This essay on Madlib’s first installment in his Medicine Music Show series was published in the January 27 issue of the San Francisco Bay Guardian.

Welcome to violence

Madlib, now in his hardcore phase, hands out sonic pamphlets like a prophet of doom

Late last year, Stones Throw Records announced that it would release a full-length album of tunes by its veritable resident producer, Madlib, in 2010 … every month. Dubbed Madlib Medicine Show, the 12-part series sounds like a rap nerd fantasy.

Ever since his critically lionized Quasimoto adventure, 2000’s The Unseen, when he adopted a helium voice and crafted adult cartoons straight out of Fritz the Cat and Le Planete Sauvage, the L.A. musician has defined an idiom of crackling sampled loops, slightly buggered raps, and thick clouds of weed smoke. Over 15 years deep into a career that kicked off with a cameo on the Alkaholiks 1993 debut 21 and Over, his enigmatic vision perseveres, even as the idealistic underground scene he once occupied – remember back in the 90s when his old group the Lootpack chastised wanna-be gangsta rappers on “The Antidote”? – has turned cynical, becoming obsessed with the same guns-drugs-porn-money quadrangle it once criticized the “mainstream” for.

Meanwhile, onetime critics who complained that Madlib produces too many records have been hushed by a rapacious Internet age, where weekly emissions of tracks and mixtapes are de rigueur. For example, L.A. indie rapper Blu, a promising inheritor of the West Coast hip hop tradition, has been on “hiatus” for well over a year as he crafts his major-label debut, yet still manages to upload several albums worth of free online “demos.” Madlib’s dozens of aliases (Yesterday’s New Quintet, DJ Rels, take your pick) and chaotic forays into post-bop, free jazz, soul-jazz broken beat, Brazilian Tropicalia and deep funk seem quaint by comparison.

Smartly, Madlib doesn’t give his music away for free. The Madlib Medicine Show may resemble those Internet “loosies” and “street albums” you downloaded last night, but he makes you pay for the privilege of hearing his work. (Or at least he tries to; no one is immune to the web’s torrential bootlegging.)

The first installment, No. 1: Before the Verdict, is particularly pointed in its message of commerce as a soul-destroying, mind-blowing shit-stem. The cover depicts a charred one-dollar bill (with a weed leaf embedded in a corner), an industrial plant spewing toxic waste, and the World Trade Center being bombed by an airplane. The interior features photos of strangely voodoo-fied Africans — one has a hand protruding from her mouth — and the cryptic message: “There were only three witnesses. Two are dead. The other isn’t talking.”

Before the Verdict’s 17 tracks consist of remixes of Guilty Simpson’s 2007 album Ode to the Ghetto, and a few previews of a forthcoming collaboration tentatively titled OJ Simpson. (Again, just like those damned Internet “street albums.”) Guilty is a decent if ornery thug rapper, but he’s clearly no match for Madlib’s symphony of 70s soul “rapps,” funky howls, vinyl hiss, DJ cuts, burps and farts, pungent jokes culled from 60s comedy albums (Redd Foxx and Millie Jackson!) and police scanner snippets. The Detroit rapper’s litanies about “Gettin’ Bitches” and “Robbery” are vocal anchors drowned by the Madlib Invazion’s furiously funky creativity.

Remember when that Quasimoto album intoned at the very beginning, “Welcome to violence”? These days, Madlib doesn’t just promise it. In rave terms, he has entered his hardcore phase. No longer positive and consciousness-expanding, the blessed weed smoke is fuel for a crank personality. The transformation is compelling, hilarious and frightening. As the rap world’s version of “reality” narrows into a handful of masculine fantasies, Madlib has become the era’s pamphleteer, printing out screaming headlines like a crazed prophet of doom.

Not all of his current work sounds like a ghetto dystopia. On his 2008 homage to his late friend James “J Dilla” Yancey, Beat Konducta Vol. 5-6: A Tribute To…, Madlib employed the same collagist techniques with melancholy, loving care.

And then there’s the other album Madlib produced this month, Strong Arm Steady’s In Search of Stoney Jackson. The L.A. group fares somewhat better than Guilty Simpson. Madlib lets their hard-rock rhymes breathe a little, before snuffing them with musical ether.

17. Quasimoto, The Unseen
Stones Throw
Released June 13, 2000

When Quasimoto first appeared on Peanut Butter Wolf’s 1998 single, “Styles, Crews, Flows, Beats,” few realized that the helium-voiced instigator who promised to “slap your bitch up like a pimp” was a guise for rising producer Madlib. He makes the connection plain during a track on The Unseen, “Boom Music” when he slows down Quasimoto’s voice to reveal its true source. But it did little to lessen the impact of this collection of demos he recorded during the 90s – their dusty, bop-inflected sound were a clear product of the acid jazz era – and their hazy, psychedelic splendor.

The Unseen made hip hop fans recognize Madlib as a major artist, a Lee Perry for the indie-rap generation. A listener could get lost in its tunes, where samples from Melvin van Peebles (“Come On Feet”) and the Last Poets (“Low Class Conspiracy”) took center stage like a turntable being cued during a smoke session. Weed consumption played a central role, but so did Madlib’s love for crate-digging (“Return of the Loop Digga,” where he disses UK hip-house producer Simon Harris) and MC’ing (“Microphone Mathematics”). These were all themes he would explore through dozens of recordings as he became one of the 00s most prolific producers. But rarely would they make for a riddle as engrossing as The Unseen.

This year’s crop of hip hop albums was an improvement over last year. But it didn’t come from the artists expected to dominate.

Around this time in 2008, everyone was buzzing about the “new school” of blog-hyped rappers. They injected the medium with an enthusiasm not felt in ages. So far, however, the results of this youth movement are decidedly uneven. Wale’s Attention Deficit drew mixed reviews; even fans of it must concede that it has plenty of decent rhymes, but lacks great songs. By contrast, Kid Cudi landed a few monster singles, particularly the undying “Day ‘N Nite,” but his Man on the Moon: The End of Day seemed monotone and self-indulgent. Blu and the Cool Kids mostly kept silent, and we all know what happened to Charles Hamilton.

With the jury still out on the so-called “freshman class,” the end of the aughts belonged to the veterans. With the notable exception of Nosaj Thing and Dorian Concept, all of the artists on this list are firmly established. Some mounted surprising comebacks after years of mediocre and sub-par work; others made solid follow-ups to classic albums. Unlike 2008 and Flying Lotus’ Los Angeles (and, I would argue, the Cool Kids’ The Bake Sale), these recordings didn’t establish new stylistic tropes. In a year when populism and stubborn class and racial traditions weighed down American culture, these works met expectations and buffered the status quo, whether it was the true-school ethos or the mainstream’s street-rap-as-blues credo.

That’s not to say that 2009 wasn’t an exciting time: it was. But hip hop music thrives on youth movements, and to see blog rap’s most promising rookies disappear in a cloud of weed smoke, meandering mixtapes and incessant corporate-sponsored tours and marketing campaigns was frustrating. It certainly didn’t convince the old heads from continuing to insist that the genre is a dead zombie walking. Of course, next year could be different. But for now, this is where we are.

I don’t know if this list is unique from any other, but I suspect there may be a few surprises. Perhaps the most contentious entry is for Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…Pt II. It has topped many lists, but it certainly didn’t top mine. If my summary reads negative, it’s in reaction to the universal acclaim that has greeted it, some of which seems unwarranted. People love their action fantasies, and Raekwon’s triumphant return has some great crime narratives. But I think some consider it the year’s best because it fits stereotypes of what a great hip hop album is supposed to sound like; other entries on this list drew strong reviews, too, but they were often considered something other than “real hip hop.”

I don’t know what that “other” may may be. Maybe “alt-rap,” “backpacker,” or some nefarious micro-genre like “wobbly”? But lists such as the Plug One 50 will continue to be an anomaly until fans stop equating the genre with criminal activity and po-faced lyrical schemes, embrace a more complex universe of sounds, and live up to Afrika Bambaataa’s vision of hip hop as a perspective on the world instead of a region-specific, drug-infested street corner.

Yes, 2009 was a good year. We got consistently great music, but we missed the excitement that made 2008 seem like a promise of better things to come. Hopefully 2010 will combine not only the tried and true, but also the shock of the new.

1. Mos Def, The Ecstatic
Downtown Records

Few albums sound as hard-earned as The Ecstatic. It incorporates everything Mos Def has done up to now, from the scat-rapping to the soulful singjay-ing that is a bedrock of his stunning live performances. Like Erykah Badu on last year’s New Amerykah Part One (4th World War), he turns to cutting-edge producers — namely Madlib, Oh No and Mr. Flash — to create a frission that his past albums lacked. Those older recordings, particularly 2007′s disastrous True Magic, made The Ecstatic a surprising comeback, but it wouldn’t have been possible without those trials and errors. Its hopeful theme, an obvious nod to President Obama’s 2008 election and the ensuing “Life in Marvelous Times,” tells of a hard road to glory.

2. Sa-Ra Creative Partners, Nuclear Evolution: The Age Of Love
Ubiquity Recordings

If Sa-Ra’s first collection of recorded material, The Hollywood Recordings, was a coked-up ode to sex, drugs and nightlife; then Nuclear Evolution showed a way out of the despair and decadence. “Love Czars,” the album’s magnificent centerpiece, rolled out a locked groove as hypnotic as a Theo Parrish track; “Cosmic Ball,” with jazz-fusion master Gary Bartz as guest, was a shambolic dance in the light. Overall, Nuclear Evolution showed the different sides of Sa-Ra with a depth not heard before, justifying their rep as one of the most talented of the new soul era.

3. Nosaj Thing, Drift
Alpha Pup Records

Here’s an excerpt from my interview with Nosaj Thing earlier this year:

The hype surrounding Drift is the inevitable result of a scene gathering media and fan attention. Thankfully, Drift isn’t a summary of beat music clichés, but a haunting suite of songs that resembles Romantic classicism, minimalism/new music theory and old-school “electronica” techniques pioneered by Global Goon and Aphex Twin. (One of Drift’s tracks is titled “1685/Bach,” a nod to the year Johann Sebastian Bach was born.) Marrying his esoteric melodies to subtly dusted beats, Nosaj Thing creates an instrumental journey that leaves an indelible impression.

4. Brother Ali, Us
Rhymesayers Entertainment

Some critics have asked why Brother Ali, with two great albums under his belt, is never ranked among today’s best MCs. Certainly, few artists could convey inner peace and happiness with such clarity. Like Animal Collective, whose Merriweather Post Pavilion used domestic bliss as a source for drama as rich as any emotional conflict, Brother Ali takes marriage and family as a starting point to wonder why the rest of the world is in turmoil. He raps with such passion and moral certitude; he truly is, as Chuck D. calls him, “a soldier of love.”

5. Aceyalone, Aceyalone & The Lonely Ones
Decon

The second in a planned trilogy of tributes to his influences (the first being 2007′s underrated dancehall venture Lightning Strikes), Aceyalone & the Lonely Ones celebrates the big beats of classic Motown and doo-wop. But it’s not just another retro-soul exercise. Aceyalone playfully inhabits Bionik’s tracks, dropping a series of clean, family-friendly rhymes reminiscent of Freestyle Fellowship’s “Inner City Boundaries.” This may not be Aceyalone’s most important album, but it’s joyously fun all the same.

6. Raekwon, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…Pt. II
Ice H2O Records/EMI

At 22 tracks, this long-awaited sequel to Raekwon’s 1995 masterpiece was full of highs and lows, from the terrific “House Of Flying Daggers” and “Surgical Gloves” to boorish smackdowns like “Broken Safety” (featuring the always predictable Jadakiss). Importantly, this edition focused narrowly on crack dealing, all the way down to the absurd “We Will Rob You” (an interpolation of Queen’s “We Will Rock You”). Save for the anguished “Cold Outside,” it didn’t aspire towards the white-hot hellfire and spiritual redemption of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Here, drug dealing isn’t one’s lot in life, but a familiar role, like a Martin Scorsese gangster flick. The purple tint of the album cover — an allusion to the original’s limited-edition “purple tape” jewel case  — signified business as usual. However, its best songs made for undeniably spectacular mainstream entertainment.

7. Madlib – Beat Konducta, Vol. 5-6: A Tribute To…
Stones Throw

Originally released as two vinyl-only EPs (Vol. 5: Dil Cosby Suite and Vol. 6: Dil Withers Suite), this tribute to Madlib’s friend and collaborator James “J Dilla” Yancey contains real and genuine sorrow. Madlib may have been Dilla’s biggest influence in his final years; you can hear it in his masterwork, Donuts. So the Beat Konducta repays the favor by incorporating samples from Dilla’s best loved tracks, including “The Light.” It’s still quirky and weird…this is a Madlib album, after all. Call it a revival, with plenty of beers, blunts and tears to go around.

8. Serengeti & Polyphonic, Terradactyl
Anticon

Serengeti has worked quietly in Chicago, releasing poorly-distributed albums full of sharply detailed character sketches and odd hooks, which makes him a perfect addition to the left-of-center Anticon. As his official national debut, Terradactyl brings those subterranean elements to light. There is “My Negativity,” which he chants as “My Negga-negga-negga,” drawing an unconscious parallel with a historic epithet. “My Patriotism” turns not to politics but to intimate relations. Meanwhile, Polyphonic the Verbose’s electronic squalls dance around Serengeti’s tales of everyman woe like glowing brain synapses.

9. Tanya Morgan, Brooklynati
Interdependent Media

Brooklynati was a sophomore effort in every way — bigger guests, better production and a concerted effort to translate the rough charms of its debut, 2006′s Moonlighting, to a broader canvas and a wider, blogosphere-primed audience. That the group was mostly successful — the album doesn’t really take off until nearly a third of the way through, during their brilliant “horrorcore” parody “Hardcore Gentlemen” — misses the point. Von Pea, Ilyas, and Donwill continue to grow by leaps and bounds, delivering cipher cuts (“Never 2ndary”) and love jawns (“Never Enough”) with the unique perspective of three admitted rap nerds who are slowly becoming genuine indie-rap heroes.

10. DOOM, Born Like This
Lex Records

If The Ecstatic was Obama’s campaign of hope set to hip hop, then Born Like This was the rabid, red dog populist aftermath. It’s not exactly a fuck-you album on par with Prince and the Revolution’s Around the World In a Day and OutKast’s Idlewild, since DOOM bookended his first solo disc in five years with a gospelly “Thank Yah.” But after enduring rumors of alcoholism, ill health and even his death, prompted by years of eccentric behavior — he hasn’t been seen publicly without his trademark mask since the late 90s — and notorious no-shows at his concerts, DOOM sounds unrepentant. On the Charles Bukowski-quoting “Cellz” and the homophobic “Batty Boys,” among others, he sounds furious, shoving hard rhymes and third-person asides down your throat like Ron Artest. He doesn’t do it consistently enough to make Born Like This a classic, but he still manages to excite and infuriate all at once.

And here’s the rest of the list sans commentary:

11. P.O.S., Never Better
Rhymesayers

12. Finale, A Pipe Dream And A Promise
Interdependent Media

13. Shafiq Husayn, Shafiq ‘En A-Free-Kah
Plug Research

14. Busdriver, Jhelli Beam
Anti-

15. Mike Slott, Lucky 9Teen
LuckyMe

16. Anti-Pop Consortium, Fluorescent Black
Big Dada

17. Willie Isz, Georgiavania
Lex Records

18. Dorian Concept, When Planets Explode
Kindred Spirits

19. Zion-I, The TakeOver
Gold Dust Media

20. Mr. Lif, I Heard It Today
Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises

On February 10, Stones Throw will release the latest chapter(s) in Madlib’s Beat Konducta saga. Unlike the prior two editions, Vols. 1 & 2 (Movie Scenes) and Vols. 3 &4 (In India), Vols. 5 & 6 doesn’t have a cinematic theme. Instead, Beat Konducta Vol. 5-6: A Tribute To… pays homage to his late musical comrade in Jaylib, James “J Dilla” Yancey.

Here’s a bit from the press release:

When Madlib followed J Dilla’s now-classic Donuts with an instrumental concept-album of his own, a series was born. “Beat Konducta,” the alias he often scribbled on the beat CDs he handed to friends and potential collaborators, left the realm of the unknown and entered the record-buying public’s conscious as Madlib’s latest nom de plume. His unedited CDs often wove quirky narratives, served as obsessive listening material to those lucky enough to hear them, and became raw working material for Madvillain, Jaylib, Ghostface, De La Soul, Talib Kweli and Erykah Badu.

The concept of the Beat Konducta series was simple: put Madlib’s raw beat tapes into album form – one by one on vinyl, with two volumes at a time appearing on sporadically released CDs. …

Beat Konducta Vol. 5-6: A Tribute to… is a 42-track piece dedicated to the late J Dilla. Madlib and J. Rocc – arguably Dilla’s closest musical compatriots during his time spent in Los Angeles – lovingly remember their friend and reflect on his boundless influence. As was the case with Donuts and in keeping with the Beat Konducta’s all-embracing musical bent, this album does not settle into one groove for too long. The result is a transfixing, sometimes jarring, and always soulful homage to the man Madlib crowned “King Of The Beats.”

Vols. 5 & 6 were issued on vinyl separately last year. This upcoming album combines both, and adds a new track, “Dil Cosby Interlude.”

• 1. “For My Mans (Prelude)”
• 2. “The Mystery (Dilla’s Still Here)”
• 3. “Beat Provider (Through the Years)”
• 4. “J’s Day Theme #3 (Support)”
• 5. “In Jah Hands (Dilla’s Lament)”
• 6. “Get Dollaz (24-7)”
• 7. “The String (Heavy Jones)”
• 8. “Two For Pay Jay (No Dough, No Show)”
• 9. “No More Time? (The Change)”
• 10. “Do You Know? (Transition)”
• 11. “Dirty Hop (The Shuffle)”
• 12. “Floating Soul (Peace)”
• 13. “Infinity Sound (Never Ending)”
• 14. “Sacrifice (Beat-A-Holic Thoughts)”
• 15. “Rebirth Cycle (Super Soul)”
• 16. “Rolled Peach Optimos (Call Day)”
• 17. “The Main Inspiration (Coltrane of Beats) “
• 18. “The Get Over (Move)”
• 19. “Shades of Pete (Super)”
• 20. “King Chop (Top Line)”
• 21. “Anthenagin’ (?)”
• 22. “Dil Cosby Interlude”
• 23. “Dill Withers Theme”
• 24 “First Class (The Best Catalogue)”
• 25. “Lifetime (Lifeline)”
• 26. “The Electric Zone (Plugged In)”
• 27. “So Much (Music)”
• 28. “Smoked Out (Green Blaze Subliminal Sounds)”
• 29. “Another Bag of Bomb (No Seeds)”
• 30. “All Love (The Movement)”
• 31. “Detroit Playaz (Gator Walk)”
• 32. “Blast (Computer Rock)”
• 33. “J.B. and J.D. (Interlude)”
• 34. “Never Front (Ears Up)”
• 35. “Dillalade Ride (Contact High)”
• 36. “Suffer (Concentration)”
• 37. “Show Me The Good Life (Chip Stack)”
• 38. “Slapped Up (Snap N’ Clap)”
• 39. “Another Batch (Play It Again)”
• 40. “Full Figure Pockets (Pay Jay)”
• 41. “Smoke Interlude (Hawaiian Punch)”
• 42. “The Sky (Beyond Sight)”

Jackson Conti
Sujinho
Mochilla

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Sujinho is the first project from Madlib in 2008. But if history is any indicator, it won’t be the last. Since 2000, when he came of age with his classic Quasimoto adventure The Unseen, each year has brought an outpouring of Madlib-associated product: mix compilations like the Mind Fusion series; mainstream production gigs for Ghostface Killah, Talib Kweli and other rappers open to progressive beats; pseudonym-marked side projects such as Yesterday’s New Quintet and DJ Rels; fully produced albums for MF Doom, Dudley Perkins and Percee P; and collaborations such as the Jaylib project with J-Dilla. It’s a lot to absorb. Many critics and fans assert that Madlib doesn’t know how to edit his work, and simply issues gobs of tracks frustratingly similar to one another. But perhaps the best way to characterize his productivity (and distinguish it from mainstream producers who are encouraged to overproduce because of the sums they receive for each track) is to compare him to the jazz artists of the 50s and 60s. Much like John Coltrane’s deep oeuvre, Madlib’s catalog can be separated by a few towering achievements (The Unseen, Madvillain’s Madvillainy) and dozens of lesser works. Despite its pleasures, Sujinho falls into the latter category.

Sujinho finds him working with Ivan “Mamão” Conti, the Brazilian percussionist best known as the drummer for fusion rock band Azymuth. (Madlib’s real name is Otis Jackson, Jr., hence the name Jackson Conti.) The cover image, however, shows Madlib alone amidst the São Paulo coastline. It’s a sign that this is Madlib’s adventure, and it’s his perspective that we hear in the music. The 18 songs include a few originals alongside classic tunes from the mid 60s to the early 70s, the same territory he mines on his ongoing Yesterday’s New Quintet project. The only difference, it seems, is that instead of turning to fusion jazz and soul for inspiration, he’s looking to Tropicalia and bossa nova.

Perhaps the freshest aspect of Sujinho is the loopy way Mamão and Madlib play together. Mamão seems to physically embody Madlib’s “broken,” slightly off-beat approach to rhythm. His percussion skitters all over the place, hopping around like a pogo, before miraculously falling back on the one. Meanwhile, Madlib demonstrates his usual good taste in melodies. “Praca da Republica,” one of the originals on the disc, pulses with electric bass before opening up with synth keyboard stabs and a (sampled?) saxophone solo. The two deliver a nice, airy rendition of Luiz Eça’s “Barumba,” and Edu Lobo’s “Upa Neguinho” jumps with an energetic guest vocal from Orquesta Imperial’s Thalma de Freitas.

However, the overly familiar theme of Sujinho seems like the result of what Madlib imagines a classic Brazilian record should sound like than an original interpretation. In some ways, it resembles early Yesterday’s New Quintet material such as Angles without Edges, before he learned to absorb his fusion influences into a uniquely skewed perspective. Once he found his voice within that milieu, however, YNQ went on to yield some outstanding albums (particularly 2002′s Stevie). Sujinho is an intriguing escapade, even if it doesn’t rank with Madlib’s best work. But with luck, unless this is a one-time escapade for Madlib and Mamão, Jackson Conti will soon produce something equally great.

Acclaimed photographer/filmmaker Brian “B+” Cross’ MySpace subscribers have been receiving mysterious bulletins lately. They read, “Madlib and Mamão are…Jackson Conti. Please repost.”

The source of the mystery is a forthcoming album by Jackson Conti called Sujinho. It’s set for release on May 19 via Dutch future soul imprint Kindred Spirits and Mochilla, a company B+ runs with fellow photographer Eric Coleman. Sujinho is the latest in a series of happenings between L.A.’s best beat artists and famous drummers. The first was the 2004 Keepintime documentary and soundtrack, followed by the 2006 project Brasilintime. Ivan “Mamão” Conti is the drummer for Azymuth, a highly regarded Brazilian funk-jazz troupe. Of course, we all know who Madlib is.

“In 2006 after the premiere of Brasilintime in Sao Paulo, Madlib, Coleman and I went to Rio,” B+ explained in a bio on Jackson Conti’s MySpace page:

We had two reasons to be there, to play at MD2’s record release party and record with Mamão. On
a rainy humid Rio evening we convened and after some deliberations Mamão played an hour and half of rhythms. The excitement in the room was palpable as he went through his paces. Lots of Whooos were heard and pounds were swapped.

Madlib then played a new CD of tracks that he had been working on with this project in mind and there was one that stuck with Mamao. Segura esta Onda is that track and it is really a tribute to Azymuth. Mamao ended up singing on it.

It was a great night and within two months Madlib had turned those rhythm tracks into the album you have in your hands.

Filled with songs from the greats of Brasilian music of the mid sixties to early seventies. Luiz Eca, Chico Buarque, Joao Donato, Baden and Vinicius, Marcos Valle, Dom Um Romao, Airto even George Duke gets a look in. And of course Azymuth.

The track listing for Jackson Conti’s Sujinho is below.

• 1. “Mamaoism”
• 2. “Berumba”
• 3. “Anna de Amsterdam”
• 4. “Praca da Republica”
• 5. “Papaya”
• 6. “Brasilian Sugar”
• 7. “Sao Paulo Nights”
• 8. “Xibaba”
• 9. “Upa Neguinho”
• 10. “Casa Forte”
• 11. “Amazon Stroll”
• 12. “Berimbau”
• 13. “Anna de Amsterdam Reprise”
• 14. “Waiting on the Corner”
• 15. “Tijuca Man”
• 16. “Nao Tem Nada Nao”
• 17. “Sunset at Sujinho”
• 18. “Segura esta Onda”

Plug One review: Madlib, Beat Konducta Vol. 3-4: India

www.myspace.com/jacksonconti
www.myspace.com/madlib

Percee P
Perseverance: The Remix
Stones Throw

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Perseverance: The Remix revisits Percee P and Madlib’s collaborative album from last year. Ostensibly a collection of remixes, it sounds completely different, and in some ways superior, to the original. On Perseverance, Percee P couldn’t get out of overdrive; he attacked every track as if it was “Let the Homicides Begin.” Meanwhile, Madlib seemed to struggle to fit his slow-to-midtempo tracks with Percee P’s unyielding fast raps.

Here, Madlib’s music sounds more free and eclectic, stuffing all sorts of random sounds into the mix. A restlessly inventive producer, he can make fantastic beats no matter who’s rapping on them. For “Legendary Lyricist,” he balances slump disco-funk beat from Mtume’s “Juicy Fruit” with the hissing tone from Public Enemy’s “Public Enemy No. 1.” Fantastic loops gird interludes like “Ox” and “NY.” He even switches the beat three times on “Ghetto Rhyme Story.”

With Madlib in MVP mode, Perseverance: The Remix doesn’t really need Percee P’s predictable rhyme schemes. However, the two seem to complement each other better here. The remixes reveal Percee P ably fitting his words against the beat; he doesn’t seem as offbeat as before. That allows the attention to shift to Madlib’s fantastic tracks, whether it’s the flute-wafting melody of “No Time for Jokes” (with an on-point Chali 2na) or the fuzzed-out percussive minimalism of “The Dirt and the Filth” with Aesop Rock.

Perseverance: The Remix doesn’t really have a sequence. Some of the best cuts, particularly “No Time for Jokes,” fall near the end, while less-impressive efforts such as “The Hand That Leads You” drop early on. Meanwhile, Percee P spits raps at an effective but limited pace. Even a nice ballad dedicated to H.E.R., “The Woman Behind Me,” feels like he’s anxious and jumpy, ready to let rip. “I’m staying faithful to my style, baby/Yours truly,” he raps near its end. That’s all fine and good. But if he swtiched up the flow once in a while, he would demonstrate that he’s an artist, too, not just a dope freestyle MC.

Bronx rhyme inspector Percee P may have only released one official album in over 15 years, this year’s Perseverance. But he’s making up for lost time.

Earlier this fall, Percee P joined the 2K Sports Bounce tour headlined by kufi expert Common. And this month, he jumped on the Stones Throw “Holiday edition” of the 2K Sports Bounce tour, too. Now, he’s jumping on the December edition of Scion’s Live Metro tour. It’s just a brief excursion that only encompasses four cities: Houston, Austin, Atlanta and Carrboro. But lucky attendees will get to see Percee with the mighty Slick Rick, both backed by the funky soul of Connie Price & the Keystones.

Meanwhile, kids who have been raiding the Stones Throw merch table have noticed one exclusive, a disc of Perseverance remixes by Madlib, that currently isn’t available anywhere else. The CD, however, will go on sale at retail outlets on January 29. The highlight is an original track, “Real Talk.”

The track listing for Perseverance: The Madlib Remix and the Live Metro itinerary is below.

• 1. “Put It on the Line (remix)”
• 2. “2 Brothers from the Gutter (remix)” (feat. Diamond D)
• 3. “The Hand That Leads You (remix)”
• 4. “Who With Me? (remix)”
• 5. “NY (Interlude)”
• 6. “The Dirt and Filth (remix)” (feat. Aesop Rock)
• 7. “Ghetto Rhyme Stories (remix)”
• 8. “Legendary Lyricist (remix)” (feat. Madlib)
• 9. “OX (Interlude)”
• 10. “Real Talk”
• 11. “Throwback Drum Attack (remix)” (feat. Karriem Riggins)
• 12. “No Time for Jokes (remix)” (feat. Chali 2na)
• 13. “Last of the Greats (remix)” (feat. Prince Po)
• 14. “The Woman Behind Me (remix)”

And here’s the Live Metro schedule:

• 12/16: The Parish, Austin, TX
• 12/18: Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
• 12/19: The Loft, Atlanta, GA
• 12/20: Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC

12/16-12/20: w/Slick Rick, Connie Price & the Keystones, DJ Haul

www.myspace.com/perceep

Percee P photo by Max Herman.

“2K Sports Bounce Tour” featuring Peanut Butter Wolf, Madlib, Percee P, M.E.D., Guilty Simpson, Arabian Prince & Karriem Riggins, 11/30 at the Abbey Pub

Stones Throw Records founder Peanut Butter Wolf appeared to be ecstatic on stage during the Chicago leg of his crew’s 2K Sports Bounce Tour (Holiday Edition). But this wasn’t necessarily the case when Wolf was up there all alone.

In the finale of the night, the label head/selector manned a DVJ, looking subdued while mixing an assortment of music videos onto a large projection screen to the crowd’s vocal approval. Only during select moments did he break his calm focus: When he played Black Moon’s “Who Got Da Props,” he looked up and told everyone, “I’m glad you know this.” But he seemed most content, admiring the talent that stood before him, when the rest of Wolf’s Stones Throw cohorts were performing.

As the jovial Peanut Butter Wolf probably realized, this was no average night of hip-hop. While J.Rocc unfortunately couldn’t make the show, a bulk of the Stones Throw roster appeared as scheduled, in addition to a surprise opening DJ set by original N.W.A. member Arabian Prince. Variety was no doubt a key to the success of the evening. From the straightforward rhyming of M.E.D. to the gruff raps and presence of Guilty Simpson, there was a good amount of no frills MC’ing going down and, initially, a bunch of booming J Dilla beats concurrently blasting out of the speakers.

The rhyme inspector Percee P, who recently released his long-awaited debut on Stones Throw, also added to the hip-hop traditionalism. But Percee brought magnetism to the stage that was unmatched. Seeing him deliver his ridiculously rapid-fire flow in-person makes it easy to understand why Wolf gave the Bronx lyrical bomber a chance to shine. And knowing how long Percee has been hustling his music himself also explains why Wolf was proud to step to the mic and call the MC the “hardest working man in hip-hop.”

When Madlib appeared after Percee, the show took a turn towards the eccentric. Sporting shades and a gigantic mood ring, Madlib began by performing mostly old material such as the cratediggers anthem “The Return of the Loop Digga.” He also garnered laughs by repeatedly asking where his helium-voiced alter ego, Quasimoto, was at. While rapping, this producer/MC appeared a bit shy, and often faced sideways towards the audience. But when he brought out his Supreme Team partner Karriem Riggins that timidity quickly vanished. After a little vocal warm up, Riggins sat behind the drums and Madlib behind tables and mixer as the pair knocked out an impromptu jazz-inspired session. It was here, with the Beat Konducta tweaking various knobs and Riggins providing free-flowing live rhythms that the show seemingly came to a climax.

Then Peanut Butter Wolf stepped up. While he didn’t look as excited as when his friends and fellow artists were performing, his montage of music videos brought the night to an impressive close. Wolf hit all the right notes, blending Stones Throw staple videos such as Madvillain’s “All Caps” with classic hip-hop like A Tribe Called Quest’s “Bonita Applebum,” not to mention adding a few funk offerings (e.g. Rick James’ “69 Times”).

Withstanding some disorderly audience members in the balcony who acted out during this closing set, the 2K Sports Bounce Tour was noticeably well received by the packed-in Chicago crowd. And while Wolf told the audience they had been great, he was clearly equally impressed by his Stones Throw brethren that make up one of the most sonically diverse indie labels in hip-hop.

– Max Herman

Unlike many of their indie brethren, the Stones Throw crew isn’t known for doing shows. They’re mostly content to lamp in the studio and maybe rock a DJ date in L.A., New York, London or some other major international city. Sitting in a hot-ass van and plowing through 50+ cities? That shit is for the birds.

So consider yourself lucky if they come to your town on the upcoming 2K8 Sports Bounce Tour “Holiday Edition” (also known as the B-Ball Zombie War tour). Just like last year’s Chrome Children package tour, it won’t be very comprehensive, and only encompass a baker’s dozen of shows. Featured artists will be the mighty Madlib, Peanut Butter Wolf, Madlib’s Supreme Team partner Karriem Riggins, onetime Beat Junkie J. Rocc, and rhyme inspector Percee P.

How rare is this tour? It’s so rare that the lineup for some recently added shows (ATL and Baltimore) hasn’t even been confirmed yet. Check out the itinerary below; as usual, I’ll update as more details become available.

• 11/08: El Rey Theater, Los Angeles, CA
• 11/16: The Independent, San Francisco, CA
• 11/17: Berbatis Pan, Portland, OR
• 11/18: Neumo’s, Seattle, WA
• 11/19: Richards on Richards, Vancouver, BC
• 11/29: Foundation, Minneapolis, MN
• 11/30: Abbey Pub, Chicago, IL
• 12/01: Opera House, Toronto, ON
• 12/02: Highline Ballroom, New York, NY
• 12/03: Starlight Ballroom, Philadelphia, PA
• 12/04: Paradise Lounge, Boston, MA
• 12/06: Black Cat, Washington, D.C.
• 12/07: Sonar, Baltimore, MD

www.stonesthrow.com