Midnight Marauders

A Tribe Called Quest

1993

Midnight Marauders opens with a computerized female voice leads the listener through the “Midnight Marauder program” and serves as guiding line, leading the listener throughout the length of it by appearing as the outro of many tracks, usually saying something socially aware.

The voice also further informs on the concept by explaining that 70% of the time, people listen to music at night, thus spawning the title of this “program” and that “maraud” means “to loot” and in this situation they are trying to maraud for ears.

Instead of focusing solely on personal experiences or societal issues, the group takes on the role of tour guides, presenting their beloved city to the listeners in a unique and engaging manner.