The band was started by brothers Vaughn Benjamin (August 13, 1969 - November 4, 2019)
(vocals) and Ron Benjamin (keyboard, but later switched to bass) circa 1989 according to an interview with former Midnite drummer Ambrose "Amby" Connor by Midnight Raver. The band's music follows in tradition with the roots reggae bands of 1970s Jamaica. The lyrical portions of Midnite's compositions are characterized as the "chant and call" style which gives their music a spiritually intense and an overtly Rastafari movement feel. The lyrics are centrally focused on the plights of the oppressed, the inherent faults of the current political, economic and social settings on a global scale, and the redemption available to mankind through a life dedicated to Jah.
The Benjamin brothers were raised in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, the sons of Antiguan musician Ronnie Benjamin, Sr. Vaughn Benjamin cites Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, The Abyssinians, and bassist Flabba Holt as his earliest influences.
"Bob Marley has had a big impact. And the drum and the bass from like Flabba Holt. Sometimes I listen to the bass man alone or the drummer alone."
The group's debut album Unpolished was released exclusively in Namibia in December 1997. The album would not see a proper U.S. release until the Rastafaria label released it wide in 2001. They recorded Ras Mek Peace (Before Reverb and Without Delay) while living in Washington, D.C. during the mid-90s, and it was released in November 1999. The album was named so, because it was reportedly recorded live in one room, straight to two-track analog tape. It was mastered without the use of compression or corrective equalization. Like Unpolished, Ras Mek Peace (Before Reverb and Without Delay) is recorded using no mixing board, no filtering, no compression, no equalization, no noise reduction, multitracking or overdubbing, giving it a similar raw sound. The album was recorded using only two-tracks at Mapleshade in Upper Marlboro, MD with studio engineer and owner Pierre Sprey whose recording style is summed up in the phrase he had printed to green Mapleshade T-shirts to promote the studio: NO Mixing Board, NO Overdubs, NO Noise Reduction, NO Compression, NO Multitracks, NO Reverb, NO EQ, Nothing BUT The Excitement of Live Music, MUSIC WITHOUT COMPROMISE.
Later, they returned home to St. Croix in the late '90s to play with local musicians and record at their music studio, Afrikan Roots Lab.
Midnite frequently collaborates with new artists and has played as the back-up band on a number of Afrikan Roots Lab artists' releases, such as Dezarie's Fya and Gracious Mama Africa and Ikahba's Trodding to Zion.
In September 2011, Midnite released their first professionally produced music video for their song "Mongst I&I". The video features members of the band in casual settings and depicts the Rastafarian culture in Frederiksted, United States Virgin Islands (referred to as "Freedom City," St. Croix), and Kingston, Jamaica.
Singer Vaughn Benjamin featured on Tribal Seeds' 2014 album Representing.
The band was featured in the 2014 documentary film Escape To St Croix.
In 2015, the band reformed around co-founder Vaughn Benjamin as Akae Beka without bassist Ron Benjamin. Ras Elyments Took Ron Benjamins Position on Bass. Suren Felton Replaced Ras L on Keys. The reasons for the reformation have been stated as due to "Life changes, convictions and revelations. Stated on the band website was "Due to a medical emergency the tour is postponed" Members of the band themselves won't even say during the recent Akae Beka Coronation Tour in November 2015. '. Akae Beka's first performance took place in Denver, Colorado on July 17, 2015 in honor of Nelson Mandela Day.
Vaughn Benjamin died in Port St. Lucie, Florida, on November 4, 2019, at the age of 50.
In its Top 50 Reggae Albums of the 2K list, reggae news and information website Midnight Raver ranked Midnite's Jubilees of Zion as the best album of the new millennium and 'Beauty for Ashes' as the third best. In its review of Akae Beka's Homage To The Land, Midnight Raver referred to Midnite as "the most revered, influential and prolific reggae act in two decades."
Banking in the Pig
Midnite Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Banking in the pig
Banking in the filthiest thing
And then they call I man the sons of Ham
And call man color pigmentation
Man thief money and he's a swindler
Why them love the swine
Piggy bank is a psychological thing
Implication is only the filthy rich win
Them banking in the pig
Them banking in the pig
See how them teaching the youth to play
Cookie monster making a mess everyday
Bugs Bunny is a transvestite I say
Yosemite Sam pull his gun, when he can't get his way
Banking in the pig
Banking in the filthiest thing
And then they call I man the sons of Ham
And call man color pigmentation
Man thief money and he's a swindler
Why them love the swine
Couldn't be no simpler
Piggy bank is a psychological thing
Implication is only the filthy win
Oscar the Grouch living in a trash can
Nintendo teach them how to decapitate man
Oh generation of vipers is their creation
Them filthy up and falsify the Holy Land
Banking in the
Banking in the pig
And then them banking in the filthiest thing
And then they call I man the sons of Ham
And call man color pigmentation
Man thief money and he's a swindler
Why them love the swine
Couldn't be no simpler
Piggy bank is a psychological thing
Implication only is the filthy rich win
Who compile and edit the King James Version
Illuminati and the Rosicrucian Francis Bacon
Protocols of the learned elders of imposter Zion
Them feel the circle of the snake is near completion
Banking in the
Banking in the pig
Banking in the filthiest thing
And then they call I man the sons of Ham
And call man color pigmentation
Piggy bank is a psychological thing
Implication is only the filthy rich win
Banking in the pig
Banking in the pig
Why would they need to break
What is already weak for foreign doctrine
This is why you killed Socrates
Today you claim African cosmology is Greek
Tribe of Meru still Kenya
Hebrew alphabet is called Meruba
Banking in the pig
Banking in the filthiest thing
And then they call I man the sons of Ham
And call man color pigmentation
Man thief money and he's a swindler
Why them love the swine
Couldn't be no simpler
Piggy bank is a psychological thing
Implication is only the filthy win
Lion devour but the lamb decipher oh Jah
This is the duality of the Rasta Man nature oh Jah
Lions devour but the Lambs decipher o jah yeah
This is the duality of the Rasta Man
nature oh yeah
We no banking in no pig
See how them banking in the filthiest thing
And then they call I man the sons of Ham
And call man color pigmentation
Man thief money and he's a swindler
Why them love the swine
Couldn't be no simpler
Piggy bank is a psychological thing
Implication is only the filthy rich win
The song "Banking in the Pig" by Midnite brings to light the greed and corruption of financial institutions by comparing banking to filth and swine. The song uses the metaphor of "banking in the pig" to emphasize how the elite class of society, referred to as the "filthy rich," manipulates and controls the financial system. The verses also touch on the impact of media on the youth, as well as the manipulation of history and religion by those in power to maintain their position of authority.
The lyrics take on a critical tone towards the banking system and its place in society, highlighting the uneven distribution of wealth and power that it perpetuates. The repetition of "banking in the pig" serves to drive the message home, providing a catchy and thought-provoking hook. The song touches on broader themes of social inequality and the oppressive structures that underlie it.
Overall, "Banking in the Pig" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked wealth and power, and the ways in which they can corrupt society as a whole.
Line by Line Meaning
Banking in the pig
Storing money in the filthiest thing
Banking in the filthiest thing
Storing money in a dirty and unhygienic place
And then they call I man the sons of Ham
Referring to black people as descendants of Ham from the Bible
And call man color pigmentation
Labeling people based on the color of their skin
Man thief money and he's a swindler
Accusing people of stealing and cheating to make money
Why them love the swine
Asking why people are fond of the pig, a dirty animal
Couldn't be no simpler
It's straightforward and easy to understand
Piggy bank is a psychological thing
The use of a piggy bank is related to the psychology of saving and storing money
Implication is only the filthy rich win
Suggesting that only the wealthy benefit from storing their money in such an unclean place
See how them teaching the youth to play
Observing how society is instructing young people to behave
Cookie monster making a mess everyday
A character that encourages gluttony and wastefulness in children
Bugs Bunny is a transvestite I say
Reference to cross-dressing in popular culture
Yosemite Sam pull his gun, when he can't get his way
Depiction of violent behavior when things don't go as planned
Oscar the Grouch living in a trash can
A character living in filth and garbage
Nintendo teach them how to decapitate man
The concern over violent video games, and how they affect young people
Oh generation of vipers is their creation
Referring to the corrupt societal structures that continue to disadvantage certain groups of people
Them filthy up and falsify the Holy Land
Describing how societal structures have manipulated, distorted, and exploited religious narratives
Who compile and edit the King James Version
Questioning the people behind creating the most popular bible translation
Illuminati and the Rosicrucian Francis Bacon
Referring to various secret cults and societies, and how they influenced the creation of the King James Version
Protocols of the learned elders of imposter Zion
The idea that the Zionists (Jewish people) are misleading the rest of the world for their own benefit
Them feel the circle of the snake is near completion
Describing the fear that the world is headed toward a disastrous conclusion
Why would they need to break
Questioning the rationale for disrupting something that is already weak
What is already weak for foreign doctrine
What is already vulnerable for outside influence
This is why you killed Socrates
Bringing up the execution of Socrates as an example of silencing a dissenting voice
Today you claim African cosmology is Greek
Accusing society of appropriating African culture and attributing it to the Greeks
Tribe of Meru still Kenya
Asserting the continued existence of the Meru tribe in Kenya
Hebrew alphabet is called Meruba
Mentioning an alternative name for the Hebrew alphabet
Lion devour but the lamb decipher oh Jah
Describing the duality of the Rastafarian ideology on power dynamics
This is the duality of the Rasta Man nature oh Jah yeah
Reiterating the contrast between the strong and the weak
We no banking in no pig
Rejecting the notion of storing money in unclean places
Contributed by Michael L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@beverleybrathwaite396
Keep Rising Jah people ❤️💛💚🖤
@jessyortiz-wb1oc
brotha you don't even know how much this means to me, this whole playlist with the lyrics is truly a blessings, grateful for you my friend, much love and positive vibes your way!!
@relaxrefreshrechargemusic8767
Plain truth like a two sharp edge sword
@eugenemason1808
Rest In Power Messenger Vaughan Benjamin
@andregabrielbadji1373
Meaningful lyrics
@abrahammbanitaabu8666
Vaughn was so deep
@amentah1768
Ily one to read out iyah i give thanks💚💛❤
@ramoakedirasellae4754
Dynamic
@jahkgdm
Babylon crumbling ⚡️⌛️
@user-yy6dp9is4g
Powers Ras