Years before Radiohead's "Fitter, Happier" used a computerised voice to interrupt OK Computer, A Tribe Called Quest used the same trick to introduce this album and also provide useful bits of hip-hop trivia between the tracks: "The title 'MC' stands for 'Master of Ceremonies.' Some people who MC have no idea what this term means." The album before this one, The Low End Theory, was definitely more popular, spawning the club-friendly hit "Scenario," which introduced the world to Long Island's own Busta Rhymes ("Rawr! Rawr! Like a Dungeon Dragon!"). Over time I became more fond of Midnight Marauders, releasing its own huge single "Award Tour," as well as the standout tracks "(Steve Biko) Stir It Up" and "Electric Relaxation," which was regrettably used as the theme song for the corny "The Wayans Bros." sitcom during the early days of that show (at least they didn't use it for "Homeboys from Outer Space"). The Queens rappers Q-Tip and Phife Dawg have a great rapport, and although at one time Q-Tip wanted to be a comedian, Phife gets the funniest line on "8 Million Stories": "Pay for this, pay for that/Do my nails and hair/Who the hell you think I am, Mr. Belvedere?" The influential album cover was a collage of headshots of famous rappers they admired, including The Beastie Boys and the aforementioned De La Soul, but Tribe were the real heroes of hip-hop during this era.
Michael Perone has written for The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore City Paper, The Island Ear (now titled Long Island Press), and The Long Island Voice, a short-lived spinoff of The Village Voice. He currently works as an Editor in Manhattan. And he still thinks Michael Keaton was the best Batman.
