Wow, 15 years.
15 years ago, these two classic albums were released to a world where hip-hop was changing and becoming increasingly popular. MIDNIGHT MARAUDERS was A Tribe Called Quest’s third album and even with hits like “Scenario”, “Hot Sex”, “Check The Rime”, and “Bonita Applebum” behind them, this was the album that would set them apart from the rest. This goes back to when an artist reaching their third album was a sign of success, and they managed to make it without much tension. This was very much NY hip-hop at its best, where Phife continued to prove he was more than capable of stepping away from Q-Tip’s dominance on the mic. No one was sure what hip-hop’s future had in store, but with MIDNIGHT MARAUDERS they were glad to be here in the now.
Then there was an album that was initially a slow burner. ENTER THE WU-TANG (36 CHAMBERS) was the debut album from The RZA, The GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Inspector Deck, Raekwon The Chef, U-God, Ghostface Killer, and the Method Man. They were a group who had other names they went under, whose skills were promoted as if they were superheroes from the Marvel Universe, and were a mystery since their videos were not in heavy rotation and while we all knew who Method Man was with the “Method Man” video, no one could quite match up the name with the voice and the face. Then the spring of 1994 came, and “C.R.E.A.M.” was released as a single. That was the start of the Wu revolution, with talks of each member releasing their own album, a possible Wu-Tang movie, which lead to talks about a Wu-Tang theme park, Wu cartoons… it seemed endless. Before the empire collapsed, we were able to watch and listen to it being build, brick by brick. This was the groundbreaking.
ATCQ-that was there best album ever
WU-Tang-i really dont know where my life would be right now without this album
This was a great time to be down with hip hop. For the most part the country was all about Snoop and Dre, but these 2 records…..
Man alive.
I honestly didn’t get Wu Tang the first couple fo weeks. I loved protect ya neck, but it took a second. Once I got it….
As for MM, I still think LET is the better record, but MM defined what the rest of the underground aspired to for the next 10 years.
good times.
*puts on Jansport and puma clydes*
A tear just ran down my eye…this will never happen again…not by accident. Shit, even if you planned it, it wouldn’t be the same
I can recall getting the MM joint (on tape) at the mall with a friend. We had lunch and I remember him tripping on me looking at this tape the whole damn time we ate (trying to figure out who was who on the cover) anxious to unwrap that mug and pop it into the cassette. With the Wu..I had the “Protect Ya Neck” single tape and remember trying to hip peeps to the crew. I can vividly remember people asking me, “WTF is A Wu-tang Clan?!!” This shit changed everything…
Ironically, I first met Tribe and Wu a week apart.
December 3, 1993, Tribe performed with De La and Souls Of Mischief at a venue called Rockefeller’s West here in Houston. Probably still my favorite show ever. What impressed me the most was how approachable the artists were at the time. As soon as the show was over, me and some buddies climbed on stage and showed love to Tribe and co. They weren’t standoffish, and seemed genuinely pleased that people were willing to show love like that.
And to second Kari, even though Midnight Marauders was technically album, Low End Theory was my favorite.
I met Wu Tang exactly 7 days later on December 10, 1993. It was their first time in Houston and nobody really knew them. They were visiting a radio station that was adjacent to the studio that we were recording in. All (8?) of them were there, including Method Man, who had his hand bandaged because he’d lacerated it on a broken bottle or something. Didn’t recognize Ghostface at first because it was the first time i’d seen him without the pantyhose on his face. ODB was trying to hide some contraband. Raekwon kept talking. RZA was was in the “B” Room with us jacking tapes. We asked him how deep Wu Tang was:
“Deep as the Atlantic Ocean.”
No more questions for RZA.
damien: good times man, good times.
I remember listening to Midnight Marauders every morning for months getting ready for school. This was, and is one of the coldest Hip-Hop albums ever. I never get tired of listening to it. These cats had 3 straight albums of flawless material. Peoples Instinctive travels…, The Low End Theory, and of course Midnight Marauders. How do you have 3 consective albums, and between the 3 of them, there’s like 2 or 3 skippys?…at the most. Classic work.
“Devoted to…the arts of movin butts” I got the rhythm..you got the rhythm!!! LOL Still one of my favorite hip hop songs of all time.
…
i turned 14 on this great day in 93′ those were the days (even tho’ i didn’t pick the tribe album up until that summer. first album i bought. got it from a target mmmmmmmmmmmmm
MM In the Mornin is my ish!!!
I remember the day Midnight Marauders came out.I was 17 and I bought it on vinyl. They only had two copies of the album in the whole city on vinly,I got one and my friend got the other. I took it home ,and it changed the way I listened to hip hop altogether. There were only three albums so far that did that,and Midnight was one of them. When the Wu hit the scene,I read about them in the Source Magazine. Them I went to a underground party in my city. That night,they were promoting the hell out of the Wu. I got a promo 12″ of “Protect Ya Neck”. Took it home,and was blown away. That following monday,I had a Wu sticker on my backpack.In school people was asking me all day”Who is the WU-Tang Clan?” My boy Josh Kalis,now pro skater was the only one who they were because he heard them in Philly. No one knew the invasion that was comming.
Damn, I’m old. *sigh*
I’m young *sigh* lol
Well, i wasn’t listening to this music yet, in my lost country in Normandy, BUT i remember a chanel used to put some hip hop music video and i was always curious because this music was so strange to me, so i watched this chanel again and again and it was around 6pm that they were playing this music. I remember watching Scenario ( i know it isnt from this album ! ), some Wu tang stuff, the pharcyde, Black Starr etc. Then when i started listening to hip hop, I was like ” wait a minute, it sounds familiar” and i remembered the 90’s in my country town, far from everything watching this chanel that anybody knew, i found by chance and kept watching it again and again.