17 years ago, one of the most important hip hop albums was released by A Tribe Called Quest. Midnight Marauders was released on November 9, 1993 and was their 3rd studio album. The use of jazz samples in the album set A Tribe Called Quest as one the most influential groups in music. It was my soundtrack during my junior year in college at Howard University in Washington, DC.
Milwaukee's Hip Hop stalwarts KingHellBastard decided to put together a mixtape in honor of the 17th anniversary of "Midnight Marauders". They released it today as a free download.
KHB has never been interested in the hype-over-substance world of here-today/gone-tomorrow mixtapes, so it is only fitting that our sole contribution to the medium opts for a different template. Instead of jumping on instrumentals from the latest pop-rap radio singles, we decided to see how our previously recorded verses would hold up when synched with classic beats from hip-hop's past. In particular, beats from A Tribe Called Quest, hence the name of the project. The results surprised us, and we think you'll be pleasantly surprised as well. Mixed by our very own DJ OneL, "A Tribe CalledBastard..." makes for a blissed-out trip down memory lane with some new friends. Featuring appearances from Sadat X, Akrobatik, Raashan Ahmad, and Stricklin, the completion of the mixtape just happened to coincide with the 17th anniversary or the release of the celebrated ATCQ album "Midnight Marauders"...
