The album also showcases the chemistry and charisma of the group's members: Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Jarobi White. Q-Tip and Phife Dawg trade verses with ease and humor, displaying their complementary styles and personalities. Ali Shaheed Muhammad provides the scratches and cuts that add flavor and texture to the tracks. Jarobi White, who left the group after their first album, makes a cameo appearance on the song "God Lives Through".
The album's title refers to the concept of the group being "midnight marauders", who roam the streets at night and spread their music to the masses. The album cover features a montage of faces of various hip hop artists and celebrities, who are supposed to represent the listeners of the album. The album also features a female voice that narrates the album's theme and introduces some of the songs. The voice belongs to Laurel Dann, a receptionist at Battery Studios, where the album was recorded.
The album spawned three singles: "Award Tour", "Electric Relaxation", and "Oh My God". All three songs were successful and received heavy airplay on radio and MTV. "Award Tour" features a guest appearance by Trugoy from De La Soul, another member of the Native Tongues collective. "Electric Relaxation" is one of the group's most popular songs, with a catchy hook and a smooth sample of Ronnie Foster's "Mystic Brew". "Oh My God" features a sample of Kool & the Gang's "Who's Gonna Take the Weight" and a vocal snippet of Busta Rhymes from Leaders of the New School, another Native Tongues affiliate.
The album received critical acclaim upon its release, earning a perfect five-mic rating from The Source magazine. It also achieved commercial success, debuting at number eight on the Billboard 200 chart and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It was certified gold by the RIAA in 1994 and platinum in 1995. The album has since been recognized as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time by various publications and critics, such as Rolling Stone , Pitchfork , AllMusic , Complex , and VH1 .
Midnight Marauders is a classic hip hop album that showcases A Tribe Called Quest's creativity, skill, and impact on the genre and culture. It is an essential listen for any fan of hip hop or music in general.
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