Madlib
Encyclopedia
Otis Jackson Jr. in Oxnard
, California
, known professionally as Madlib, is a Los Angeles
-based DJ, multi-instrumentalist
, rapper
, and music producer
. Known under a plethora of pseudonyms, he is one of the most prolific and critically acclaimed hip hop producers
of the 2000s and has collaborated with myriad hip hop artists, including The Alkaholiks, Mos Def
, De La Soul
, Ghostface Killah
, Talib Kweli
, A.G.
, MF DOOM
(as Madvillain
), and the late J Dilla
(as Jaylib). He is also the one man force behind the ensemble Jazz collective, Yesterdays New Quintet. Madlib has described himself as a "DJ first, producer second, and MC last," and he has done several projects as a DJ, mixer, or remixer.
Madlib has been an influence on an upcoming generation of producers and musicians, many of whom prefer Madlib's abstract styles.
to musician parents Otis Jackson, Sr. and Dora Sinesca Jackson. He was raised in Oxnard, and currently works in Los Angeles
. He began making music with the rap group Lootpack
in the early 1990s. After his father started an independent label Crate Diggas Palace (CDP) Records in 1996 to promote Madlib and his CDP crew, including younger sibling Oh No
and released an EP "Ill Psyche Move," Lootpack caught the attention of Peanut Butter Wolf
, founder of the Stones Throw Records
label. They released two singles and a full-length album on the Stones Throw imprint in 1999. Madlib also worked with rap group Tha Alkaholiks
for several albums.
Madlib's first release under the guise of Quasimoto
, titled The Unseen
, was in 2000. The album was met with critical acclaim and named by Spin Magazine as one of the top albums of the year. Madlib (as Quasimoto) was also named as Hip Hop Connection's Newcomer of the Year in its annual readers poll for 2000. The distinctive high-pitched voice of Lord Quas is attained by playing the original beat at a slow speed, recording the vocals over that slow speed, then speeding the vocals along with the original beat back up to its original tempo. Furthermore, some of the samples that are sped up and slowed down include Madlib's own voice (primarily) and Melvin Van Peebles
recordings.
In 2001, Madlib took a turn away from traditional hip hop music
, releasing his first Yesterdays New Quintet LP, Angles Without Edges. Yesterdays New Quintet is a Jazz
-based, hip hop and electronic
-influenced quintet made up of four alter egos or fictional musicians played by Madlib: Ahmad Miller, Monk Hughes, Malik Flavors and Joe McDuphrey; as well as Madlib under his real name, Otis Jackson Jr. Madlib has continued to record other albums under the different guises of Yesterdays New Quintet members, including 2002's tribute to Stevie Wonder
, Stevie; as well as "solo" albums by the various members, such as Monk Hughes' 2004's tribute to Weldon Irvine
, A Tribute to Brother Weldon, Joe McDuphrey Experience. He also created the pseudonym Sound Directions to create the YNQ-like band's "debut" album The Funky Side of Life.
The first album under the name Madlib, released in 2002, was a collection of old dub
reggae
tracks from Trojan Records
, and was titled Blunted in the Bomb Shelter. The second, Shades of Blue was released in 2003 and is a remix of Blue Note Records
. This album features original Blue Note recordings, some remixed and resampled, and some replayed by Madlib, as well as rapping by M.E.D. aka Medaphoar.
2003 heralded the first of two collaboration projects. Working with the late hip hop producer J Dilla
, the duo known as Jaylib released Champion Sound
. The other was Madlib's collaboration with hip-hop producer and rapper MF DOOM
, known together as Madvillain
. The 2004 Madvillainy
album was highly anticipated and well-received, topping many critics' year-end lists. Both albums attracted attention from the fans of J Dilla and MF DOOM.
The 2005 Quasimoto album, The Further Adventures of Lord Quas
was accepted well and continued the Quasimoto tradition of using vocal samples from Melvin Van Peebles
. This was followed by a YNQ album called Sound Directions: The Funky Side of Life, marking his first collaboration with session musicians.
with Talib Kweli
was made public for free download for the first week of 2007. In August 2007, Beat Konducta Vol 3-4: Beat Konducta in India was released, an instrumental hip hop album containing songs sampling the music of India
.
Yesterdays Universe completed the cycle of releases by Yesterdays New Quintet and introduces a new collection of artist names created by Madlib: The Jazzistics, The Young Jazz Rebels, Suntouch, The Jahari Massamba Unit, Kamala Walker & The Soul Tribe, The Last Electro-Acoustic Space Jazz & Percussion Ensemble, The Yesterdays Universe All-Stars, The Otis Jackson Jr. Trio, and The Eddie Prince Fusion Band. This album also would mark the first collaboration between Madlib and Brazilian jazz artist Ivan "Mamao" Conti under the band name Jackson Conti.
Percee P
's first album, Perseverance
, entirely produced by Madlib, was out in September 2007. Some other records are supposed to come out such as the Supreme Team album (with Karriem Riggins), as well as a solo album on BBE Records. It has been reported that Erykah Badu made some new songs over Madlib's instrumentals, and that he would work on a project with Sa-Ra. For years, rumours of Madvillainy 2 and Jaylib 2 have circulated, but no information has surfaced, besides one new Madvillain song on the Stones Throw Records
compilation Chrome Children
in 2006.
On October 29, 2007, Madlib made a rare public appearance on BET
's Rap City
, alongside collaborator Talib Kweli
.
Madlib produced Erykah Badu
's second single from her New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
album, "The Healer". The song formally debuted on Gilles Peterson
's BBC Radio
show in January 2008.
In May 2008, Madlib and Ivan Conti (of the Brazilian band Azymuth
) released a full album under the name "Jackson Conti", entitled Sujinho
.
In September 2008, Stones Throw released a limited box set called Madvillainy 2: The Madlib Remix. It has remixes of the first Madvillainy
album and the song Monkey Suite, originally on the Chrome Children
compilation, a One Beer (Drunk Version) 7"-single, the Madvillain
demo cassette, a T-shirt and a comic book.
Madlib's BBE "Beat Generation" Album WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip
was released in September 2008.
Madlib's third two-volume Beat Konducta album was released in early 2009. Beat Konducta Vol. 5-6: A Tribute to... is a 42-track piece dedicated to the late J Dilla.
In 2009, he produced "In Search of Stoney Jackson", a whole album for the Los Angeles band Strong Arm Steady, which was out physically in the beginning of the following year. At the end of that year, it was said that he would start an imprit called "Madlib Medicine Show
", half based on unreleased original material, half based on mixes. This project consists of one record being dropped every month for the whole year 2010, making it 12 differents records, including 6 original albums and 6 mixes.
In 2010, a collaboration with Detroit rapper Guilty Simpson
, called OJ Simpson, as well as a series of original tracks and remixes being the first volume of the Madlib Medicine Show series, was out.
The beginning of this year also saw 2 other releases of his jazz imprint Yesterdays Universe, as 2 new projects, one being the band Last Electro Acoustic Space Jazz & Percussion Ensemble (which already dropped the Summer Suite and the Fall Suite before) with the record "Miles Away", and Young Jazz Rebels with the record "Slave Riot".
He also collaborated on two tracks on Erykah Badu
's "New Amerykah part 2 : Return of the Ankh".
It is believed that he is currently working on the 3rd Quasimoto album, the 2nd Madvillain album with MF Doom, a project with Karriem Riggins in a Jaylib type of collaboration called Supreme Team, as well as other jazz records from the Yesterdays Universe imprit, following by his collaboration with his younger brother and fellow producer/mc Oh No forming the super duo "The Professionals"
In 2011, he collaborated with Joyce Moreno to contribute a version of the song "Generation Match: Banana" to the Red Hot Organization's
most recent charitable album "Red Hot+Rio 2." The album is a follow-up to the 1996 "Red Hot + Rio
." Proceeds from the sales will be donated to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues.
In 2011, Madlib produced 10 tracks for Oxnard-based rapper M.E.D's new album called Classic.
In November 2011, Madlib produced and released an EP with rapper Freddie Gibbs titled "Thuggin".
Oxnard, California
Oxnard is the 113th largest city in the United States, 19th largest city in California and largest city in Ventura County, California, by way of population. It is located at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, known professionally as Madlib, is a Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-based DJ, multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
, rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
, and music producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. Known under a plethora of pseudonyms, he is one of the most prolific and critically acclaimed hip hop producers
Hip hop production
Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music. Though the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music, it's most commonly used to refer to the instrumental, non-lyrical aspects of hip hop. This means that hip hop producers are the instrumentalists involved in a work...
of the 2000s and has collaborated with myriad hip hop artists, including The Alkaholiks, Mos Def
Mos Def
Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
, De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
, Ghostface Killah
Ghostface Killah
Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
, Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
, A.G.
Showbiz and A.G.
Showbiz and A.G. are an American hip hop duo from The Bronx, New York City. Showbiz is a producer and A.G. is a rapper. The two debuted on Lord Finesse's Funky Technician album in 1990. Show and A.G...
, MF DOOM
MF Doom
Daniel Dumile is a hip hop artist who has taken on several stage names in his career, most notably MF DOOM, where the "MF" stands for metal face, and for tracks he has produced, metal fingers...
(as Madvillain
Madvillain
Madvillain is a hip hop group consisting of MF DOOM and Madlib . Their debut album Madvillainy was met with wide critical acclaim for its unique approach—short songs, obscure lyrics, few choruses and a sound which was generally unfriendly to commercial radio.In 2006, Madvillain was featured on...
), and the late J Dilla
J Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
(as Jaylib). He is also the one man force behind the ensemble Jazz collective, Yesterdays New Quintet. Madlib has described himself as a "DJ first, producer second, and MC last," and he has done several projects as a DJ, mixer, or remixer.
Madlib has been an influence on an upcoming generation of producers and musicians, many of whom prefer Madlib's abstract styles.
Early life and career
Madlib was born in Oxnard, CaliforniaOxnard, California
Oxnard is the 113th largest city in the United States, 19th largest city in California and largest city in Ventura County, California, by way of population. It is located at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the...
to musician parents Otis Jackson, Sr. and Dora Sinesca Jackson. He was raised in Oxnard, and currently works in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He began making music with the rap group Lootpack
Lootpack
Lootpack were an American hip hop group signed to Stones Throw Records with members Madlib, Wildchild, and DJ Romes. They made their first appearance on the 1993 debut album by Tha Alkaholiks, 21 & Over....
in the early 1990s. After his father started an independent label Crate Diggas Palace (CDP) Records in 1996 to promote Madlib and his CDP crew, including younger sibling Oh No
Oh No (rapper)
Oh No is an underground hip hop artist from Oxnard, California who has released several albums on Stones Throw Records.-Biography:...
and released an EP "Ill Psyche Move," Lootpack caught the attention of Peanut Butter Wolf
Peanut Butter Wolf
Chris Manak, aka Peanut Butter Wolf, is a DJ, hip-hop producer and the founder of hip-hop label Stones Throw Records.A native of San Jose, California, He took on the name Peanut Butter Wolf in the late-80s when he realized that a girlfriend’s youngest brother feared the “peanut butter wolf monster”...
, founder of the Stones Throw Records
Stones Throw Records
Stones Throw Records is an independent hip hop record label based in Los Angeles, California. It was started in 1996 by DJ/Producer Peanut Butter Wolf in part to release the music he made with Charizma who was killed at the age of 20....
label. They released two singles and a full-length album on the Stones Throw imprint in 1999. Madlib also worked with rap group Tha Alkaholiks
Tha Alkaholiks
Tha Alkaholiks, also known as Tha Liks, was an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. Since the early 1990s they have produced funky, upbeat, hedonism-themed party music with a hardcore hip hop edge, powered by the beats of DJ and producer E-Swift and the lively, comedic rhymes of...
for several albums.
Madlib's first release under the guise of Quasimoto
Quasimoto
Quasimoto is the alter ego or the side project of hip hop producer Madlib, from Oxnard, California. Quas is known for the raised pitch of his voice as if he was inhaling helium. Another notable characteristic is Quas inter-changing with Madlib's voice. One day in the studio, Madlib decided to...
, titled The Unseen
The Unseen (album)
The Unseen is the debut album by Quasimoto, an alter ego of producer Madlib.-Release history:The album was conceived and recorded by Madlib during a week long psilocybin mushroom binge....
, was in 2000. The album was met with critical acclaim and named by Spin Magazine as one of the top albums of the year. Madlib (as Quasimoto) was also named as Hip Hop Connection's Newcomer of the Year in its annual readers poll for 2000. The distinctive high-pitched voice of Lord Quas is attained by playing the original beat at a slow speed, recording the vocals over that slow speed, then speeding the vocals along with the original beat back up to its original tempo. Furthermore, some of the samples that are sped up and slowed down include Madlib's own voice (primarily) and Melvin Van Peebles
Melvin Van Peebles
Melvin "Block" Van Peebles is an American actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, novelist and composer.He is most famous for creating the acclaimed film, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, which heralded a new era of African American focused films...
recordings.
In 2001, Madlib took a turn away from traditional hip hop music
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, releasing his first Yesterdays New Quintet LP, Angles Without Edges. Yesterdays New Quintet is a Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
-based, hip hop and electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
-influenced quintet made up of four alter egos or fictional musicians played by Madlib: Ahmad Miller, Monk Hughes, Malik Flavors and Joe McDuphrey; as well as Madlib under his real name, Otis Jackson Jr. Madlib has continued to record other albums under the different guises of Yesterdays New Quintet members, including 2002's tribute to Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, Stevie; as well as "solo" albums by the various members, such as Monk Hughes' 2004's tribute to Weldon Irvine
Weldon Irvine
Weldon Jonathan Irvine, Jr. , also known Master Wel, was an American composer, playwright, poet, pianist and organist.-Biography:...
, A Tribute to Brother Weldon, Joe McDuphrey Experience. He also created the pseudonym Sound Directions to create the YNQ-like band's "debut" album The Funky Side of Life.
The first album under the name Madlib, released in 2002, was a collection of old dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
tracks from Trojan Records
Trojan Records
Trojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. The name Trojan comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck that was used as Duke Reid's sound system in Jamaica...
, and was titled Blunted in the Bomb Shelter. The second, Shades of Blue was released in 2003 and is a remix of Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
. This album features original Blue Note recordings, some remixed and resampled, and some replayed by Madlib, as well as rapping by M.E.D. aka Medaphoar.
Popular collaborations
J Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
, the duo known as Jaylib released Champion Sound
Champion Sound
Champion Sound is an album by the duo Jaylib . Half of the songs are produced by Madlib and feature J Dilla on vocals, and the other half are produced by J Dilla and feature Madlib on vocals...
. The other was Madlib's collaboration with hip-hop producer and rapper MF DOOM
MF Doom
Daniel Dumile is a hip hop artist who has taken on several stage names in his career, most notably MF DOOM, where the "MF" stands for metal face, and for tracks he has produced, metal fingers...
, known together as Madvillain
Madvillain
Madvillain is a hip hop group consisting of MF DOOM and Madlib . Their debut album Madvillainy was met with wide critical acclaim for its unique approach—short songs, obscure lyrics, few choruses and a sound which was generally unfriendly to commercial radio.In 2006, Madvillain was featured on...
. The 2004 Madvillainy
Madvillainy
Madvillainy is the debut album by American hip hop duo Madvillain, a group consisting of MF DOOM and Madlib . It was released on March 23, 2004 on Stones Throw Records to overwhelmingly positive reviews...
album was highly anticipated and well-received, topping many critics' year-end lists. Both albums attracted attention from the fans of J Dilla and MF DOOM.
The 2005 Quasimoto album, The Further Adventures of Lord Quas
The Further Adventures of Lord Quas
The Further Adventures of Lord Quas is the second album by Quasimoto, Madlib's alter ego. The Bus Ride EP was released in late 2004 and featured the singles "Bus Ride", "Rappcats", and "Greenery". "Hydrant Game" was previously available on Madlib's Mind Fusion vol...
was accepted well and continued the Quasimoto tradition of using vocal samples from Melvin Van Peebles
Melvin Van Peebles
Melvin "Block" Van Peebles is an American actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, novelist and composer.He is most famous for creating the acclaimed film, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, which heralded a new era of African American focused films...
. This was followed by a YNQ album called Sound Directions: The Funky Side of Life, marking his first collaboration with session musicians.
After Dilla
J Dilla died in February 2006, and Madlib's album of hip-hop instrumentals Beat Konducta Vol 1-2: Movie Scenes was released that March. On New Year's Eve, a digital release LiberationLiberation (Talib Kweli and Madlib album)
Liberation is a collaboration between Talib Kweli and Madlib. It was made available as a free download from Stones Throw's Rappcats website, and Kweli and Madlib's MySpace pages for the first week of 2007, beginning New Year's Eve 2007. It was removed about a week later...
with Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
was made public for free download for the first week of 2007. In August 2007, Beat Konducta Vol 3-4: Beat Konducta in India was released, an instrumental hip hop album containing songs sampling the music of India
Music of India
The music of India includes multiple varieties of folk, popular, pop, classical music and R&B. India's classical music tradition, including Carnatic and Hindustani music, has a history spanning millennia and developed over several eras. It remains fundamental to the lives of Indians today as...
.
Yesterdays Universe completed the cycle of releases by Yesterdays New Quintet and introduces a new collection of artist names created by Madlib: The Jazzistics, The Young Jazz Rebels, Suntouch, The Jahari Massamba Unit, Kamala Walker & The Soul Tribe, The Last Electro-Acoustic Space Jazz & Percussion Ensemble, The Yesterdays Universe All-Stars, The Otis Jackson Jr. Trio, and The Eddie Prince Fusion Band. This album also would mark the first collaboration between Madlib and Brazilian jazz artist Ivan "Mamao" Conti under the band name Jackson Conti.
Percee P
Percee P
Percee P is a hip hop artist from the Patterson Projects in The Bronx, New York City, United States. Percee P has been writing and performing since 1979, yet his debut album Perseverance was not released until September 18, 2007, produced entirely by Madlib.He was known in the underground for...
's first album, Perseverance
Perseverance (Percee P album)
Perseverance is the official debut album by Percee P a New York-born underground rapper signed to Stones Throw Records. All tracks are produced by Madlib.- Track listing :#"Intro"#"The Hand That Leads You"#"The Man To Praise"...
, entirely produced by Madlib, was out in September 2007. Some other records are supposed to come out such as the Supreme Team album (with Karriem Riggins), as well as a solo album on BBE Records. It has been reported that Erykah Badu made some new songs over Madlib's instrumentals, and that he would work on a project with Sa-Ra. For years, rumours of Madvillainy 2 and Jaylib 2 have circulated, but no information has surfaced, besides one new Madvillain song on the Stones Throw Records
Stones Throw Records
Stones Throw Records is an independent hip hop record label based in Los Angeles, California. It was started in 1996 by DJ/Producer Peanut Butter Wolf in part to release the music he made with Charizma who was killed at the age of 20....
compilation Chrome Children
Chrome Children
Chrome Children is a co-production between Stones Throw Records and Adult Swim. The CD & DVD set, released on October 3, 2006, includes songs from Oh No, J Dilla, Madlib, and other Stones Throw artists. It also includes footage from a hip-hop concert headlined by MF DOOM and Madlib on DVD...
in 2006.
On October 29, 2007, Madlib made a rare public appearance on BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
's Rap City
Rap City (TV series)
Rap City is a music video television program block aired on the Black Entertainment Television network. The program was an exclusive showcase for hip hop music videos, and features interviews with and freestyles from popular rappers, and often has guest DJs serve as co-hosts.-Conception:The show...
, alongside collaborator Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
.
Madlib produced Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
's second single from her New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
New Amerykah Part One is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Erykah Badu, released February 26, 2008, on Universal Motown. It follows her 2003 album Worldwide Underground and a hiatus from recording music...
album, "The Healer". The song formally debuted on Gilles Peterson
Gilles Peterson
Gilles Peterson , is a DJ, record collector and record label owner from London, UK. Through his labels Acid Jazz, Talkin' Loud, and latterly Brownswood Recordings, he has been associated with the careers of well-known artists of the 1990s such as Erykah Badu, Roni Size and Jamiroquai...
's BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
show in January 2008.
In May 2008, Madlib and Ivan Conti (of the Brazilian band Azymuth
Azymuth
Azymuth is a three-piece electric funk jazz group from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Formed in 1972, the members are Jose Roberto Bertrami , Alex Malheiros , and Ivan Conti .-History:...
) released a full album under the name "Jackson Conti", entitled Sujinho
Sujinho
Sujinho is a latin jazz collaboration album between American hip hop producer and MC Madlib and drummer for the Brazilian funk band Azymuth, Ivan Conti. This album features Brazilian samba music heavily and features one of Madlib's interests in Latin Jazz...
.
In September 2008, Stones Throw released a limited box set called Madvillainy 2: The Madlib Remix. It has remixes of the first Madvillainy
Madvillainy
Madvillainy is the debut album by American hip hop duo Madvillain, a group consisting of MF DOOM and Madlib . It was released on March 23, 2004 on Stones Throw Records to overwhelmingly positive reviews...
album and the song Monkey Suite, originally on the Chrome Children
Chrome Children
Chrome Children is a co-production between Stones Throw Records and Adult Swim. The CD & DVD set, released on October 3, 2006, includes songs from Oh No, J Dilla, Madlib, and other Stones Throw artists. It also includes footage from a hip-hop concert headlined by MF DOOM and Madlib on DVD...
compilation, a One Beer (Drunk Version) 7"-single, the Madvillain
Madvillain
Madvillain is a hip hop group consisting of MF DOOM and Madlib . Their debut album Madvillainy was met with wide critical acclaim for its unique approach—short songs, obscure lyrics, few choruses and a sound which was generally unfriendly to commercial radio.In 2006, Madvillain was featured on...
demo cassette, a T-shirt and a comic book.
Madlib's BBE "Beat Generation" Album WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip
WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip
WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip is a hip hop album by hip hop producer Madlib under BBE Records in CD format as part of their Beat Generation Series. It features production from Madlib as wells as vocals from fellow Stones Throw artists and other underground hip hop artists.-Track List:All tracks...
was released in September 2008.
Madlib's third two-volume Beat Konducta album was released in early 2009. Beat Konducta Vol. 5-6: A Tribute to... is a 42-track piece dedicated to the late J Dilla.
In 2009, he produced "In Search of Stoney Jackson", a whole album for the Los Angeles band Strong Arm Steady, which was out physically in the beginning of the following year. At the end of that year, it was said that he would start an imprit called "Madlib Medicine Show
Madlib Medicine Show
Madlib Medicine Show is an ongoing series of albums and mixtapes by Madlib originally scheduled to be released monthly on his own imprint, Madlib Invazion throughout 2010 and into 2011...
", half based on unreleased original material, half based on mixes. This project consists of one record being dropped every month for the whole year 2010, making it 12 differents records, including 6 original albums and 6 mixes.
In 2010, a collaboration with Detroit rapper Guilty Simpson
Guilty Simpson
Byron Simpson, better known by his stage name Guilty Simpson is a rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He was previously known as Guilt. Over time, he saw that there were more emcees using the alias. In order to set himself apart from the others, he added his last name to become Guilty Simpson. He is...
, called OJ Simpson, as well as a series of original tracks and remixes being the first volume of the Madlib Medicine Show series, was out.
The beginning of this year also saw 2 other releases of his jazz imprint Yesterdays Universe, as 2 new projects, one being the band Last Electro Acoustic Space Jazz & Percussion Ensemble (which already dropped the Summer Suite and the Fall Suite before) with the record "Miles Away", and Young Jazz Rebels with the record "Slave Riot".
He also collaborated on two tracks on Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
's "New Amerykah part 2 : Return of the Ankh".
It is believed that he is currently working on the 3rd Quasimoto album, the 2nd Madvillain album with MF Doom, a project with Karriem Riggins in a Jaylib type of collaboration called Supreme Team, as well as other jazz records from the Yesterdays Universe imprit, following by his collaboration with his younger brother and fellow producer/mc Oh No forming the super duo "The Professionals"
In 2011, he collaborated with Joyce Moreno to contribute a version of the song "Generation Match: Banana" to the Red Hot Organization's
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
most recent charitable album "Red Hot+Rio 2." The album is a follow-up to the 1996 "Red Hot + Rio
Red Hot + Rio
Red Hot + Rio is a compilation album produced by Paul Heck as part of the Red Hot AIDS Benefit Series intended to promote AIDS awareness. This installment is a contemporary tribute to the Bossa nova sound, especially the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim...
." Proceeds from the sales will be donated to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues.
In 2011, Madlib produced 10 tracks for Oxnard-based rapper M.E.D's new album called Classic.
In November 2011, Madlib produced and released an EP with rapper Freddie Gibbs titled "Thuggin".