1. Pagan, Pay Gone [6:37]
2. In The Race So Far [6:20]
3. Banking In The Pig [5:55]
4. Hieroglyphics [7:25]
5. Empress [6:37]
6. Lion Wears The Crown [6:16]
7. Natty Watching You [6:59]
8. Rasta Man Stand [7:29]
9. Love Right (Live Right) [6:11]
10. Foolish And The Wise [6:49]
Production Credits
Produced by Ron Benjamin
Engineered by Pierre Sprey
Recorded at Mapleshade Studio, 9/99
Cover Art by Daniel Vong & Mike Hilton
Technical Notes: Mastered live to two-track analog tape at 15 ips, 18-42,000 hz (±3db). Digitized on the Mapleshade custom A/D converter at 5,645 samples per second. Minimum miking and minimum-length cabling. Omega Mikro interconnects; microphone cables by Audioquest and Mapleshade. No mixing board, filtering, compression, equalization, noise reduction, multitracking or overdubbing.
About The Band
Formed in 1989 by the Benjamin brothers—lyricist/vocalist Vaughn Benjamin and producer/keyboardist Ron Benjamin—Midnite became the vanguard of a massive roots reggae resurgence emanating from the U.S. Virgin Islands. While mainstream reggae shifted toward electronic dancehall in the late 1990s, Midnite doubled down on the mystical, heavy, 1970s style of conscious roots music.
The band strictly rejected commercial industry formulas, driven equally by Vaughn's inimitable, fiery chant-and-call vocal delivery and Ron's authoritative sonic leadership. Vaughn—who later recorded as Akae Beka until his passing in 2019—was widely regarded by peers and elders as a prophet of modern reggae. His dense, hyper-intelligent lyricism wove together ancient African history, biblical prophecy, and systemic critique, famously exemplified on this album by tracks like "Hieroglyphics." Matching this lyrical depth was Ron’s role as the band's musical architect. His production, arrangements, and keyboard wizardry locked perfectly with the rock-solid rhythm section to create an entirely original sound devoid of recycled grooves. Together, the Benjamin brothers forged a timeless musical and spiritual partnership that redefined modern roots reggae.