Madlib: Discography

The pairing of Madlib’s beats with ’ street-level lyricism was a miracle. While Madvillainy is abstract, Piñata is visceral. It feels like a 1970s crime film. From the soul-crushing "Thuggin’" to the horn-laden "Deeper," Madlib gave Gibbs the hardest, grimiest beats of his career. The 2019 follow-up, Bandana , is more polished (featuring contributions from Flying Lotus), but tracks like "Crime Pays" and "Flat Tummy Tea" show Madlib’s ability to bend time signatures into something danceable.

The holy grail. When Madlib sent a CD-R of beats to a reclusive in New York, the result was Madvillainy . This album is abstract art. The beats are fractured, the loops are two bars long, and DOOM’s rhymes slide in and out of the pocket. From the haunting "Accordion" to the slapstick "Meat Grinder," this album has achieved mythical status. For decades, fans have chased the ghost of Madvillainy 2 , but the original remains the untouchable classic of the entire Madlib discography. Madlib Discography