Pics by Nicola Antonazzo (more…)

ON SALE: MADLIB MEDICINE SHOW #2 FLIGHT TO BRAZIL

Madlib Medicine Show is a series by Madlib that included original productions (hip-hop, electronic, jazz) and DJ mixtape (Brazilian, Jazz, Dub, Hip-Hop). Only Madlib’s own productions were released on vinyl, but here – in partnership with Vinyl Me Please and Madlib Invazion – is a limited vinyl pressing of Madlib’s Flight to Brazil mix, an 80-minute guided tour through three decades of Brazilian funk, psychedelic, prog-rock and jazz.

This is a 2 LP set in a chipboard sleeve, with artwork by Gustavo Eandi, made exclusively for Vinyl Me Please and Rappcats. VMP’s copies are already sold out.

Italian music blogger Rappamelo, apparently impatient for a new Beat Konducta album, created his own series of DJ mixtapes, with covers depicting Madlib traveling through Italy. Here’s “Beat Konducta in Lecce,” and “Beat Konducta in Alberobello.” (more…)

This is a portion of the Madvillain interview conducted by Eothen Alapatt for Wax Poetics #8, just as Madvillainy was on its way out, with an introduction by Wax Poetics editor Brian DiGenti. The interview and photos were done at the Stones Throw house in Los Angeles, where much of the album was recorded. Photos by B+. For the entire article, grab Wax Poetics #8 if you can find it, or check waxpoetics.com

In a moment of clarity, Jay-Z might wanna rhyme like Common Sense, but nobody, even with generous charity, can rhyme quite like wordplayer MF DOOM, né Zev Love X. Like Nas and “Live at the BBQ,” every great MC has a celebrated debut, and Zev Love represents on 3rd Bass’s “The Gas Face,” 1989. (more…)

IN THE SHOP: MADLIB MEDICINE SHOW – THE BRICK (CD BOX SET)

Madlib Medicine Show is a music series the producer began in late 2009 as the official launch of his label Madlib Invazion. 13 CDs and 7 LPs were released in the series. Odd numbers (#1,3,5,7,9,11) are original Madlib productions (hip-hop, remix, beat tape and jazz). Even numbers (#2,4,6,8,10). are mixtapes of funk, soul, Brazilian, psych, jazz and other undefined forms of music from the Beat Konducta’s 4-ton* stack of vinyl. Madlib Medicine Show #12 and 13 are hip-hop remixes by Madlib.

THE BRICK ON CD compiles all 13 CD releases. The 2016 edition of The Brick has all CDs, each in 4-panel digipack sleeves, in a single box. THE BRICK ON VINYL compiles all of the odd-number, original works.

1. Madlib Medicine Show #1: Before the Verdict
Hip-hop Album feat. Guilty Simpson. Full-length, 17-tracks, combining new material and remixes.
2. Madlib Medicine Show #2: Flight to Brazil
Mixtape. 80-minutes of Brazilian psyche, folk and jazz.
3. Madlib Medicine Show #3: Beat Konducta in Africa
Hip-hop Album. Inspired by and based on African records of the early 1970s – obscure & independent vinyl gems from afro-beat, funk, psych-rock, garage-rock & soul movements from Africa.
4. Madlib Medicine Show #4: 420 Chalice All-Stars
Mixtape. All Jamaican sounds, 80 minutes. Complete with Los Angeles medicinal marijuana guide.
5. Madlib Medicine Show #5: History of the Loop Digga
Hip-Hop Album. Madlib’s early years, 1990-2000, from beat cassettes produced for local rap crew Crate Digga’s Palace.
6. Madlib Medicine Show #6: The Brain Wreck Show
Mixtape. Psych-prog-avante-freak-out-funk rock mix CD.
7. Madlib Medicine Show #7: High Jazz
Jazz Album. All new Madlib productions from his collective of jazz groups and musicians known as Yesterdays Universe.
8. Madlib Medicine Show #8: Advanced Jazz
Mixtape. A jazz music course with no grades, lecturer or tests – just a room of dusty jazz vinyl and Madlib at the turntable.
9. Madlib Medicine Show #9: Channel 85 Presents Nittyville
Hip-Hop Album feat. Frank Nitt. Loosely-based concept album around an obscure TV show, Nittyville, running on Channel 85. Full-length, 14 tracks.
10. Madlib Medicine Show #10: Black Soul
Mixtape. The Disco era, 80 mins, mixed by Madlib.
11. Madlib Medicine Show #11: Low Budget Hi-Fi
Hip-Hop Album. Dirty Demos produced by Madlib, with The Professionals (Madlib+Oh No), MED, Strong Arm Steady, AG, Guilty Simpson, J. Rocc, Supreme Team (Madlib+Karriem Riggins), and Jaylib.
12. Madlib Medicine Show #12: Raw Medicine
Hip-Hop Remixes. Part mixtape, part beat tape, featuring a host of un-suspecting collaborators that run the gamut from thugs, street poets, star emcees and underdogs. The show runs 60 minute with 30+ tracks.
13. Madlib Medicine Show: 13: Black Tape
Hip-Hop Remixes. The previously-unannounced encore to the Medicine Show series, and continuation of number 12. 60 minutes, 35 tracks.

(*4-tons of vinyl, this is true.)

We left copies of The Brick in random places all around the world to celebrate the Medicine Show: Tokyo, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Paris.

The first edition of The Brick was a stack of jewel cases. This is now out of print.

Behind the scenes: As part of a collaboration with the Red Bull Music Academy during the Academy’s New York Festival, Steve Sweatpants of Street Dreams photographed Madlib’s journey to Hoboken, NJ to dig for rare Brazillian records with Joel Stones & Egon.

Madlib spoke with Chairman Mao earlier this month at the Red Bull Music Academy in New York City, touching on his upcoming collaboration with Freddie Gibbs – Bandana – and much more.

“Since the early ‘90s, the reclusive Madlib has been producing music at a relentless pace. Whether he’s working with artists like Freddie Gibbs, MF Doom or Erykah Badu, collaborating with the late J Dilla, or working under one of his own aliases, like the drugged out party creature Quasimoto, Madlib has carved out his own idiosyncratic corner in the massive hip-hop universe. Luckily, we were able to coax him out of his studio for a rare discussion at the Red Bull Music Academy Festival New York 2016 about Prince, the importance of doing taxes, the death of his Quasimoto alter-ego, collaborating with Kanye West and his love of industrial music.” – RBMA

You may have heard something about Freddie Gibbs & Madlib’s Bandana. While the reports of its imminent release may be exaggerated, it is true that Gangster Gibbs & Beat Konducta have begun talking about, and maybe even working on, a followup to Piñata. Bandana was first referenced by Madlib in his talk at Red Bull Music Academy in New York, May 2016. Expect more news about the record some time later in 2016, or 2020, or somewhere in between.

Please sign up to our newsletter for further announcements and grab a copy of “Cocaine Parties in L.A.”

#Bandana

— Freddie Gibbs (@FreddieGibbs) May 8, 2016

Just a couple photos of Madlib at Shrine Expo Hall with Four Tet, Ben UFO, Daphni, Floating Points. Photos by Daily Laurel. (Also see the remix.)

ON SALE HERE: FREDDIE GIBBS & MADLIB – COCAINE PARTIES IN L.A.

Rappcats exclusive: 12-inch single, now shipping. “Cocaine Parties In L.A.” b/w “Cocaine Parties In L.A. (Instrumental)”

“Cocaine Parties In L.A.” is produced by Madlib with lyrics/vocals by Freddie Gibbs. All sleeves are screen-printed by hand, one-of-a-kind – 10 variations in all, but each slightly different. Illustration by Gustavo Eandi, design by Jeff Jank, screened by Hit N Run.

AVAILABLE NOW: MADLIB MEDICINE SHOW: THE BRICK ON VINYL

Madlib Medicine Show is a series of album and mixtape releases by Madlib. This is the first time the Madlib Medicine Show “Brick” box set has been released on vinyl. The Brick contains seven albums with thirteen LPs, all of the originally-produced material by Madlib in the series:

In the collection:

1. Madlib Medicine Show #1: Before the Verdict. 2/LP Hip-hop Album feat. Guilty Simpson. Full-length, 17-tracks, combining new material and remixes.
2. Madlib Medicine Show #3: Beat Konducta in Africa. 2/LP Hip-hop Album. Inspired by and based on African records of the early 1970s — obscure & independent vinyl gems from afro-beat, funk, psych-rock, garage-rock & soul movements from Africa.
3. Madlib Medicine Show #5: History of the Loop Digga, 1990-2000. 2/LP Hip-Hop Album. Madlib’s early years, 1990-2000, from beat cassettes produced for local rap crew Crate Digga’s Palace.
4. Madlib Medicine Show #7: High Jazz. 2/LP Jazz Album. All new Madlib productions from his collective of jazz groups and musicians known as Yesterdays Universe.
5. Madlib Medicine Show #9: Channel 85 Presents Nittyville. 2/LP Hip-Hop Album feat. Frank Nitt. Loosely-based concept album around an obscure TV show, Nittyville, running on Channel 85. Full-length, 14 tracks.
6. Madlib Medicine Show #11: Low Budget High Fi. 2/LP Hip-Hop Album. Dirty Demos produced by Madlib, with The Professionals (Madlib+Oh No), MED, Strong Arm Steady, AG, Guilty Simpson, J. Rocc, Supreme Team (Madlib+Karriem Riggins), and Jaylib.
7. Madlib Medicine Show #12 & 13: Filthy Ass Remixes. 1/LP Hip-Hop Remixes. Part mixtape, part beat tape, featuring a host of un-suspecting collaborators that run the gamut from thugs, street poets, star emcees and underdogs. These are select tracks from Vol. 12 and 13 of the Medicine Show CD edition.

ALSO SEE THE CD EDITION

“No More Parties in LA featuring Kendrick Lamar intro produced by me/track by Madlib” Kanye West

Images from Russell Houghten’s Urban Isolation

Anderson.Paak joins MED & Blu over a Madlib production, from the album Bad Neighbor — grab the vinyl.

Background: A couple years ago Blu got a few Madlib instrumentals and put together a few demos. The rough collection became the foundation of what would become Bad Neighbor. MED, a longtime collaborator of Madlib, put the pieces together, bringing together an impressive group of MCs and vocalists to complete the album.

Here’s another track from Bad Neighbor, coming October 30th. Phonte, Likewise, DOOM, Aloe Blacc, Hodgy Beats, Anderson Paak, Mayer Hawthorne and Dam-Funk join MED and Blu over 100% Madlib beats.

FROM THE ALBUM BAD NEIGHBOR

MF DOOM, Aloe Blacc, Hodgy Beats, Anderson Paak, Mayer Hawthorne and Dam-Funk join MED and Blu over 100% Madlib beats.

A couple years ago Blu got a few Madlib instrumentals and put together a few demos. The rough collection became the foundation of what would become Bad Neighbor. MED, a longtime collaborator of Madlib, put the pieces together, bringing together an impressive group of MCs and vocalists to complete the album.

About the single: “Doom’s verse was the interesting one,” says MED. “Doom’s concept was that it’s a text message. He text messages me while I’m not home, so he comes to my house anyway and starts borrowing all kinds of shit, you know, villain-style … going to my house, drinking my beers, going through my DVDs.”

Hear Med, Blu & Madlib Team With MF Doom for the Trio’s All-Star LP – Rolling Stone

NOW SHIPPING: TROUBLE KNOWS ME 12-INCH VINYL

Record out now; Here’s a new Madlib remix of “Streetsweeper”

Limited edition vinyl for the Sam Herring & Madlib project is now shipping. Thanks to everyone who came out to our events in Los Angeles and Chicago for the first round of records, and to everyone who patiently waited for the rest of them.

Produced by Madlib / A&R: Eothen Alapatt / Mixed and mastered by Dave Cooley for Elysian Masters. / Thanks to the Herring Family, Future Islands, Ben Gaffin, Ben Dickey, all the good teachers. The artwork is by Gustavo Eandi & Jeff Jank, printed by Hit & Run. There are 15-20 variations on the covers, each printed by hand.

MADLIB IN EUROPE THIS MONTH:

Sep 04: Deviation, London
Sep 06: Outlook Fest, Pula, Croatia

BUY HERE: TROUBLE KNOWS ME 12-INCH VINYL

Here’s the new Madlib joint, released by Madlib Invazion on limited run of vinyl with one-of-a-kind screen-printed covers. Three rap tracks + three instrumentals on Side A. Flip side has instrumentals for the rap tracks.

Future Islands’ Sam Herring Teams With Madlib for Rap Project Trouble Knows Me, Shares Track – Pitchfork

The record made it’s debut with a few copies available at events in Chicago and Los Angeles, the weekend of July 17-19, 2015. The rest of them are available on the Rappcats shop, a pre-order for September 1st release.

Produced by Madlib / A&R: Eothen Alapatt / Mixed and mastered by Dave Cooley for Elysian Masters. / Thanks to the Herring Family, Future Islands, Ben Gaffin, Ben Dickey, all the good teachers. The artwork is by Gustavo Eandi & Jeff Jank, printed by Hit & Run. There are 15-20 variations on the covers, each printed by hand.

Bonus track, not on the record – “Streetsweeper (Madlib Remix)”

These two just dropped a record together, Trouble Know Me. These photos were taken Friday, July 17, at The Mid in Chicago, where the record made its debut, with Hit & Run silk screening the covers there live. Thanks to Jesse Lirola for the black & white photos; color photos by Egon / Now-Again.

New Madlib coming this Friday/Saturday. We hinted a while ago at a new Madlib production with a yet-unnamed MC. We’re dropping a track later this week in the Rappcats newsletter and presenting the limited 12-inch EP in Chicago and Los Angeles.

Where: Chicago. Friday, July 17. Madlib performs at The Mid, where he will be joined onstage by the MC (and it’s not you who think it is.) Records will be for sale in the venue, where Hit & Run will be live-printing the sleeves. TICKETS. Note: This show will be followed by Freddie Gibbs & Madlib at the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago on July 19.

Where: Los Angeles. Saturday, July 18. Rappcats, 5636 York Blvd, 12PM-4PM. We’ll have these records along with everything else on the Madlib Invazion catalog in a one-day record store pop-up.

The record is 3 vocal tracks plus bonus beats and instrumentals – 9 tracks in all. Sleeves are hand-printed by Hit & Run with artwork by Gustavo Eandi and Jeff Jank – about 10 variations of each sleeve. These will be numbered, with 150 in Chicago and 150 in L.A. Another few hundred are currently being printed and will be available on Rappcats website later this summer.

Madlib has a new mixtape called Mind Fusion: African Earwax. He made 30 copies of these on CD, each of which was being given an individual hand-drawn cover by Jason Jagel and sold at the Doomsday Show at Rappcats, June 20, 2015.

Here’s the mix in full. This is the first mix on Madlib’s Mixcloud page http://mixcloud.com/madlib

Mind Fusion began as a five-volume mixtape series, released 2004-2007. These mixtape CD releases bare no label or address, just the name “Madlib” designed like the Tamla Records logo. Vol 1 and Vol 4 contain production from Madlib. Vol 2 is a jazz mix. Vol 3 and Volume 5 are mixes of records from around the world. Liner notes in each volume, from authors such as Thurston Moore, Vaclav Havel, LeRoi Jones, and Lungston Hughes, range from essays on jazz, a Los Angeles guides, poems, tips on making bombs at home.

MORE ABOUT THE SERIES:
Madlib Mind Fusion
Madlib – Mind Fusion Vol. 1: Hip-Hop
Madlib – Mind Fusion Vol. 2: Jazz, Funk, Soul
Madlib – Mind Fusion Vol. 3: Dirty Crates from the Bottom
Madlib – Mind Fusion Vol. 4: Hip-Hop Remixes, Nas Vs. Jay Z, & CDP Archives
Madlib – Mind Fusion Vol. 5: Dirty Crates from Around the World

Madlib T-shirts are available again. Quasimoto Q.E. is a homage to Public Enemy, their logo flipped by Jeff Jank. Madlib by Parra is the Dutch illustrator’s nearly impossible-to-read take on the Los Angeles Dodgers logo. Aliases is a tribute to the many characters of Madlib’s musical universe, designed by Brent Rollins. Smoked Out … yes, that says “Madlib” … this was designed by Gustavo Eandi for Madlib Medicine Show #11.

Some years ago, Madlib was offered the opportunity to dig into the master tapes of the legendary Blue Note Records, remix whatever he liked, and have them release the record. For a producer raised on the label, the offer couldn’t have been any better. The result was the album Shades of Blue, which was recently reissued on vinyl as a part of a year-long celebration of Blue Note’s 75th year in business.

Rounding out the birthday party is this substantial release, Blue Note: Uncompromising Expression, a heavy coffee table book documenting the 75 years of albums, credits, photos, cover art and production details.

One irony of the digital music is the continuing interest in record labels, vinyl album covers, and what seems like a flood of books about LP cover artwork. But if there’s one label who truly deserves it, whose work can fill nearly 400 pages, it’s Blue Note Records. They not only defined jazz in the 20th century, but defined several eras of jazz. Just as important to those of us who love the labels as much as the music, was their unique ability to combine the music and the recordings with photography and design in a way that presented Blue Note as an entire culture unto itself. Even their look defines jazz. Other labels did this to some extent, but never as long and with as much consistency as Blue Note. Many others tried and never came close. It’s now something of a lost art, but some still try.

It’s an honor to see Madlib’s Shades of Blue rounding out the last section of the book, and the album still sounds good today. The cover photo was shot by B+ (Brian Cross) and a couple pages of his proof sheets are also published in the book. I, Jeff Jank, designed the record, in the classic “Blue Note style.” Someone at Blue Note told me I was the only person in the history of label to design and perform on one of the records. The performance part is a stretch, since I played two notes on a broken-down standup bass which Madlib later re-processed, but I’ll accept the credit.

Blue Note: Uncompromising Expression was written by Richard Havers, published by Chronicle Books. 399 pages, 4 lbs.

ON SALE: FREDDIE GIBBS & MADLIB – KNICKS REMIX EP

Following up Freddie Gibbs & Madlib’s Pinata – this EP contains exclusive tracks not available on the album. “Knicks,” in remixed form, now features a new verse by Gibbs alongside Action Bronson, Joey Bada$$ and Ransom. The b-side, “Home,” features BJ The Chicago Kid – the velvet voiced vocalist from the duo’s earlier “Shame” – and Madlib’s two-part soul-flip carries Gibb’s narrative about a traveling man’s disregard for his woman at home. Both sides are completed by previously unheard Madlib instrumentals.

Look for another Pinata Alert in LA & NYC when we have vinyl.

TRACK LIST
A1. Knicks Remix feat. Action Bronson, Joey Bada$$, Ransom
A2. Knicks Remix (Instrumental)
A3. The Dunk (Bonus Beat)
B1. Home ft. BJ The Chicago Kid
B2. Home (Instrumental)
B3. The Garden (Bonus Beat)

Freddie photo by Peter Beste, group photo by Lord Such.