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."
Foolish and the Wise
Midnite Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh oh oh o oh yeah
Foolish foolish foolish,
Foolish foolish Ia wo
Foolish and the wise
The upwardly mobile and the disenfranchised
I man not competing for no prize
Foolish and the wise
The upwardly mobile and the disenfranchised
I man not competing for no prize
Man chanting for the explosion of your technological lie
They say the numb can’t feel no pain
Suffer them again - suffer them again
The say the numb can’t feel no pain
Suffer them again - suffer them again
Fighting social promotion but
Who is really holding the youth back
What is your faculty without the facts
What is your faculty without the facts
What is your faculty without the facts
Whoa o oh foolish, foolish Ia wo
I man a say foolish Lord God know
The foolish and the wise
The upwardly mobile and the disenfranchised
I man not competing for no prize
Man chanting for the explosion of your technological lie
Jah call sin inequity
Two thirds of the world under your economic monopoly Ia
Jah call sin inequity
Two thirds of the world under your economic monopoly
A whoa foolish foolish Rasta man a say
I a oh yeah
The foolish and the wise
The upwardly mobile and the disenfranchised
I man not competing for no prize
Man chanting for the explosion of your technological lie
They say the numb can’t feel no pain
Suffer them again - suffer them again
The say the numb can’t feel no pain
Suffer them again - suffer them again
Semantic double speak only your languages have
You say the pro is good
You say the con is bad
Well is the prostitution good
And is the constitution bad
We gonna fight against Jah
If we avoid Jihad
Oh oh o oh o foolish, foolish
Ia who seen
Foolish and the wise
The upwardly mobile and the disenfranchised
I man not competing for no prize
Man chanting for the explosion of your technological lie
Them tell I say left right left right left right march
Left right left right left right march
And when we left right that’s when we went wrong
When we left right that’s when we went wrong
Them wrecking creation with them recreation
They say to en’joy and they end your joy, foolishly
Foolish foolish Ia wo
Foolish foolish Ia wo
I’m saying now
The foolish and the wise
The upwardly mobile and the disenfranchised
We are not competing for no prize
Man chanting for the explosion of your technological lie
They say the numb can’t feel no pain
Suffer them again - suffer them again
The say the numb can’t feel no pain
Suffer them again - suffer them again
Jah call sin inequity
Jah call sin inequity
Two thirds of the world under your economic monopoly
Fighting social promotion
But who’s really holding the youth back
What is your faculty without the facts
What is your faculty without the facts
Whoa oh oh oh o foolish foolish
Oh oh oh oh yeah
Foolish I man a say
The foolish and the wise
The upwardly mobile and the disenfranchised
I man not competing for no prize
Man chanting for the explosion of your technological lie
They say the numb can’t feel no pain
Suffer them again - suffer them again
The say the numb can’t feel no pain
Suffer them again - suffer them again
The lyrics of "Foolish and the Wise" by Midnite critiques the societal hierarchy and economic structure that creates disparities between the classes of people. The song speaks to the foolishness of those who chase after materialistic gains and the wisdom of those who recognize the manufactured nature of societal status. The song highlights that the disenfranchised and upwardly mobile are often pawns in a larger game and that true competition is not about material gain but societal progress. The song speaks to the destruction of creation in the name of recreation and the impact of economic monopolies on societies. The song seems to suggest that true progress and enlightenment are only possible by dismantling these structures and creating equity.
Line by Line Meaning
Foolish foolish foolish, Foolish foolish Ia wo
The song is about the foolishness and wisdom that exist within society, with the repetition highlighting how prevalent the issue is. The 'Ia wo' part is likely an expression of frustration or anger.
The upwardly mobile and the disenfranchised
The song is referring to people from different social classes - those who are upwardly mobile (meaning they have the ability to move up in the world) and the disenfranchised (those who have been marginalized or denied certain rights).
I man not competing for no prize
The singer is not interested in competing with anyone for any form of recognition or reward.
Man chanting for the explosion of your technological lie
The singer is calling for the unraveling or destruction of a falsehood perpetuated by technology or those in power - this may refer to issues like social media's impact on self-esteem or how big tech companies profit from compromising user privacy.
They say the numb can’t feel no pain, Suffer them again - suffer them again
This points to a cycle of abuse or pain that is repeated despite its damaging effects on those who experience it. The 'numb' may refer to those who have become desensitized or apathetic to suffering.
Fighting social promotion but, Who is really holding the youth back
The song is discussing societal issues that may prevent young people from achieving their goals, such as the negative effects of social promotion in education. However, the singer questions who is actually responsible for holding youth back.
What is your faculty without the facts
The singer is questioning the validity of relying only on theories or beliefs without factual evidence to support them. This may refer to issues like denying climate change or rejecting scientific research on certain topics.
Jah call sin inequity, Two thirds of the world under your economic monopoly Ia
The singer is highlighting the injustice of economic inequality that exists throughout the world. 'Jah' may refer to God, and 'Ia' could be another expression of anger or frustration.
Semantic double speak only your languages have, You say the pro is good, You say the con is bad, Well is the prostitution good, And is the constitution bad, We gonna fight against Jah, If we avoid Jihad
This references the manipulation of language to serve certain interests or beliefs. 'Prostitution' and 'constitution' are used as examples of things that may be wrongly labeled as good or bad. The singer suggests that ignoring issues related to social justice ('fight against Jah') may be just as bad as participating in violence ('Jihad').
Them tell I say left right left right left right march, Left right left right left right march, And when we left right that’s when we went wrong, When we left right that’s when we went wrong
This seems to be a critique of following orders or directions without questioning their validity. The repetition indicates the monotony or futility of the marching, and 'when we left right' may refer to blindly following authority figures, leading to negative consequences.
Them wrecking creation with them recreation, They say to en’joy and they end your joy, foolishly
The song suggests that consumerism and the destruction of the environment are intertwined. The line 'they say to en'joy and they end your joy' could be interpreted as criticizing the ways in which our society encourages us to pursue things that ultimately harm us.
Contributed by Annabelle Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Manicomio - Paxemcee
"...Fighting social promotion but Who is really holding the youth back What is your faculty without the facts..." that's what i call a proper lyric, that's conscious. many thanks to Midnite and to them supporters! fya and blessings!
faiyah mon
Affirmative! brings resonance even to the ignorance..
ProtoType62
the wrecked creation with the recreation... pure genius big up midnite thanks for your music
BrunoCruzUndaground
Foolish and the wise The upwardly mobile and the disenfranchised I man not competing for no prize Man chanting for the explosion of your technological lie Foolish and the wise The upwardly mobile and the disenfranchised I man not competing for no prize Man chanting for the explosion of your technological lie They say the numb can't feel no pain Suffer them again - suffer them again The say the numb can't feel no pain Suffer them again - suffer them again
Legos Zayear
he sound way much more better live for some reason, and this song sound better live to.. love it
KGthaDaper
YES Sir Rastafari Man Blessing
Kenya King
blessed love my lord and Empress ises be unto jah.....Rastafari H.I.M. de Majesty
Rock Stone
True.
Dario Diaz
valle de elqui elevado con midnite
Anthony Coffield
Cuz Rastafari designed us tuff.