On Friday, Madlib returned with his latest album, Sound Ancestors, an instrumental project with music arranged by Kieran Hebden, also known as Four Tet. Shortly after its release, Madlib sat down with Guardian for an interview where he spoke about a number of topics, including his opinion about today’s hip-hop scene. “Rap music right now should be like Public Enemy stuff, but it’s just not there,” he said. “I wish it was more like how it was in the earlier days when I was coming up. My influences. Real music. Music can teach you … things not to do.” He added, “Most of the music today is telling you bad things to do. My type of hip-hop can help you grow up.”
Among Madlib’s type of hip-hop was Madvillainy, his legendary collaboration with the late MF DOOM. Madlib recently revealed that, before his passing, the two were really close to completing its sequel. “DOOM was always telling me, ‘It’s 85 percent done, it’s 85 percent done.’ That was the magic number,” Wolf said.
Speaking of collaborations, Madlib also revealed during his Guardian sit-down that he missed the phone call that would’ve resulted in an appearance on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly. “Back then I was more elusive than I am now,” he said. “I was busy on my own thing. Missed opportunities, man.” However, he said that working with Lamar “probably wouldn’t have worked out anyway” because he’s “like a sore thumb.”
Sound Ancestors is out now via Madlib Invazion. Get it here.
(via Guardian)