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Phonte, Curren$y, Pharoahe Monch & More Weigh In On Midnight Marauders

blame it on JES7 November 9, 2013


“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. Somewhere deep in the cosmos, an asteroid is bringing the motherfucking ruckus – Carl Sagan”

In an exclusive Myspace feature, Iamsu!, Buckshot, Curren$y, Don Cannon, Problem, Phonte and a host of others took some time out to reminisce on their memories of ATCQ’s Midnight Marauders which celebrates 20 years today. Hit the jump for a few choice quotes.

It’d be corny to say my favorite song is “Electric Relaxation,” because it’s been everywhere—I like ”Award Tour”—but ”Electric Relaxation is the one. I heard the song originally through my homie’s older brother. I’ve never been able to take it out of my rotation. It’s probably in one or two of my cars, I make sure that’s in rotation. – Curren$y

The cover was incredible. Who else in hip-hop history ever did something like that? They got everybody: Chi-Ali, Pharoahe Monch, MC Serch, Kool Moe Dee. One thing they told everybody at the shoot was everyone has to have some sort of characteristic and personality for the photo—find something that’s in your character and give us a strange face that’s also a reflection of your vibe. – Buckshot

Midnight Marauders was hard for me to digest at first ’cause I was only 15 when I heard it; it was hard to understand the rhythms and where they were coming from, but it definitely ended up influencing the way I make music. I’m actually thinking about having my next album narrated like Midnight Marauders with that voice between the songs. – Iamsu!

For my favorite song I want to say “Electric Relaxation” but “Midnight” captured Queens so much for me being from Southside Jamaica. Queens has a way of being still and quiet and almost suspended in time; that stillness often gets mistaken for a calmness in a good way but people from Queens understand the darkness that is this calm I speak of. It’s actually kind of scary, sort of like danger is lurking. It’s the calmness before something really tragic happens and for me Tribe captured the essence of that on “Midnight.” – Pharoahe Monch

READ: A Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders Turns 20