The third and last of the 'classic' Tribe records (preceding the addition of Jay Dee and the formation of the Ummah production team), "Midnight Marauders" sees the group at their most musically sophisticated, marrying the distinctive Tribe sound with groundbreaking sampling and adventurous rhymes. The logical evolution of the bop-influenced hooks which characterized "Low End Theory", "...Marauders" seemlessly balances jazz, soul and reggae influences with pure golden age hip hop, graduating from a cool school aesthetic to an electric jazz sound (reminiscent of fusion-era Miles Davis). Lyrically "Midnight Marauders" finds the group's abstract poetics in excellent form as usual, and Phife is miles ahead of the 'mayor-flavor' rhymes of "Can I Kick It."

As per the title, the album develops the introspection of "After Hours" into a nocturnal feel which winds its way through "Midnight," the party-rock of "We Can Get Down," "Clap Your Hands" and the complex layers of "God Lives Through." No review of this LP would be complete without a moment in tribute to the majesty of the Ronnie Foster sampling "Electric Relaxation", a flawless cut which sees Q-Tip and Phife Dawg trading killer bars with effortless flow. All in all, a true classic from back in the day, which no home should be without.

• 1 Midnight Marauders Tour Guide
• 2 Steve Biko
• 3 Award Tour
• 4 8 Million Stories
• 5 Sucka Nigga
• 6 Midnight
• 7 We Can Get Down
• 8 Electric Relaxation
• 9 Clap Your Hands
• 10 Oh My God
• 11 Keep It Rollin'
• 12 The Chase, Part II
• 13 Lyrics to Go
• 14 God Lives Through
• 15 Hot Sex+