Lately I’ve been on an instrumental kick. I usually go through phases where I really just want background music, and there’s nothing better than an instrumental version of an album or a collection of instrumentals to provide some quality sound. Lately I’ve been focusing on Madlib.
Madvillain – Madvillainy
I loved the original version of this album, with Doom’s lyrics, but Madlib’s beats really stand up well on their own. “Accordion” is just the type of beat that you don’t want to hear while walking down a dark alley at night, because it just sounds like something bad is about to happen. Even though Doom’s lyrics occasionally slip into my head, like on “Great Day”, I still marvel at Madlib’s production prowess.
Jaylib – Champion Sound
What a great collaboration this was. Madlib & J-Dilla? How could possibly be wack? And while sometimes it’s obvious who produced what, other times it’s easy to step outside of the project (and pattern) and imagine that the credit could go either way. This was one of those albums that made me fall back in love with hip hop, so hearing the beats as background music really lifts my heart.
Quasimoto – The Unseen
Yet another solely Madlib produced album. Y’know what? You can take your Kanye Wests and your Scott Storchs and put them in a box. You can take your Pharrells to Hell with you! Dr. Dre can eat a fat one! It’s Madlib for president. This album, produced six years ago, has more compelling beats that anything those other producers have produced in the past two years. (I mean except for Kanye, but he had help from Jon Brion, so it hardly counts.) My point is that Madlib is the bestest ever.
Little Brother – The Minstrel Show
I venture away from Stones Throw (but sadly not Stones Throw numbers) and delve into the world of Little Brother. This was one of last year’s most critically acclaimed hip hop albums, yet it fell on deaf ears. Beatwise 9th Wonder doesn’t slip. However since I’m listening to this album in the company of the previous albums, where track lengthy is rarely over three minutes, some of these songs seem to drag on forever. Still 9th’s use of samples keeps thing interesting and the variety in terms of the tone of the beats prevents things from getting too boring.
I also threw together a disc of random instrumentals. It’s just basically stuff that I’m feeling right now.
“Stay Fly” (Three 6 Mafia) – I hate the South but despite being well over a year old, this beat still hits me. In fact it might actually be the best beat produced in 2005. It’s that good.
“Throwback” (Usher/Just Blaze) – The only Usher Raymond album in my collection is an album that I had to review. That said, I loved “Throwback” mostly for the beat. When Just wants he can make a classic. This beat really just hits me in my soul. And knowing that it was originally intended for Dr. Dre’s Detox makes me wonder if Dre hasn’t really lost it.
“Dear Summer” (Just Blaze) – Just can really create a mood and he does it again here. I’m clearly drawn toward Just’s more melancholy productions. But he just makes some damn fine beats to reflect to.
And that’s what I’m bumping right now.
