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