54) Keeping Hip-Hop Fresh, One Month at a Time

last year, Madlib released a mixtape (almost) every month. don't know why the last couple installments were parlayed, but #11, Low Budget Hi Fi, has just been released including a bonus disc of new beats called Beat Konducta Around the World. the #11 mix itself seems to be all sorts of collaborations, new and old, all in the hip-hop vein. judging by what i know of the Beat Konducta series, my guess is that the Around the World mix may be site-specific, like this song...



sounds a lot like Dilla, am i right? it's nothing terribly flashy, or head-spinning like much of his beat/collage work can be (see Madvillain, Quasimoto, et al.) but even when Madlib is just spinning wheels he's way ahead of most other producers, in my mind. he's never played in to the over-production-equals-better-music mindset (Kanye), preferring to keep it simple. and even his flurry of ideas come across as a stream of consciousness adventure as opposed to a vain, forced restlessness, (Kanye again). on the other side, most producers who pride themselves on their minimalist approach (most club-ready dancefloor guys), i feel, condescend their listeners by giving them cold, numb beats and elementary synth work over which they shout about how bad and how rich and how virile they are. it only leaves me thinking, "one reason you got so much money is you probably don't spend a dime on quality beats." because if they did (Three 6 Mafia, Rick Ross*, most of the shit on the radio) they'd find out quickly that they can't hang with it. they need to keep that shit ghetto, for their machismo and the illusion of skill. unfortunately, those are the people that make waves and headlines, and money. true artists are relegated to the fringes.

there's a nostalgia in this track that's palpable for someone, like myself, who's never even visited the area (which will change soon!). who among these pop producers can deliver something so potent? not to say that crunked-up, high rolling, ass shaking, coke sniffing rap isn't potent, (*i do like "Blowin' Money Fast", the Larry Hoover track) but it offers no subtleties, no complexities, and ZERO warmth. its effectiveness is only surface. Madlib's volumes of quality and quantity are infinitely deeper, and can be really intimidating sometimes. it's nice to hear a track that's inspiring and attainable, even if it is (perhaps) an afterthought on a supplemental mix cd from an album that will be out of print before you exhale.

in today's hip hop climate Madlib is a rare bird, indeed.

LRV, b