A Tribe Called Quest
Midnight Marauders
1993, Jive Records
As made clear from the cover, this was meant to be a thematic sequel to THE LOW END THEORY. And although LOW END seems to be name checked far more often (perhaps for the innovative jazz samples used in a mainstream -- remember "Scenario" was rocked on Network TV) but MIDNIGHT MARAUDERS has always felt to me like a more perfected version of the same thesis.
From the horns that open "Steve Biko (Stir It Up)" you know that jazz samples are (still) going to play a huge part in the Tribe's sound, but as the record continues (thanks to narrative by a female robot) it becomes clear that this is actually a perfected balance -- ahem -- beats, rhymes & life.
Many have, and will argue with me on this, but I've always felt that this is THEE greatest hip hop record ever recorded. And fifteen years of constant listens have never allowed a moment of this record to sound "played out."
As an added bonus, the cover art (arts, if you count the 3 different color schemes) collaged a huge list of golden age hip hop artists to check out -- not unlike the infamous 'Nurse With Wound list.'