| Midnight Marauders | |
|---|---|
 Studio album by A Tribe Called Quest | |
|
Released |
9 November 1993 |
|
Recorded |
November 1992 - September 1993 at Battery Studios, Platinum Island/Mastermix and Sorcerer Sound |
|
Genre |
|
|
Length |
51:13 |
|
Label |
Jive |
|
Producer |
Skeff Anselm, Large Professor, A Tribe Called Quest |
| A Tribe Called Quest chronology | |
|---|---|
|
Previous |
The Low End Theory (1991) |
|
Next |
Beats, Rhymes and Life (1996) |
Midnight Marauders is the third studio album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released in 1993 on Jive Records. It was released two years after their second album The Low End Theory, and expands on the jazz rap sound already prominent in their earlier work. Large Professor makes the album's only guest appearance, appearing on the self-produced "Keep It Rollin'".
The album is strung together with skits performed by a robotic voiced woman, who explains the meaning of the title of the album ("seven times out of ten, we listen to our music at night" and "we maraud your ears") and shares information about the group and other things ("you're not any less of a man if you don't pull the trigger; you're not necessarily a man if you do"). The album artwork is one of the most popular hip hop covers of the 1990s, as it features headshots of various hip hop stars at the time.
The album was a criical and commercial success. It peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200, and #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Midnight Marauders is seen as a classic jazz rap album alongside The Low End Theory.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Midnight Marauders Tour Guide" | - | - | A Tribe Called Quest | 0:45 |
| 2. | "Steve Biko (Stir It Up)" | Phife Dawg, Q-Tip | Davis, Muhammad, Taylor | A Tribe Called Quest | 3:11 |
| 3. | "Award Tour" | Trugoy, Q-Tip, Phife Dawg | Davis, Muhammad, Taylor | A Tribe Called Quest | 3:46 |
| 4. | "8 Million Stories" | Phife Dawg, Q-Tip | Anselm, Davis, Muhammad, Taylor | Skeff Anselm | 4:30 |
| 5. | "Sucka Nigga" | Q-Tip | Davis, Hubbard, Muhammad, Taylor | A Tribe Called Quest | 4:05 |
| 6. | "Midnight" | Q-Tip | Davis, Muhammad, Taylor | A Tribe Called Quest | 3:49 |
| 7. | "We Can Get Down" | Phife Dawg, Q-Tip | Davis, Muhammad, Taylor | A Tribe Called Quest | 4:19 |
| 8. | "Electric Relaxation" | Q-Tip, Phife Dawg | Davis, Muhammad, Taylor | A Tribe Called Quest | 4:04 |
| 9. | "Clap Your Hands" | Phife Dawg, Q-Tip | Davis, James, Modeliste, Muhammad, Neville, Norcentelli, Porter, Taylor | A Tribe Called Quest | 3:16 |
| 10. | "Oh My God" | Q-Tip, Phife Dawg | Davis, Muhammad, Taylor | A Tribe Called Quest | 3:29 |
| 11. | "Keep It Rollin'" | Phife Dawg, Q-Tip, Large Professor | Davis, Mitchell, Muhammad, Taylor | Large Professor | 3:05 |
| 12. | "The Chase, Part II" | Phife Dawg, Q-Tip | Arrington, Davis, Godsey, Hankerton, Muhammad, Taylor | A Tribe Called Quest | 4:02 |
| 13. | "Lyrics to Go" | Q-Tip, Phife Dawg | Davis, Muhammad, Taylor | A Tribe Called Quest | 4:09 |
| 14. | "God Lives Through" | Phife Dawg, Q-Tip | Davis, Muhammad, Taylor | A Tribe Called Quest | 4:15 |
Samples
Midnight Marauders Tour Guide
- "Aquarius" by Cal Tjader
Steve Biko (Stir It Up)
- "Blackstone Legacy" by Woody Shaw
- "Ekim" by Michal Urbaniak Group
Award Tour
- "Olinga" by Milt Jackson
- "We Gettin' Down" by Weldon Irvine
- "Advice" by Sly & the Family Stone
- "Lowdown" by Charles Earland
- "Hobo Scratch" by Malcolm McLaren and World's Famous Supreme Team
- "Don't Walk Away" by Jade
8 Million Stories
- "Bettina" by Bola Sete
- "Over the Rainbow" by Ohio Players
Sucka Nigga
- "Red Clay" by Jack Wilkins
- "M.C. Battle" by Busy Bee and Rodney Cee
- "Kissing My Love" by Cold Blood
Midnight
- "North Beach" by George Duke
- "Psychedelic Shack" by Albino Gorilla
We Can Get Down
- "Martin's Funeral" by Bill Cosby
- "The Big Beat" by Billy Squier
- "My Melody" by Eric B. & Rakim
Electric Relaxation
- "Mystic Brew" by Ronnie Foster
- "Outside Love" by Brethren
- "Dreams" by Ramsey Lewis
Clap Your Hands
- "Handclapping Song" by The Meters
- "Nautilus" by Bob James
- "Ode to Billie Joe" by Lou Donaldson
- "New World" by Woody Shaw
Oh My God
- "Absolutions" by Lee Morgan
- "Who's Gonna Take the Weight" by Kool & the Gang
- "Why Can't People Be Colors Too?" by The Whatnauts
- "Damn Right I'm Somebody" by Fred Wesley and The J.B.'s
- "One for the Treble" by Davy DMX
Keep It Rollin'
- "Feel Like Makin' Love" by Roy Ayers Ubiquity
The Chase, Part II
- "Beddie-Biey" by Steve Arrington
- "Nobody Beats the Biz" by Biz Markie
Lyrics to Go
- "Inside My Love" by Minnie Riperton
- "The Mixed Up Cup" by Clyde McPhatter
- "Just Enough Room for Storage" by James Brown
God Lives Through
- "Dig on It" by Jimmy McGriff
- "On Love" by David T. Walker
- "Gimme Some More" by The J.B.'s