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{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Midnight Marauders
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[A Tribe Called Quest]]
| cover      = ATCQMidnightMarauders.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = {{start date|1993|11|9}}
| recorded   = January – September 1993<ref name="beats"/>
| venue      =
| studio     = Battery Studios, Platinum Island Studios and Scorcerer Sound in [[New York City]]
| genre      = {{flatlist|
*[[East Coast hip hop]]
*[[jazz rap]]
*[[alternative hip hop]]
*[[boom bap]]
}}
| length     = 51:12
| label      = [[Jive Records|Jive]]
| producer   = {{flatlist|
*A Tribe Called Quest
*Skeff Anselm
*[[Large Professor]]}}
| prev_title = [[The Low End Theory]]
| prev_year  = 1991
| next_title = [[Beats, Rhymes and Life]]
| next_year  = 1996
| misc       = {{Singles
 | name        = Midnight Marauders
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[Award Tour]]
 | single1date = October 19, 1993
 | single2     = [[Electric Relaxation]]
 | single2date = February 28, 1994
 | single3     = [[Oh My God (A Tribe Called Quest song)|Oh My God]]
 | single3date = May 30, 1994
}}
}}
'''''Midnight Marauders''''' is the third [[Album#Studio|studio album]] by American [[hip hop music|hip hop]] group [[A Tribe Called Quest]], released on November 9, 1993, by [[Jive Records]]. 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 (musician)|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, ''[[People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm]]'' and ''[[The Low End Theory]]'', it features an eclectic, gritty sound based on [[jazz]], [[funk]], [[soul music|soul]] and [[rhythm and blues|R&B]] [[sampling (music)|samples]], in addition to [[social consciousness|socially conscious]], positively-minded, and humorous lyrics.

''Midnight Marauders'' debuted at number eight on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] and number one on the [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] chart. The first two singles, "[[Electric Relaxation]]" and "[[Award Tour]]", charted on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], before the release of the final single, "[[Oh My God (A Tribe Called Quest song)|Oh My God]]". On January 14, 1994, the album was certified [[Recording Industry Association of America certification|gold]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA), with shipments of 500,000 copies in the United States. It was certified [[Recording Industry Association of America certification|platinum]] by the RIAA nearly a full year later, on January 11, 1995, with shipments of one million copies.

The album received mostly positive reviews from critics upon release. In the following years, ''Midnight Marauders'' has acquired further acclamation from within the hip hop community for its production, chemistry and influence, with some regarding it as the group's best work, and one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. Several writers have credited it as a contributor to a "second [[golden age hip hop|golden age]]" of hip hop in the mid-1990s, as well as the pinnacle of the [[Native Tongues]] movement. In 2020, it was ranked at number 201 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'s}} list of the [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|500 Greatest Albums of All Time]].

==Recording==
A Tribe Called Quest sought to further develop the bass-heavy sound of its previous album, ''[[The Low End Theory]]'', with group member [[Q-Tip (musician)|Q-Tip]] setting up his production equipment in the house basement of fellow member [[Phife Dawg]]'s grandmother.<ref name="pitchfork"/><ref name="billboard">[https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/large-professor-phife-dawg-tribute-7271864/ Large Professor Remembers His 'Witty, Sharp, Smooth' Friend Phife Dawg] ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''. Accessed on January 9, 2018.</ref><ref name="xxl">{{cite web | url=http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2013/11/phife-breaks-ten-favorite-tribe-called-quest-songs/3/| title=PHIFE BREAKS DOWN HIS TEN FAVORITE A TRIBE CALLED QUEST SONGS (Page 3)|work=[[XXL (magazine)|XXL]] | date=November 8, 2013 | access-date=January 9, 2018}}</ref> Phife Dawg explained, "my grandmother gave him a key, the whole nine, he used to just go in and do his thing."<ref name="xxl"/> Most of the album was planned in the basement, though Q-Tip also worked on outside projects there, including the [[beat (music)|beat]] for [[Nas]]'s single "[[One Love (Nas song)|One Love]]", which appeared on his debut album ''[[Illmatic]]'' (1994).<ref name="billboard"/> Rapper and producer [[Large Professor]] recalled the inviting, relaxed atmosphere in the basement: "[Phife Dawg] would just be there chilling, watching a basketball game or something, playing a video game and just listening to the beats, like, 'Yeah, yeah, I like that right there.' It was just so casual and cool &nbsp;... just kind of sitting there and chillin' out, going to get something to eat, going through sounds and picking the sounds out. Telling a few jokes, watching some television like that; it was really nice. It wasn't forced in any way."<ref name="billboard"/>

Phife Dawg recalled the pressure that the group faced to make a solid follow-up to ''The Low End Theory'': "Obviously, that's a two-year wait, so there was a lot of pressure like, 'Can they do it again?' Q-Tip is really hands on, Tip is a genius, so by the time he was finished sequencing the album, I was lookin' at him sayin, 'Yo, b, we did it again.'"<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2013/11/phife-breaks-ten-favorite-tribe-called-quest-songs/| title=PHIFE BREAKS DOWN HIS TEN FAVORITE A TRIBE CALLED QUEST SONGS (Page 1)|work=[[XXL (magazine)|XXL]] | date=November 8, 2013 | access-date=January 9, 2018}}</ref> The album's title, ''Midnight Marauders'', originated from Q-Tip's lyrics in the song "Vibes and Stuff" from ''The Low End Theory'', though it was later interpreted by group member [[Ali Shaheed Muhammad]] that "A Tribe Called Quest are like sound thieves looting for your ears."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/07138-a-tribe-called-quest-the-low-end-theory|title=25 Years On: A Tribe Called Quest's The Low End Theory Revisited|work=[[The Quietus]]|date=September 24, 2016|access-date=January 9, 2018|archive-date=May 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517024556/https://thequietus.com/articles/07138-a-tribe-called-quest-the-low-end-theory|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.dailypress.com/1994/08/05/quest-to-be-the-best/ |title=Quest To Be The Best |journal=[[Daily Press (Virginia)|Daily Press]] |date=August 5, 1994 |access-date=January 12, 2018 |last=McDonald |first=Sam}}</ref>

Recording sessions for ''Midnight Marauders'' took place at Battery Studios, Platinum Island Studios and Scorcerer Sound in New York City, over a period of nine months,<ref name="days">{{cite journal |title=Days Like This.... |journal=[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]] |issue=51 |date=December 1993 |last=Dawsey |first=Kierna Mayo|page=76}}</ref> ending in September 1993.<ref name="beats">{{cite journal |last=Rapaport |first=Michael |title=[[Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest]] |journal=[[Sony Pictures Classics]] |date=2011}}</ref> All songs were mixed at Battery Studios and mastered at [[The Hit Factory]] in New York City.<ref name="days"/> Production was mainly handled by Q-Tip, with contributions from Skeff Anselm, Large Professor and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, who also contributed DJ [[scratching]].<ref>[http://www.moovmnt.com/2009/04/19/exclusive-q-tip-interview/ Exclusive: Q-Tip Interview] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170531181251/http://www.moovmnt.com/2009/04/19/exclusive-q-tip-interview/ |date=May 31, 2017 }}. MOOVMNT.com. Retrieved on 2018-01-09.</ref><ref name="complex2">{{cite web| url=http://www.complex.com/music/2011/09/end-of-discussion-why-a-tribe-called-quests-midnight-marauders-is-better-than-the-low-end-theory/| title=End of Discussion: Why A Tribe Called Quest's "Midnight Marauders" Is Better Than "The Low End Theory"| work=[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]]| date=September 24, 2011| access-date=January 9, 2018| archive-date=September 17, 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917055847/http://www.complex.com/music/2011/09/end-of-discussion-why-a-tribe-called-quests-midnight-marauders-is-better-than-the-low-end-theory/| url-status=live}}</ref> [[Raphael Saadiq]] (credited as Raphael Wiggins) played [[bass guitar]] on the song "Midnight".<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/features/raphael-saadiq-interview-mary-j-blige-mighty-river-mudbound-8211544| title=Raphael Saadiq on Collaborating With Mary J. Blige on Oscar-Nominated 'Mighty River' and Joint Album With Ali Shaheed Muhammad |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | date=February 20, 2018 | access-date=November 16, 2018}}</ref>

Despite [[Jarobi White]] leaving the group midway through recording ''The Low End Theory'', the group maintained a "revolving door policy" with him, in which he would continue to attend recording sessions and supply the group with humor that became part of their songwriting process.<ref name="slate">{{cite journal|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2011/07/07/what_exactly_does_jarobi_white_the_mysterious_fourth_member_of_a.html|title=What Exactly Does Jarobi White, the Mysterious Fourth Member of A Tribe Called Quest, Actually Do?|journal=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|date=July 7, 2011|access-date=January 9, 2018|last=Davis|first=Stephen|archive-date=October 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171006163625/http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2011/07/07/what_exactly_does_jarobi_white_the_mysterious_fourth_member_of_a.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Clarifying his role, he stated, "You come in [to the studio]. You might have had a bad day today. Some lady might have pushed you on the train &nbsp;... I walk in the studio and I'm bringing all my rambunctious silly stupid jokes and now we're all laughing."<ref name="slate"/>

==Music==
===Production===
The production on ''Midnight Marauders'' is a return to the eclectic sampling that the group was originally known for, featuring samples of mainly 1970s jazz, funk, soul and R&B.<ref>[https://medium.com/micro-chop/a-tribe-called-quests-midnight-marauders-just-turned-24-here-s-a-18-track-playlist-to-4fbd2d2fe359 A Tribe Called Quest’s “Midnight Marauders” Just Turned 24 — Here’s a 18-Track Playlist To Celebrate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110114701/https://medium.com/micro-chop/a-tribe-called-quests-midnight-marauders-just-turned-24-here-s-a-18-track-playlist-to-4fbd2d2fe359 |date=January 10, 2018 }} [[Medium (website)|Medium]]. Accessed on January 9, 2018.</ref><ref name="weekly"/><ref name="about"/> The sound is noticeably grittier and funkier than ''The Low End Theory'', with John Bush of [[AllMusic]] noting that the group "moved closer to their [[hardcore hip hop|harder contemporaries]]" and praising them for producing "the most inviting grooves heard on any early-'90s rap record."<ref name="allmusic"/><ref>Bush, John. [http://www.allmusic.com/artist/a-tribe-called-quest-mn0000478982/biography A Tribe Called Quest - Biography by John Bush] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180405003821/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/a-tribe-called-quest-mn0000478982/biography |date=April 5, 2018 }}. [[AllMusic]]. Accessed on January 9, 2018.</ref> The album has been described as "hooky" and was given critical praise for its frequent horn [[hook (music)|hook]]s.<ref name="christgau"/> Q-Tip implemented his drum layering technique to great effect on the album, varying the drum frequencies on each song.<ref name="redbull">[http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/lectures/q-tip Q-Tip] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215213942/http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/lectures/q-tip |date=February 15, 2018 }} [[Red Bull Music Academy]]. Accessed on January 9, 2018.</ref> Describing the album's [[programming (music)|drum programming]] to ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]'', Q-Tip said:

{{blockquote|These are some epic drum sounds that will tear your fucking head off. And there are ways you can get that sound on different levels too. The drums don't always have to be super loud. When you listen to 'Electric Relaxation' the drums are not trying to kill you. It's [very much] controlled. But even if it's a smaller sounding beat you want the tone to be like at any moment the tone of these drums can go from 5 to 10! That's the whole vibe of Tribe's drum sound I was trying to go for.<ref name="vibe">[https://www.vibe.com/2011/07/full-clip-q-tip-runs-down-his-music-catalogue-ft-tribe-de-la-soul-nas-biggie-roots/midnight-marauders-tribe-called-quest-q-tip/ Midnight Marauders--A Tribe Called Quest (1993)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171015203708/https://www.vibe.com/2011/07/full-clip-q-tip-runs-down-his-music-catalogue-ft-tribe-de-la-soul-nas-biggie-roots/midnight-marauders-tribe-called-quest-q-tip/ |date=October 15, 2017 }} ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]''. Accessed on January 9, 2018.</ref>}}

Q-Tip also [[experimental hip hop|experimented]] with vocal sampling techniques on the album. For the song "Lyrics to Go", he sampled a portion of "[[Inside My Love]]" by [[Minnie Riperton]], in which Riperton's [[whistle register]] is sustained throughout, giving "Lyrics to Go" a droning backdrop.<ref name="complex2"/><ref name="buzz">{{cite web | url=https://www.buzz.ie/music/throwback-tune-of-the-day-minnie-riperton-inside-my-love-182252| title=Throwback tune of the day: Minnie Riperton - Inside My Love|work=Buzz.ie | date=October 6, 2016 | access-date=January 9, 2018}}</ref> The song "Sucka Nigga" contains a slowed-down sample of [[Funky 4 + 1|Rodney Cee]]'s voice, taken from "M.C. Battle" with [[Busy Bee Starski|Busy Bee]], which was featured in the [[old-school hip hop|old school hip hop]] film ''[[Wild Style]]'' (1983).<ref name="complex2"/>

While DJing at a party, Q-Tip played [[Jade (group)|Jade]]'s hit "[[Don't Walk Away (Jade song)|Don't Walk Away]]"; noting the positive crowd reaction when the song's bassline began playing, he was inspired to sample the bassline for the album's lead single, "Award Tour".<ref>[https://medium.com/micro-chop/jades-don-t-walk-away-inspired-q-tip-to-make-award-tour-acf322b5cc27 Jade’s “Don’t Walk Away” Inspired Q-Tip to Make “Award Tour”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110174332/https://medium.com/micro-chop/jades-don-t-walk-away-inspired-q-tip-to-make-award-tour-acf322b5cc27 |date=January 10, 2018 }} [[Medium (website)|Medium]]. Accessed on January 9, 2018.</ref> For ''The Low End Theory'', [[mixing engineer|engineer]] [[Bob Power]] removed all excess noise from the samples, however, Q-Tip instructed him to leave the noise in the samples on ''Midnight Marauders'', adding to the gritty nature of the album.<ref name="emusic">{{cite web |url=http://www.emusician.com/artists/1333/bob-power/31332 |title=Bob Power |publisher=EMusician.com |date=October 27, 2011 |access-date=January 9, 2018 |last=Jacobson |first=Carl |archive-date=October 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171006162813/http://www.emusician.com/artists/1333/bob-power/31332 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[http://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2014/07/bob-power-interview Interview: Bob Power on D'Angelo, Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul] [[Red Bull Music Academy]]. Accessed on January 9, 2018.</ref> In addition, Q-Tip has stated that the album has more "sheen" to it than ''The Low End Theory'', having been recorded on an [[Solid State Logic|SSL]] [[mixing console]] rather than the [[Neve Electronics|Neve]] console they previously used.<ref name="redbull"/>

===Lyrics===
The lyricism on ''Midnight Marauders'' is often regarded as the best on any A Tribe Called Quest album, and the group's biggest improvement since their debut ''[[People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm]]''.<ref name="allmusic"/><ref name="source2">{{cite web| url=http://thesource.com/2016/11/09/today-in-hip-hop-history-a-tribe-called-quest-releases-midnight-marauders-23-years-ago/| title=TODAY IN HIP HOP HISTORY: A TRIBE CALLED QUEST RELEASES 'MIDNIGHT MARAUDERS' 23 YEARS AGO| work=[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]| date=November 9, 2016| access-date=January 9, 2018| archive-date=January 10, 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110174510/http://thesource.com/2016/11/09/today-in-hip-hop-history-a-tribe-called-quest-releases-midnight-marauders-23-years-ago/| url-status=live}}</ref> The group's [[Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest|documentary]] director [[Michael Rapaport]] stated, "They followed a classic and upped the ante. Put it like this: [''The Low End Theory''] would be the first run at the championship ring, but it takes a different mentality to stay focused and do it again."<ref name="complex2"/> Subject matter on the album includes [[social issue]]s, use of the word [[nigger]] and [[everyday life]], as well as several [[sport]]s references.<ref name="stereogum"/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.sportingnews.com/ca/other-sports/news/phife-dawg-a-tribe-called-quest-best-lyrics-low-end-theory-midnight-marauders-peoples-instinctive-travels/1oat1ilew5e9j1hn3hgu0ns94x| title=Here are all of Phife Dawg's sports references |work=[[Sporting News]] | date=March 23, 2016 | access-date=January 12, 2018}}</ref> Building on the lyrical interplay that was established on ''The Low End Theory'', Q-Tip and Phife Dawg are "practically telepathic" on some songs, providing a contrast in both [[flow (music)|delivery]] and style.<ref name="allmusic"/> AllMusic's John Bush described this contrast as "focused yet funky" and "polished but raw."<ref name="allmusic"/>

All aspects of the group's lyricism improved on the album, including [[cadence (poetry)|cadence]], [[flow (music)|flow]], [[diction]] and use of [[metaphor]]s.<ref name="source2"/> The song "8 Million Stories" finds Phife Dawg [[storytelling]], as he details "a laundry-list of mundane annoyances."<ref name="stereogum">{{cite journal |url=https://www.stereogum.com/1559321/midnight-marauders-turns-20/franchises/the-anniversary/ |title=Midnight Marauders Turns 20 |journal=[[Stereogum]] |date=November 11, 2013 |access-date=January 9, 2018 |last=Breihan |first=Tom |archive-date=January 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110121659/https://www.stereogum.com/1559321/midnight-marauders-turns-20/franchises/the-anniversary/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On the single "Oh My God", he refers to himself as a "funky [[diabetes mellitus|diabetic]]" in a moment of self-deprecation. Throughout the album, the group blends their brand of intelligence, reflection, and positivity with humorous [[anecdote]]s.<ref name="allmusic"/><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.avclub.com/steve-biko-stir-it-up-perfectly-begins-the-last-gre-1798242086 |title="Steve Biko (Stir It Up)" perfectly begins the last great album from A Tribe Called Quest|journal=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=November 8, 2013 |access-date=January 12, 2018 |last=Ryan|first=Kyle}}</ref> James Bernard of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' praised the group for managing to "hold our attention without resorting to gun references or expletives."<ref name="weekly"/>

Tom Breihan of ''[[Stereogum]]'' noted that Q-Tip and Phife Dawg "sounded slicker and more comfortable than they ever had before."<ref name="stereogum"/> Owing to that comfort and their chemistry, the two occasionally performed each other's lyrics during the recording sessions.<ref name="xxl"/> Describing the "Electric Relaxation" session to ''[[XXL (magazine)|XXL]]'', Phife Dawg said, "On that record, [Q-Tip] wrote my lines and I wrote his—actually, we wrote our own lines, and when we recorded, we traded. That's why the whole back and forth, you know what I mean?"<ref name="xxl"/>

==Cover artwork==
[[File:Midnightmarauderscoverart.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The back vinyl cover of ''Midnight Marauders'']]
The album cover artwork depicts a woman painted in [[Afrocentrism|Afrocentric]] colors, continuing the artistic theme found on ''The Low End Theory''.<ref name="source2"/> According to ''[[Ego Trip (magazine)|Ego Trip]]'s Book of Rap Lists'', there are a reported 71 different hip hop luminaries and radio DJs who adorned ''Midnight Marauders''.<ref name="jenkins"/> Andrew Noz of ''[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]]'' called it one of hip hop's "last grand displays of cultural unity as the [[East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry|Coastal fallout]] loomed imminent."<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.complex.com/music/2011/10/hip-hops-50-greatest-album-covers/| title=The 50 Best Hip-Hop Album Covers| work=[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]]| date=October 28, 2011| access-date=January 9, 2018| archive-date=September 21, 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170921001319/http://www.complex.com/music/2011/10/hip-hops-50-greatest-album-covers/| url-status=live}}</ref> The book goes into detail as to which artists were on which particular album cover using a number scheme to easily identify each artist.<ref name="jenkins">Jenkins (1999), p. 178–179.</ref> The complete list of artists is as follows: [[3rd Bass]], [[Afrika Bambaataa]], [[AMG (rapper)|AMG]], [[Ant Banks]], [[Beastie Boys]], Awesome Two, [[Black Moon (group)|Black Moon]], [[Busta Rhymes]], [[Casual (rapper)|Casual]], [[Chi-Ali]], [[Chubb Rock]], [[Chuck D]], [[The Cold Crush Brothers]], [[Daddy-O (musician)|Daddy-O]] of [[Stetsasonic]], [[Dallas Austin]], [[Del the Funky Homosapien]], [[Diamond D]], [[De La Soul]], [[Doctor Dré]], [[Doug E. Fresh]], [[Fab Five Freddy]], Grandmaster Dee of [[Whodini]], [[Grandmaster Flash]], [[Heavy D]], [[Ice-T]], [[Jazzy Jay]], [[DJ Jazzy Joyce]], [[Jungle Brothers]], [[Kid Capri]], [[Kool DJ Red Alert]], [[Kool Moe Dee]], [[Large Professor]], Litro, [[Lords of the Underground]], [[MC Lyte]], Neek the Exotic, [[Organized Konfusion]], [[The Pharcyde]], [[Rashad Smith (producer)|Rashad Smith]], [[Rock Steady Crew]] ([[Crazy Legs (dancer)|Crazy Legs]], [[Mr. Wiggles]], Pee Wee Dance and Ruel), DJ Ron G, DJ Silver D, [[Sean Combs]], Skeff Anselm, [[Souls of Mischief]], [[Special Ed]], [[Sweet Tee]], [[Too Short]] and [[Universal Zulu Nation|Zulu Nation]] Supreme Council.<ref name="jenkins"/>

==Commercial performance==
''Midnight Marauders'' peaked at number eight on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] and number one on the [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] chart.<ref name="complex2"/> Two of its singles, "Award Tour" and "Electric Relaxation", charted on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], peaking at number 47 and 65, respectively.<ref>{{cite magazine|title="A Tribe Called Quest Chart History (Hot 100)"|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/a-tribe-called-quest/chart-history/hsi/|magazine=Billboard}}</ref>

On January 14, 1994, the album was certified [[Recording Industry Association of America certification|gold]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA), with shipments of 500,000 copies in the United States.<ref name="complex2"/> It was certified [[Recording Industry Association of America certification|platinum]] by the RIAA nearly a full year later, on January 11, 1995, with shipments of one million copies.<ref name="complex2"/> It became the first of three A Tribe Called Quest albums to be certified platinum by the RIAA, doing so 21 days before ''The Low End Theory'' achieved the feat.<ref name="complex2"/>

== Critical reception ==
{{Music ratings
| title = Contemporary professional reviews
| rev1       = ''[[Calgary Herald]]''
| rev1score  = C<ref>Muretich, James (December 12, 1993). "Recent Releases". ''[[Calgary Herald]]''.</ref>
| rev2       = ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''
| rev2score  = {{Rating|4|4}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4202392.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180304172340/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4202392.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 4, 2018 |title=A Tribe Called Quest, 'Midnight Marauders' (Jive) |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |date=November 28, 1993 |access-date=March 6, 2017 |last=Abdul-Adil |first=Jaleel |url-access=subscription }}</ref>
| rev3       = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev3score  = A<ref name="weekly">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,308643,00.html |title=Midnight Marauders |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=November 12, 1993 |access-date=May 11, 2013 |last=Bernard |first=James |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216075459/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C308643%2C00.html |archive-date=December 16, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| rev4       = ''[[NME]]''
| rev4score  = 7/10<ref name="NME">{{cite magazine |title=A Tribe Called Quest: Midnight Marauders |magazine=[[NME]] |date=November 27, 1993 |page=32}}</ref>
| rev5       = ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''
| rev5score  = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |title=A Tribe Called Quest: Midnight Marauders |magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]] |issue=87 |date=December 1993 |page=125}}</ref>
| rev6       = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev6score  = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref name="Kenny">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/midnight-marauders-19931125 |title=Midnight Marauders |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=November 25, 1993 |access-date=August 22, 2012 |last=Kenny |first=Glenn |author-link=Glenn Kenny |archive-date=December 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210225855/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/midnight-marauders-19931125 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| rev7       = ''[[Select (magazine)|Select]]''
| rev7score  = {{rating|4|5|full=U+25A0.svg|empty=U+25A1.svg|rating=medal}}<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Adam|last=Higginbotham|url=https://selectmagazinescans.monkeon.co.uk/showpage.php?file=wp-content/uploads/2014/07/albums34.jpg|title=New Albums|magazine=[[Select (magazine)|Select]]|date=January 1994|page=76|access-date=December 15, 2024|author-link=Adam Higginbotham|archive-date=October 15, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241015151118/http://selectmagazinescans.monkeon.co.uk/showpage.php?file=wp-content/uploads/2014/07/albums34.jpg|url-status=live}}</ref>
| rev8       = ''[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]''
| rev8score  = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="source">{{cite magazine |title=A Tribe Called Quest: Midnight Marauders |department=Record Report|last=hampton |first=dream |author-link=Dream Hampton|magazine=[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]] |issue=51 |date=December 1993 |page=88}}</ref>
| rev9       = ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''
| rev9score  = 3/3<ref name="spin"/>
| rev10      = ''[[USA Today]]''
| rev10score = {{Rating|3|4}}<ref name="usatoday">{{cite journal|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/306631522 |title=Strong third rounds for rappers |journal=[[USA Today]] |date=November 10, 1993 |access-date=June 15, 2022 |last=Jones |first=James T. IV |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105182823/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/doc/306631522.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov%2010,%201993&author=James%20T.%20Jones%20IV&pub=USA%20TODAY%20(pre-1997%20Fulltext)&edition=&startpage=&desc=Strong%20third%20rounds%20for%20rappers |archive-date=January 5, 2016 |id={{ProQuest|306631522}} }}</ref>
}}
''Midnight Marauders'' was generally well received by music critics, with ''Vibe'' hailing it as "a rap classic" and ''[[NME]]'' calling it the group's "most complete work to date."<ref>{{cite journal |title=A Tribe Called Quest: Midnight Marauders |journal=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]] |date=November 1993 |page=103}}</ref><ref name="NME"/> James Bernard of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated that the album "sounds as fresh" as ''People's Instinctive Travels'', praising its "smooth-as-butter" production and "whimsical vibe."<ref name="weekly"/> ''[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]''{{'s}} [[Dream Hampton]] credited the group for doing "what they've always done—ignore all of the current trends in hip-hop and deliver a solid collectable", adding that they "rely solely on their street poetry, [[Universal Zulu Nation|Zulu]] delivery and [[bebop|be-bop]] beats" to attract consumers.<ref name="source"/>

''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''{{'}}s Colson Whitehead praised Q-Tip and Phife Dawg for "complementing each other's styles perfectly", finding that their lyrical interplay "evokes the spontaneity of an improv [[jam session]]", and also lauded the album's "smooth textures that bubble up from unseen, mellow depths."<ref name="spin">{{cite journal |title=A Tribe Called Quest: Midnight Marauders |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1XjH458f108C&pg=PA119 |journal=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |last=Whitehead |first=Colson |date=December 1993 |page=119}}</ref> In his consumer guide for ''[[The Village Voice]]'', [[Robert Christgau]] quipped that it was "intelligent [[easy listening|easy-listening]] rap", choosing the track "Steve Biko (Stir It Up)" as a highlight;<ref>{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|date=March 1, 1994|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv294-94.php|title=Consumer Guide|newspaper=[[The Village Voice]]|access-date=February 9, 2022|archive-date=May 26, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090526214723/http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv294-94.php|url-status=live}}</ref> he later commended the album, rating it higher than ''The Low End Theory''.<ref name="christgau"/> In a negative review, [[Glenn Kenny]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' felt that the "lively wit" of the group's previous work had been "replaced with tired boasts", also stating, "The music still has its beguiling moments, but nothing approaches the revelatory jazz stylings and laid-back cool of past work."<ref name="Kenny"/>

===Retrospect===
John Bush of AllMusic praised the album for being "impeccably produced", "artistically adept," and "lyrically inventive."<ref name="allmusic"/> Bush also stated that it cemented the group's status as "[[alternative hip hop|alternative rap]]'s prime sound merchants" and hailed them as "authors of the most original style since [[the Bomb Squad]] first exploded on wax."<ref name="allmusic"/> Stereo Williams of ''[[The Daily Beast]]'' credited the album's "jazzy [[boom bap]]" with exerting a "lasting impact on the group’s legacy—and on Black music of the next 30 years."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Williams |first1=Stereo |title=30 Years Ago, A Tribe Called Quest's 'Midnight Marauders' Changed Hip-Hop |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/a-tribe-called-quests-midnight-marauders-turns-30/ |website=The Daily Beast |access-date=24 November 2024 |archive-date=November 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241104103049/https://www.thedailybeast.com/a-tribe-called-quests-midnight-marauders-turns-30/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In Oliver Wang's book ''Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide'', writer [[Joseph Patel]] noted how the album helped unify hip hop in the early 1990s:

{{blockquote|Their new crew extended beyond the [[Native Tongues]] and included all of hip-hop—as shown by the faces depicted on the album's front and back covers—and Tribe was quickly becoming the one group who could negotiate both [[underground hip hop|underground]] respect and aboveground fame. ''Midnight Marauders'' worked all the elements that constituted Tribe previously to utter perfection: storytelling; anthemic singles; sexually charged rhymes; innovative production; and an exploration of life experiences, emotion, sentiment, history, and heritage. As hip-hop began to change and stratify and develop into generations and geographies, ''Midnight Marauders'' could have been the last record that every single hip-hopper—whether from [[Queensbridge Houses|Queensbridge]] or [[Queensland]], whether [[gangsta rap|gangsta]] or wannabe [[poet]]—had in their collection.<ref name="oliver">Wang (2003), p. 104.</ref>}}

Writing in ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide#Fourth edition (2004)|The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'', Mac Randall wrote that it "certainly doesn't skimp on the funk."<ref name="Rolling Stone"/> For [[Dotdash|About.com]]'s 10 Essential Hip-Hop Albums, where the album was ranked seventh, writer Henry Adaso declared, "No other album showcased this amalgamation of jazz, soul, and rap better."<ref name="about"/> Steve Juon of RapReviews.com lauded its "unparalleled level" of "lyrical brilliance by both Tip and Phife."<ref name="rap">{{cite journal |url=http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/BTTL_midnight.html |title=A Tribe Called Quest :: Midnight Marauders |website=RapReviews.com |date=April 20, 2001 |access-date=January 9, 2018 |last=Juon |first=Steve |archive-date=June 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624131531/http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/BTTL_midnight.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It was ranked number 75 on ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''{{'}}s list of the Top 100 Favorite Records of the 1990s, with [[Cadence Weapon|Rollie Pemberton]] stating that the group "produced a [[jazz rap|jazz-hop]] clinic that finds itself equal parts [[Pete Rock]], [[Buckshot (rapper)|Buckshot]] and Diamond D."<ref name="pitchfork"/>

=== Accolades ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Publication
! Country
! Accolade
! Year
!align="center"| Rank
|-
|[[Dotdash|About.com]]
|[[United States|U.S.]]
|''100 Best Rap Albums of All Time''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/best-hip-hop-albums-2858016 |title=100 Best Rap Albums of All Time |publisher=[[Dotdash|About.com]] |access-date=2018-01-09 |archive-date=December 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201204119/https://www.thoughtco.com/best-hip-hop-albums-2858016 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| 2008
| style="text-align:center;"|26
|-
|About.com
|U.S.
|''10 Essential Hip-Hop Albums''<ref name="about">{{cite web |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/essential-rap-albums-2857804 |title=10 Hip-Hop Albums Everyone Should Own |publisher=About.com |access-date=2018-01-09 |archive-date=October 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014133256/https://www.thoughtco.com/essential-rap-albums-2857804 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| 2008
| style="text-align:center;"|7
|-
|About.com
|U.S.
|''Best Rap Albums of 1993''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/best-rap-albums-of-the-1990s-2857801 |title=Best Rap Albums of 1993 |publisher=About.com |access-date=2018-01-09 |archive-date=October 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014133225/https://www.thoughtco.com/best-rap-albums-of-the-1990s-2857801 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| 2008
| style="text-align:center;"|2
|-
| ''[[Ego Trip (magazine)|Ego Trip]]''
| U.S.
| ''Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980–1998''<ref>{{cite book|first1=Sacha|last1=Jenkins|author-link1=Sacha Jenkins|first2=Elliott|last2=Wilson|author-link2=Elliott Wilson (journalist)|first3=Jeff "Chairman"|last3=Mao|first4=Gabriel|last4=Alvarez|first5=Brent|last5=Rollins|date=1999|title=Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists|chapter=Hip Hop's Greatest Albums by Year: 1993|publisher=[[St. Martin's Press]]|page=334|isbn=0-312-24298-0}}</ref>
| 1999
|align="center"| 2
|-
| ''[[Exclaim!]]''
| [[Canada]]
| ''100 Records That Rocked 100 Issues''<ref>{{cite web |title=100 Records That Rocked 100 Issues of Exclaim! {{!}} Exclaim! |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/100_records_that_rocked_100_issues_of |website=Exclaim |access-date=11 June 2024 |language=en |date=17 November 2016 |archive-date=November 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231121153826/https://exclaim.ca/music/article/100_records_that_rocked_100_issues_of |url-status=live }}</ref>
| 2016
|align="center"| *
|-
| Gary Mulholland
| [[United Kingdom|UK]]
| ''261 Greatest Albums Since Punk and Disco''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mulholland |first1=Gary |title=Fear of Music |date=2007 |publisher=Orion |location=London |pages=258, 260 |ol=10822156M}}</ref>
| 2007
|align="center"| *
|-
| ''[[The Guardian]]''
| UK
| ''1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die''<ref>{{cite web |title=1001 Albums To Hear Before You Die: Artists beginning with T |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/nov/22/1000tohearbeforeyoudie1 |website=The Guardian |access-date=11 June 2024 |date=22 November 2007 |archive-date=January 1, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130101073237/http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2007/nov/22/1000tohearbeforeyoudie1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| 2007
|align="center"| *
|-
| ''The Guardian''
| UK
| ''Alternative Top 100''<ref>{{cite web |title=The Alternative Top 100 from 41-100 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/albums/Story/0,,209105,00.html |website=The Guardian |access-date=11 June 2024 |date=29 January 1999 |archive-date=July 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220726140752/https://www.theguardian.com/albums/Story/0,,209105,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
| 1999
|align="center"| 98
|-
| ''No Ripcord''
| UK
| ''Top Albums 1990–1999''<ref>{{cite web |title=Top 100 Albums of 1990-1999 (Part Four: 80-61) |url=https://www.noripcord.com/features/top-100-albums-1990-1999-part-four-80-61 |website=No Ripcord |access-date=11 June 2024 |language=en |date=27 June 2013}}</ref>
| 2013
|align="center"| 68
|-
| ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
| U.S.
| ''Top 100 Albums of the 1990s''<ref>{{cite web |title=Top 100 Albums of the 1990s |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/5923-top-100-albums-of-the-1990s/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=11 June 2024 |date=16 November 2003 |archive-date=March 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307193701/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/5923-top-100-albums-of-the-1990s/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| 2003
|align="center"| 75
|-
| ''Popblerd/bLISTerd''
| U.S.
| ''Top 100 Albums of the 1990s''<ref>{{cite web |title=bLISTerd: The 100 Best Albums of the '90s (20-11) |url=https://popblerd.com/2011/11/03/blisterd-the-100-best-albums-of-the-90s-20-11/ |website=Pop!Blerd |access-date=11 June 2024 |date=3 November 2011 |archive-date=June 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240611080242/https://popblerd.com/2011/11/03/blisterd-the-100-best-albums-of-the-90s-20-11/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| 2011
|align="center"| 20
|-
| ''Porcys''
| [[Poland]]
| ''The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s''<ref>{{cite web |title=100 Płyt 1990-1999 |url=https://www.porcys.com/ranking/100-plyt-1990-1999/2/ |website=Porcys |access-date=11 June 2024 |date=27 August 2012}}</ref>
| 2012
|align="center"| 84
|-
| ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| U.S.
| ''[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]''<ref name="rs500">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/a-tribe-called-quest-midnight-marauders-1063032/|title=The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=22 September 2020|access-date=September 25, 2020|archive-date=September 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930004432/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/a-tribe-called-quest-midnight-marauders-1063032|url-status=live}}</ref>
| 2020
|align="center"| 201
|-
| ''[[Slant Magazine]]''
| U.S.
| ''The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s''<ref>{{cite web |title=The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/best-albums-of-the-1990s/ |website=Slant Magazine |access-date=11 June 2024 |date=14 February 2011 |archive-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923204642/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/best-albums-of-the-1990s/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| 2011
|align="center"| 42
|-
| ''[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]''
| U.S.
| ''The 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time''<ref>{{cite magazine|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line --> |title=100 Best Albums: The Top Hip-Hop LP's of All Time|magazine=[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]|location=New York|page=24|date=January 1998|issue=100}}</ref>
| 1998
|align="center"| *
|-
| ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''
| U.S.
| ''The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)''<ref>{{cite web |title=The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014) |url=https://www.spin.com/2015/05/the-300-best-albums-of-the-past-30-years-1985-2014/4/ |website=Spin |access-date=11 June 2024 |date=11 May 2015 |archive-date=July 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731130449/https://www.spin.com/2015/05/the-300-best-albums-of-the-past-30-years-1985-2014/4/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| 2015
|align="center"| 84
|-
| ''Treble''
| U.S.
| ''Top 100 Albums of the 90s (10 Per Year)''<ref>{{cite web |title=Treble's Best Albums of the 90s: 1990-94 |url=https://www.treblezine.com/trebles-best-albums-of-the-90s-part-one/4/ |website=Treble |access-date=11 June 2024 |date=11 August 2008}}</ref>
| 2008
|align="center"| 10
|-
| ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]''
| U.S.
| ''150 Albums That Define the Vibe Era (1992–2007)''<ref>{{cite magazine|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line --> |title=The 150 Albums That Define the Vibe Era|magazine=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]|location=New York|page=210|date=March 2007}}</ref>
| 2007
|align="center"| *
|-
| ''Vibe''
| U.S.
| ''The 50 Greatest Albums Since '93''<ref>{{cite web |title=The Greatest 50 Albums Since '93 |url=https://www.vibe.com/gallery/greatest-50-albums-since-93/janetjackson_janet/ |website=VIBE.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220914141527/https://www.vibe.com/gallery/greatest-50-albums-since-93/janetjackson_janet/ |archive-date=14 September 2022 |date=18 April 2013 |url-status=deviated}}</ref>
| 2013
|align="center"| 21
|-
| colspan="7" style="text-align:center; font-size:8pt;"| (*) designates lists which are unordered.
|}

==Legacy and influence==
{{Music ratings
| title = Retrospective professional reviews
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/midnight-marauders-mw0000621393 |title=Midnight Marauders – A Tribe Called Quest |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |accessdate=August 22, 2012 |last=Bush |first=John |archive-date=September 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907110317/http://www.allmusic.com/album/midnight-marauders-mw0000621393 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s|Christgau's Consumer Guide]]''
| rev2Score = A−<ref name="christgau">{{cite book |chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=188 |chapter=A Tribe Called Quest: Midnight Marauders |accessdate=June 27, 2009 |last=Christgau |first=Robert |authorlink=Robert Christgau |title=[[Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s]] |publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers]] |year=2000 |isbn=0-312-24560-2 |archive-date=February 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209171249/https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=188 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]''
| rev3Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>Larkin (2002), p. 1.</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[MusicHound|MusicHound R&B]]''
| rev4Score = 4.5/5<ref>{{cite book|chapter=A Tribe Called Quest|editor1-first=Gary|editor1-last=Graff|editor-link1=Gary Graff|editor2-first=Josh Freedom|editor2-last=du Lac|editor3-first=Jim|editor3-last=McFarlin|year=1998|title=MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide|publisher=[[Visible Ink Press]]|isbn=1-57859-026-4|url=https://archive.org/details/musichoundrbesse00graf}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev5score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="Rolling Stone">{{cite book |chapter=A Tribe Called Quest |last1=Considine |first1=J. D. |authorlink1=J. D. Considine |last2=Randall |first2=Mac |title=[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide|The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]] |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |edition=4th |year=2004 |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/823 823] }}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''
| rev6Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ul7jcf4HvN4C&pg=PA92 |title=Discography: Q-Tip |journal=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |volume=24 |issue=8 |date=August 2008 |accessdate=November 14, 2015 |last=Golianopoulos |first=Thomas |page=92}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[Tom Hull – on the Web]]''
| rev7Score = A−<ref name="hull">{{cite web|last=Hull|first=Tom|author-link=Tom Hull (critic)|date=June 13, 2015|url=http://tomhull.com/ocston/arch/rhap/rh1506-1.php|title=Rhapsody Streamnotes: June 13, 2015|website=Tom Hull – on the Web|access-date=September 5, 2022|archive-date=October 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030081651/http://www.tomhull.com/ocston/arch/rhap/rh1506-1.php|url-status=live}}</ref>
| rev8 = ''[[XXL (magazine)|XXL]]''
| rev8Score = 5/5<ref name="xxlreview" />
}}
''Midnight Marauders'' helped establish a "second [[golden age hip hop|golden age]]" of hip hop,<ref>Wang (2003), p. 132.</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/13/wu-tang-clan-golden-age|work=[[The Guardian]]|title=The next golden age|date=June 12, 2011|access-date=January 9, 2018|first1=Paul|last1=MacInnes|archive-date=April 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424153707/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/13/wu-tang-clan-golden-age|url-status=live}}</ref> and has been regarded as the pinnacle of the Native Tongues movement.<ref name="stereogum" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.avclub.com/a-beginner-s-guide-to-hip-hop-collective-native-tongues-1798239179|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|title=A beginner's guide to hip-hop collective Native Tongues|date=July 5, 2013|access-date=January 22, 2018|first1=Eric|last1=Thurm|archive-date=June 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210605020351/https://www.avclub.com/a-beginner-s-guide-to-hip-hop-collective-native-tongues-1798239179|url-status=live}}</ref> Hip-hop critics and writers have cited it as the group's best album, despite it not being as acclaimed as ''The Low End Theory''.<ref name="rap" /><ref name="about" /> Lauding it as the group's "masterwork", writer Joseph Patel stated, "It's hard to believe they could top ''The Low End Theory'', but A Tribe Called Quest did so."<ref name="oliver" /> Steve Juon of RapReviews.com called ''Midnight Marauders'' "the best album that Tribe ever made" and an "overlooked work of genius."<ref name="rap" /> In 2020, ''Rolling Stone'' added the album to its revised list of the [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|500 Greatest Albums of All Time]], ranking it at number 201.<ref name="rs500" />

Q-Tip later contributed to the sound of [[hardcore hip hop]] during the mid-1990s, producing artists such as Nas, [[Mobb Deep]], [[Crooklyn Dodgers]] and [[Cypress Hill]], yet retaining elements of the sound he created on ''Midnight Marauders''.<ref name="stereogum" /><ref>Columnist. "Review: ''Illmatic''". ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'': 142. March 1997.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vibe.com/2011/07/full-clip-q-tip-runs-down-his-music-catalogue-ft-tribe-de-la-soul-nas-biggie-roots/croo |title=Full Clip: Q-Tip Runs Down His Music Catalogue Ft. Tribe, De La Soul, Nas, Biggie, The Roots, Dilla & More |website=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]] |access-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref> In ''NME'', producer [[Mark Ronson]] said that the album "changed the sound of [[East Coast hip hop|East Coast hip-hop]], which before was very noisy and aggressive. But ''Midnight Marauders'' just had this sheen to it—it wasn't too cleaned-up or sanitised, the snares still had that amazing 'crack' to them, but it sounded like nothing you'd ever heard before. It changed everything."<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/dj-shadow-roots-manuva-more-on-the-hip-hop-albums-that-changed-the-game-1188232|title=DJ Shadow, Roots Manuva & More On The Hip-Hop Albums That Changed The Game|journal=[[NME]]|date=5 August 2013|access-date=February 23, 2018|archive-date=February 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224232641/http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/dj-shadow-roots-manuva-more-on-the-hip-hop-albums-that-changed-the-game-1188232|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{blockquote|They embraced me as an unoffical member after '[[Scenario (song)|Scenario]]'. I would go to Battery Studios, where they were making the record, and chill. That's how I ended up on the track '[[Oh My God (A Tribe Called Quest song)|Oh My God]]'. When Q-Tip played the finished album to me, I just started crying.|author=[[Busta Rhymes]]<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Angus|last=Batey|title=My record collection – Busta Rhymes|magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|date=October 2009|page=46}}</ref>}}

In 2003, ''Pitchfork'' writer Rollie Pemberton stated that "a deep listen to this record unveils the sound that helped promote the current chilled vibe-oriented underground", citing the [[J Dilla]]-affiliated duo [[Frank n Dank]], [[Madlib]] and [[9th Wonder]]'s former group [[Little Brother (group)|Little Brother]] as examples.<ref name="pitchfork">{{cite journal|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/5923-top-100-albums-of-the-1990s/?page=3|title=Top 100 Albums of the 1990s|journal=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|access-date=January 9, 2018|last=Pemberton|first=Rollie|archive-date=September 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911215007/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/5923-top-100-albums-of-the-1990s/?page=3|url-status=live}}</ref> Other underground artists influenced by the album include [[Terrace Martin]], [[Jean Grae]], [[Currensy]], [[RJD2]], [[Oddisee]], [[Hiatus Kaiyote]] and [[Karriem Riggins]].<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://hiphopdx.com/videos/id.16689/title.terrace-martin-influences-ep-2-a-tribe-called-quests-midnight-marauders|title=Terrace Martin – Influences Ep. 2: A Tribe Called Quest's "Midnight Marauders"|journal=[[HipHopDX]]|date=13 June 2014|access-date=January 9, 2018|archive-date=January 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110174542/https://hiphopdx.com/videos/id.16689/title.terrace-martin-influences-ep-2-a-tribe-called-quests-midnight-marauders|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.okayplayer.com/news/phonte-jean-grae-buckshot-more-reflect-on-midnight-marauders.html|title=Phonte, Jean Grae, Buckshot & More Reflect On The Importance Of 'Midnight Marauders'|journal=[[Okayplayer]]|access-date=January 9, 2018|archive-date=June 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170603020042/http://www.okayplayer.com/news/phonte-jean-grae-buckshot-more-reflect-on-midnight-marauders.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/from-the-pitchfork-review/9869-two-turntables-and-a-saxophone/|title=Two Turntables and a Saxophone|journal=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|access-date=January 9, 2018|last=Hogan|first=Marc|archive-date=January 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110174555/https://pitchfork.com/features/from-the-pitchfork-review/9869-two-turntables-and-a-saxophone/|url-status=live}}</ref> In a 20th anniversary review of the album for ''XXL'', rapper [[Talib Kweli]] gave it a perfect "XXL" rating and stated, "It established Tribe as a commercial, mainstream almost pop group, but it did it by being completely true to their rudiments, and it did it by finding the greatest jazz samples and making the most classic underground hip-hop they could make. They were so good at making underground hip-hop that it went pop."<ref name="xxlreview">{{cite web |url=http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2013/11/talib-kweli-reviews-a-tribe-called-quests-midnight-marauders/ |title=Talib Kweli Reviews A Tribe Called Quest's 'Midnight Marauders' |work=[[XXL (magazine)|XXL]] |last=Kweli |first=Talib |authorlink=Talib Kweli |date=November 12, 2013 |access-date=January 9, 2018 |archive-date=January 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101201545/http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2013/11/talib-kweli-reviews-a-tribe-called-quests-midnight-marauders/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The singer [[Bilal (American singer)|Bilal]] names it among his 25 favorite albums, explaining that, "It's just a special album to me. I like where they were as far as beat making. I think it changed a lot in hip-hop on that record."<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Simmons|first=Ted|date=February 26, 2013|url=https://www.complex.com/music/2013/02/bilals-25-favorite-albums/the-velvet-underground-the-velvet-underground-and|title=Bilal's 25 Favorite Albums|magazine=[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]]|access-date=August 28, 2020|archive-date=January 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210104174101/https://www.complex.com/music/2013/02/bilals-25-favorite-albums/the-velvet-underground-the-velvet-underground-and|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Track listing==
*All songs produced by [[A Tribe Called Quest]], except track 4 produced by Skeff Anselm and track 11 produced by [[Large Professor]].
{{track listing
| total_length = 51:12
| collapsed       =
| headline        =
| all_writing =
| extra_column = 
| title1 = Midnight Marauders Tour Guide
| writer1 = {{hlist|[[Q-Tip (musician)|Jonathan Davis]]|[[Ali Shaheed Muhammad]]|[[Phife Dawg|Malik Taylor]]}}
| length1 = 0:45
| title2 = Steve Biko (Stir It Up)
| writer2 = {{hlist|Davis|Muhammad|Taylor}}
| length2 = 3:11
| title3 = [[Award Tour]]
| writer3 = {{hlist|Davis|Muhammad|Taylor}}
| note3 = featuring [[David Jude Jolicoeur|Trugoy the Dove]]
| length3 = 3:46
| title4 = 8 Million Stories
| writer4 = {{hlist|Davis|Muhammad|Taylor|Skeff Anselm}}
| length4 = 4:30
| title5 = Sucka Nigga
| writer5 = {{hlist|Davis|Muhammad|Taylor|[[Freddie Hubbard]]}}
| length5 = 4:05
| title6 = Midnight
| writer6 = {{hlist|Davis|Muhammad|Taylor}}
| note6 = featuring [[Raphael Saadiq|Raphael Wiggins]]
| length6 = 3:49
| title7 = We Can Get Down
| writer7 = {{hlist|Davis|Muhammad|Taylor}}
| length7 = 4:19
| title8 = [[Electric Relaxation]]
| writer8 = {{hlist|Davis|Muhammad|Taylor}}
| length8 = 4:04
| title9 = Clap Your Hands
| writer9 = {{hlist|Davis|Muhammad|Taylor|[[Bob James (musician)|Bob James]]|[[Leo Nocentelli]]|[[George Porter Jr.]]|[[Cyril Neville]]|[[Ziggy Modeliste|Joseph Modeliste]]}}
| length9 = 3:16
| title10 = [[Oh My God (A Tribe Called Quest song)|Oh My God]]
| writer10 = {{hlist|Davis|Muhammad|Taylor}}
| note10 = featuring [[Busta Rhymes]]
| length10 = 3:29
| title11 = Keep It Rollin{{'-}}
| note11 = featuring [[Large Professor]]
| writer11 =  {{hlist|Davis|Muhammad|Taylor|[[Large Professor|William Mitchell]]}}
| length11 = 3:05
| title12 = The Chase, Part II
| writer12 =  {{hlist|Davis|Muhammad|Taylor|[[Steve Arrington]]|Victor Godsey|Buddy Hankerson}}
| length12 = 4:02
| title13 = Lyrics to Go
| writer13 = {{hlist|Davis|Muhammad|Taylor}}
| length13 = 4:09
| title14 = God Lives Through
| writer14 = {{hlist|Davis|Muhammad|Taylor}}
| length14 = 4:15
}}

== Personnel ==
Credits are adapted from [[AllMusic]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/midnight-marauders-mw0000621393 |title=Midnight Marauders – Credits |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=January 9, 2018 |archive-date=January 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110174429/https://www.allmusic.com/album/midnight-marauders-mw0000621393 |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
*Skeff Anselm – producer
*Busta Rhymes – guest artist
*Pete Christensen – assistant engineer
*[[Tom Coyne (music engineer)|Tom Coyne]] – mastering
*Patrick Derivaz – assistant engineer
*Chris Flam – assistant engineer
*[[Eric Gast]] – assistant engineer
*Gerard Julien – assistant engineer
*Large Professor – guest artist, producer
*[[Tim Latham]] – engineer
*Hoover Le – assistant engineer
{{col-2}}
*Ali Shaheed Muhammad – DJ
*Phife Dawg – vocals
*Bob Power – engineer, mixing
*Q-Tip – vocals
*Brad Schmidt – assistant engineer
*George Spatta – assistant engineer
*A Tribe Called Quest – engineer, mixing, primary artist, producer
*Trugoy the Dove – guest artist
*Carol Weinberg – photography
*Raphael Wiggins – guest artist, bass guitar 
{{col-end}}

==Charts and certifications==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

===Weekly charts===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
!scope="col"|Chart (1993)
!scope="col"|Peak<br/>position
|-
! scope="row"|  Australian Albums ([[ARIA Charts|ARIA]])<ref name="ARIA Chart">{{cite web|url=https://imgur.com/a/2S4CTaS |title=A Tribe Called Quest ARIA Chart history - received from ARIA in May 2025 |publisher=ARIA|via=Imgur.com|access-date= June 8, 2025}} N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.</ref>
|align="center"|  181
|-
{{album chart|Canada|48|rowheader=true|chartid=2333}}
|-
{{album chart|UK|70|artist=A Tribe Called Quest|rowheader=true|access-date=November 4, 2016}}
|-
{{album chart|Billboard200|8|artist=A Tribe Called Quest|rowheader=true|access-date=November 4, 2016}}
|-
{{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|1|artist=A Tribe Called Quest|rowheader=true|access-date=November 4, 2016}}
|-
|}
{{col-2}}

===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1994)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1994/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums|title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1994|magazine=Billboard|date=2 January 2013|access-date=September 30, 2018|archive-date=February 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190206145621/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1994/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums|url-status=live}}</ref>
| 24
|}

===Certifications===
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=album|title=Midnight Marauders|artist=A Tribe Called Quest|award=Silver|relyear=1993|certyear=2022|id=18078-4960-2|access-date=May 21, 2022}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|title=Midnight Marauders|artist=A Tribe Called Quest|award=Platinum}}
{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true|streaming=true}}
{{col-end}}

==See also==
*[[List of Billboard number-one R&B albums of 1993|List of number-one R&B albums of 1993 (U.S.)]]
*[[List of 1990s albums considered the best]]
*[[Progressive rap]]

== Bibliography ==
*{{cite book|editor-last=Jenkins|editor-first=Sacha|last1=Jenkins|first1=Sacha|last2=Wilson|first2=Elliott|date=December 3, 1999|title=Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists|publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan]]|isbn=0-312-24298-0|url=https://archive.org/details/egotripsbookofra00jenk}} 
*{{cite book|author=Wang, Oliver|date=2003|title=Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide|publisher=[[ECW Press]]|isbn=1-55022-561-8}}
*{{cite book|editor-last=Larkin|editor-first=Colin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|edition=4th|publisher=[[Muze|Muze UK]]|year=2002|isbn=1-85227-923-0}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* {{Discogs master|45947|Midnight Marauders}}

{{A Tribe Called Quest}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1993 albums]]
[[Category:A Tribe Called Quest albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Large Professor]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Q-Tip (musician)]]
[[Category:Jive Records albums]]