe Called Quest is undoubtedly one of these.

Released in 1993 by Jive Records, "Midnight Marauders" marks the definitive maturation of Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and a further confirmation of the unique style of the New York trio after the magnificent "The Low End Theory." Far from gangsterrisms and usual genre stereotypes, accompanied by the magnificent soundscapes of Ali Shaheed Muhammad, children of the '70s jazz-funk, Q-Tip a.k.a. The Abstract and Phife Dawg sculpt their rhymes, never excessively engaged, in 14 splendid tracks, interspersed with amusing skits, a hallmark of all Native Tongue groups (just think of the skits of De La Soul Is Dead, which form a true story!).

After the introduction of Midnight Marauders Guide Intro it starts, and from the "New York City represent represent, ATCQ represent represent!" of Steve Biko (Stir It Up) you understand you're in front of something of the highest level, also due to the magnificent beat, full of guitars, percussion, and horns, borrowed (and reworked) directly from the '70s. As you continue listening, you encounter other memorable tracks like Award Tour with Dave from De La Soul, the stunning Sucka Nigga, where Q-Tip's rhymes, accompanied by a memorable bass groove, touch the classic theme of the "Sucker Mc" with a unique and original flair, as in other references on the album (beautiful the interlude that says: "The title MC means master of ceremony. Many people don't know what this term means..."), then continues with the hypnotic Midnight ("Midnight is on my mind, but the sun is still shine...": simply beautiful!), Electric Relaxation and its sublime composition, Clap Yo Hands which brilliantly reprises the intro of Nautilus by Bob James, the engaging Oh My God, featuring a very young Busta Rhymes.

You could really mention every detail of this sublime album, a tribute to true hip hop from the cover itself, which contains the faces of more than 50 rap artists like Beastie Boys, De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, and others. For those who have always been skeptical about the genre, or for those who want to start exploring the rap planet, "Midnight Marauders" can be an excellent starting point, to learn to love a genre that, due to the MTV generation, is continually disparaged and criticized by many, but which, in reality, has somehow contributed to the evolution of black music, thanks to some artists and to albums of paramount importance like "Midnight Marauders."

Don't miss it.