The Greatness of Madlib: Part 1

Hey folks

In this post, I would like to talk (I say talk, but really I'm raving!!!) about Madlib, the Oxnard, California DJ/Rapper & Producer. To give you an idea of his ingenuity, his title, "Madlib" stands for - Mind Altering Demented Lessons in Beats. The acronym is apt, because his music is truly mind altering and demented AND his work stands as a blueprint to all other hip hop producers out there in the world.

Madlib

What makes Madlib's music so engrossing to me is the way he juxtaposes his beats to whatever the artists says on the track. At times, he delivers exactly what you might expect when you listen to the lyrics, but most of the time, he delivers this soulful, melodic and at times, crass sound that will seem alien and foreign to the layman hip hop listener. But the listener must stick by it and let the music sink in because as all music lovers know - it is usually the best music that takes a couple of listens in order to garner enjoyment.

Although Madlib does rap occasionally, his skills and talents lie in making beats. Madlib's vinyl collection is ridiculously huge and this becomes obvious once you listen to any of his Beat Konducta albums. Once you do pop in the album, be prepared to bliss out on one of the most original works ever created. Madlib infuses sound into music like no one else and his skill as a DJ/Mixer is only eclipsed by another hip hop producer - J Dilla (a.k.a. Jay Dee). In fact, the two MC/Producers collaborated on an ambitious project that resulted in Champion Sound, where the two aficionados performed on each other beats.

But the greatest work Madlib has ever created is also another collaboration with a little known MC by the name of MF Doom. The LP, titled "Madvilliany" is so good on multiple levels that I am going to devote an entire post on just that album alone. Yes, its that great.

In the meantime, go on over and listen to any of his albums on Stone's Throw Records. I strongly recommend that you start with his Beat Konducta series, starting with "Vol. 1-2: Movie Scenes", which features an eclectic mix of 35 tracks that is sure to rattle your sound system. Play it loud and play it hard. Make sure the neighbors hear it and if they complain about the "noise", then you listened to Madlib's music the right way. Enjoy.