Dem Vinyl Boyz Ep. 03 - Midnight Marauders

Episode Description

This week the Vinyl Boyz drop the needle on the 90s classic hip-hop record from A Tribe Called Quest titled Midnight Marauders. Released on November 9, 1993, by Jive Records. John “Q-Tip” Davis a.k.a. Kamaal Fareed, Malik “Phife Dawg” Taylor, and Ali Shaheed Muhammed had already earned the adoration of dedicated hip-hop heads and fans of other genres with their previous projects. But with Midnight Marauders, they cemented their legend. Tribe were in a difficult position when working to put together Midnight Marauders: how do you follow up literally one of the best hip-hop albums of all time? Following their debut People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths Of Rhythm (1990), their sophomore LP The Low End Theory (1991) showcased the group’s vastly improved production chops and rhyming abilities. With their second album, they created perfect music to chill and vibe out to. It was a masterful artistic achievement. This album we reviewed this week is ranked in the top 5 of all time when discussing the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. Commercially, Midnight Marauders is the A Tribe Called Quest’s highest selling album. The album sold over 1,000,000 copies within it’s first year, making it a platinum hit. It also peaked #70 on the UK album charts, #8 on the Billboard 200, and took the top spot Top R&B/Hip Hop chart. A lot of the album’s success is due to its timeless classic of a single “Award Tour” which peaked at #47 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s influence has spanned decades with the track being referenced by the likes of Wale, Kanye West, Common, Azealia Banks, and Justin Timberlake. Recording sessions for the album occurred at Battery Studios, Platinum Island Studios and Scorcerer Sound in New York City. Its production was mainly handled by Q-Tip, with contributions from Skeff Anselm, Large Professor and the group's DJ, Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A culmination of the group's two previous albums, it features an eclectic, gritty sound based on jazz, funk, soul and R&B samples, in addition to socially conscious, positively-minded, and humorous lyrics. Thanks for listening. Next week we will be reviewing Metallica's Black Album from 1991. Please subscribe and tell your friends about us!

Connect

More about Dem Vinyl Boyz

For decades, people who enjoyed music on vinyl records instead of CDs or MP3s were considered dinosaurs. While we like moving at 33 RPM, the rest of the world rushed and went to digital. Not only did vinyl refuse to die but demand is at its highest since at least 1991. It's a good thing Dem Vinyl Boyz saved all their records from back in the day. Because, now we have the biggest collection of 12-inch records on the radio. Dem Vinyl Boyz love the joy of sliding a classic album out of its cover; the crackle of a needle just dropped into a groove; the careful way to pick up and flip a record when a side ends. On the podcast each week we feature a different piece of music history on vinyl record. Dem Vinyl Boyz experience the album front and back, giving you commentary and music facts along the way. Put your ear buds in and let us take you on a musically journey listening to the greatest music of all time and the history of how it became legendary. Dem Vinyl Boyz! Respect The Technique