“Popular demand/ You bought a drop-top and you the man/ I caught the top opera in Japan aggin”

This could’ve been a Notable Quotable. But, then again, most eLZhi verses could. So, to keep it fair we’ll regulate this unearthed gem to a simple reiteration and require that you give at least two listens to this Detroiter’s decimation of Madlib’s sample-heavy hotness. Read the rest of this entry »

Madlib’s reputation as a prolific yet enigmatic producer was put to rest somewhat in a recent session with L.A. Weekly. As his first interview in four years, the article paints Madlib as a passionate musician who has his mind focused on his music rather than his (non-existent) Twitter account. I can’t get mad at that since I’d prefer it if my favorite producers concentrated on becoming better at what they do rather than get sidetracked by some online nonsense Read the rest of this entry »

*Straps on backpack*

2003-2004 was the David D. backpack era. My prized possession in my Jansport was Madvillainy, which is a polarizing album as people either hate it or absolutely love it. I still contest that it’s a 5 Cig album. Each song flowed seamlessly, with DOOM dropping gems all over Madlib’s creepy, whimsical and comical (in the good way) production.

“Papermill” is that classic Madvillain sound with a couple of hook-less minutes of DOOM spitting non-sequitors and off-kilter rhymes. His voice is missing that gravelly sound it had in the first album, which is a shame. Still, this track is vintage Madvillain. Apparently, this it from an album that is on the way. Expect the project to come out the day after DOOM actually shows up to a concert. Read the rest of this entry »

Dutch artist Parra & Stones Throw unite for this Dodger-inspired shirt for Madlib. Available in blue and white and both men’s and women’s (because girls rock too). Cop @ Stones Throw’s online store. Read the rest of this entry »

People complaining about “too much” coverage of Detroit on a Hip-Hop site in 2010 shall be met with the side eye. There isn’t a city in the world right now producing as many quality MC’s as the D. Guilty Simpson is one of those many who are making other cities step their game up. Alongside Los Angeles-based producer Madlib, the Motown native takes two minutes and some change out of his day to verbally slaughter his competition over the haunting, percussive heavy backdrop The Beat Konducta provides on the remix to “Kill ‘Em.” The song serves as a teaser for their future collaboration album OJ Simpson and also as an album track on Madlib Medicine Show No. 1: Before The Verdict.

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Listen — Guilty Simpson x Madlib – “Kill’Em” (OJ Simpson Remix)

Madlib Medicine Show #1: Before The Verdict is available now @ Stones Throw.

Strong Arm Steady + Madlib on production = Their upcoming In Search Of Stoney Jackson, set to release in late January. Or you can cop the digital advance now @ the Stones Throw store. Read the rest of this entry »

Because if I had to take a knife to a gunfight, I’d want Guilty Simpson riding with me like Tango & Cash. Therefore, I support any and all efforts to get this man good beats so he can succeed. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve been here any amount of time then you know that Gotty™ knows nada about Doom, Madlib, Madvillian or any of these evil comic book characters who rap. Normally, I’d leave this material to David D. or one of those dudes who still plays video games & believes that wrassling is real. Read the rest of this entry »

Rappers want to be athletes and athletes want to be rappers. Very few excel in one arena, let alone both.  But don’t tell Stalley about defying the odds A native of football hotbed Massillon, Ohio he managed to score a basketball scholarship to Michigan. After an injury derailed that dream, he decided to throw his hat in the fold for this thing we call music. Read the rest of this entry »

Slaughterhouse? That bloody mess is an afterthought for Nino Bless since he’s found a new group of veteran wolves to run with — for the time being. This is the first taste of his upcoming project The Nomads, dropping next month. Who’s the winner? Who’s got the NQ? Only one way to find out… Read the rest of this entry »

Somewhere, LC, David & K1NG are probably doing the Robot @ the news that Guilty & Madlib are putting together a whole album, tentatively titled OJ Simpson. Read the rest of this entry »

You can’t question the fact that Mos Def is one of the most talented emcees in the game. You can, however, question his commitment to Hip-Hop over the last five years. The lucrative opportunities offered to Mos on big and small screen have been too much for him to pass up. But you can’t take without giving something up, and what has suffered has been Mos’ musical career. 2006’s True Magic was panned for its lack of cohesion and consistency, the work of a man with too much on his plate.

The same criticisms can be raised on The Ecstatic, an, uneven unpolished offering from the aspiring Renaissance man. Employing his experiences from sojourning various poverty-stricken nations gives the music a contemporary influence, yet the biggest problem with The Ecstatic is its disjointed nature—there’s no consistent flow from song to song or overarching theme within the project. Read the rest of this entry »

For someone who probably won’t get alot of shine in major media outlets, Madlib’s had a prolific career. Having collaborated with everyone from MF Doom to Talib Kweli, he’s rivaled all but Kool Keith in terms of putting out albums, mixtapes, collaborations, or instrumental. The bevy of work hasn’t translated into mainstream accolades, but it has earned him respect and name recognition within Hip-Hop underground and internet communities. Read the rest of this entry »

O.K. let’s be real.

It’s no September 29th, 1998 (which ironically was 10 years ago to this day,) but let’s look at the bright side of things. Tomorrow, approximately 10 Hip-Hop albums, along with a couple of R&B records, will debut marking the biggest day of releases for the culture this year (if not ever). Read the rest of this entry »

Words By Contraâ„¢

Sometimes I wonder why this guy is still somewhat of an underdog.

I don’t wonder and frown. Au contraire. I breathe a giant sigh of relief. I think it’s actually quite positive that he’s not mainstream.

Talib to me is what Hip-Hop should be: more powerful, more intellectual, more empowering, more selfless, more gratifying, further reaching art. That is what Hip-Hop should have transitioned into, as opposed to having devolved into its current state of severely soulless “negradation” -Uncle Ruckus.

It hurts me when certain rappers with the IQ’s of Read the rest of this entry »