Madlib

For the word game, see Mad Libs.
Madlib

Madlib during March 2014
Background information
Birth name Otis Jackson, Jr.
Also known as Quasimoto, Yesterdays New Quintet, DJ Rels
Born October 24, 1973
Origin Oxnard, California, United States
Genres Hip hop, Jazz
Occupation(s) Musician, record producer, rapper, DJ
Years active 1993–present
Labels Stones Throw, Madlib Invazion, Blue Note
Associated acts Madvillain, Jaylib, Lootpack, Quasimoto, Freddie Gibbs, Strong Arm Steady, Guilty Simpson, Muno Brar$, Peanut Butter Wolf, J Rocc, MF DOOM, J Dilla, Talib Kweli, Erykah Badu, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Oh No, Blu, Mos Def
Website Madlib at stonesthrow.com

Otis Jackson Jr. (born October 24, 1973), known professionally as Madlib, is an American DJ, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, and music producer. He is one of the most prolific and critically acclaimed hip hop producers of the 2000s and has collaborated with different hip hop artists under a variety of pseudonyms, including MF DOOM (as Madvillain), as well as the late J Dilla (as Jaylib). Madlib has described himself as a "DJ first, producer second, and MC last,"[1][2] and he has done several projects as a DJ, mixer, or remixer.

Early life

Madlib was born in Oxnard, California to musician parents Otis Jackson, Sr. and Dora Sinesca Jackson.[3] His younger brother is the producer and rapper Michael 'Oh No' Jackson.[4] He was raised in Oxnard, where he began his music career.

Music career

1993–1998: Early career

In the early 1990s, Madlib formed a loose-knit collective comprised rappers that worked with Madlib in his Oxnard-based "Crate Diggas Palace" studio.[5] This collective was composed primarily of his friends, and became known as CDP. Madlib's first commercially released music was production for the rap group Tha Alkaholiks in 1993. He went on to record music of his own was with the group Lootpack. Their 12-inch EP "Ill Psyche Move," was released by Madlib's father in 1995 on a label also called Crate Diggas Palace. This record caught the attention of Peanut Butter Wolf, founder of the Stones Throw Records label, who signed the group in 1998.[6]

1999–2009: Stones Throw, Quasimoto, Yesterdays New Quintet, Mind Fusion and Beat Konducta

The Lootpack's 1999 debut album Soundpieces: Da Antidote ushered in a string of releases on Stones Throw centering around Madlib's production work which would continue for a decade. His first solo work, under the guise of Quasimoto, The Unseen, came in 2000. The album was met with critical acclaim, named by Spin Magazine as one of the top 20 albums of the year.[7]

In 2001, Madlib moved away from hip-hop music and began a series of releases from Yesterdays New Quintet, a Jazz-based, hip-hop and electronic-influenced quintet made up of alter egos or fictional musicians played by Madlib. Over the next several years, through several record releases on Stones Throw and other labels, the growing number of pseudonyms and fictional players came to be known as Yesterdays Universe.[8] Madlib was later invited to remix tracks from the Blue Note Records archive in 2003, which he released as Shades of Blue. In addition to the remixes, the album contained newly recorded interpretations of Blue Note originals, many of which were credited to members of Yesterdays New Quintet. Beginning with the 2007 album The Funky Side of Life by Yesterdays New Quintet spinoff group Sound Directions, the Yesterdays Universe also began incorporating additional session musicians who were not pseudonyms of Madlib.

Madlib at Stones Throw Records special, December 4, 2005

Returning to hip-hop music in 2003, Madlib announced two collaborative projects. Working with the late hip hop producer J Dilla, the duo known as Jaylib released Champion Sound. The other was Madlib's collaboration with rapper MF DOOM, known together as Madvillain. Their 2004 Madvillainy album was highly anticipated and well-received, topping many critics' year-end lists.[9]

The 2005 Quasimoto album, The Further Adventures of Lord Quas was accepted well[10] and continued the Quasimoto tradition of using vocal samples from Melvin Van Peebles, who is credited on the album liner notes as a collaborator.

Throughout the rest of the decade Madlib continued to release jazz material simultaneously with his hip hop work: Perseverance with Percee P, Liberation with Talib Kweli, Sujinho with Ivan Conti of Azymuth, his own instrumental hip-hop series "Beat Konducta", "In Search of Stoney Jackson" with Strong Arm Steady, "OJ Simpson" with Guilty Simpson, and production work for several artists such as Erykah Badu and De La Soul.

2010–present: Madlib Invazion, Madlib Medicine Show and Piñata

In 2010, Madlib announced his own imprint called Madlib Invazion, formed to release a music series called Madlib Medicine Show.[11] The series would ultimately take over two years to complete, culminating with 13 album releases and several vinyl-only EPs, spanning hip-hop, jazz, remixes, and multi-genre DJ mix tapes. The label has continued to release records outside of the original series.

Freddie Gibbs and Madlib announced plans for a collaboration album late in 2011 with the release of an EP titled Thuggin’. A second EP titled Shame followed on June 22, 2012. A third EP titled Deeper was released on September 24, 2013. The duo’s collaboration album Piñata was later released to critical acclaim on March 18, 2014.

Partial discography

Main article: Madlib discography
Collaboration albums & EP's

Notes

  1. ↑ Aziri (2002).
  2. ↑ Mugshot Magazine, Vol 2, Issue 3, 2003
  3. ↑ Taylor, Ken. "Madlib Biography". Musician Biographies. Net Industries. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
  4. ↑ Oh No Talks About His Albums, Having Madlib as an Older Brother, Working with Alchemist & MF Doom - XXL. Xxlmag.com (2012-06-27). Retrieved on 2014-05-12.
  5. ↑ "History of the Loop Digga". Retrieved 2012-09-29.
  6. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=196137333891169&story_fbid=302319823272919. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ↑ "Spin Magazine: Year End Lists". Rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-10-05.
  8. ↑ "Yesterdays New Quintet". Retrieved 2012-09-29.
  9. ↑ "Madvillain: Madvillainy (2004): Reviews". Metacritic.com. 2009-12-15. Retrieved 2013-10-05.
  10. ↑ "Quasimoto: The Further Adventures of Lord Quas (2005): Reviews". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 2013-10-05.
  11. ↑ "Madlib Medicine Show". Retrieved 2012-09-29.

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External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Madlib.
  1. ↑ "Madlib bio". Facebook. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)