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