Background
Most of these names and groups are, in fact, Madlib aliases, Madlib solo projects, or groups Madlib has with other artists such as Karriem Riggins and Ivan "Mamao" Conti of Azymuth.
Karriem Riggins is an American jazz drummer, hip hop producer, DJ and rapper.
Azymuth is a Brazilian jazz-funk trio formed in 1973. The original band members were the late Jose Roberto Bertrami (keyboards), plus Alex Malheiros, and Ivan Conti.
The universe refers to Madlib's virtual band of animated jazz musicians, all of whom were created by Madlib. The groups include The Last Electro-Acoustic Space Jazz Ensemble, Kamala Walker and The Soul Tribe, Monk Hughes & The Outer Realm, The Eddie Prince Fusion Band, Joe McDuphrey Experience, The Jahari Massamba Unit, Yesterdays New Quintet, Young Jazz Rebels, Sound Directions, Jackson Conti, The Jazzistics, Malik Flavors, Ahmad Miller and Suntouch. Many of the tracks on the album are taken from previous Yesterdays Universe releases, most of which were released by Stones Throw exclusively on vinyl.
In entertainment, a virtual band is any group whose members are not depicted as corporeal musicians, but animated characters. Although the characters are fictional, the band itself exists outside a television and film universe, in reality. The music is recorded by human musicians and producers, while any media related to the virtual band, including albums, video clips and the visual component of stage performances, feature the animated line-up; in many cases the virtual band members have been credited as the writers and performers of the songs. Live performances can become rather complex, requiring perfect synchronization between the visual and audio components of the show.
The song "Two for Strata-East" is a tribute to the jazz label Strata-East Records, founded in 1971 by Stanley Cowell and Charles Tolliver.
Strata-East Records is an American record company and label specialising in jazz that was founded in 1971 by Charles Tolliver and Stanley Cowell with the release of their first recording Music Inc. The label released over 50 albums in the 1970s. Many of the label's releases are now hailed as prime examples of 1970s Post-Bop, Spiritual Jazz, and Afro-Jazz.
Stanley Cowell is an American jazz pianist and co-founder of the Strata-East Records label.
Charles Tolliver is an American jazz trumpeter and composer.
Jazz rap is a fusion of jazz and hip hop music that developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. AllMusic writes that the genre "was an attempt to fuse African-American music of the past with a newly dominant form of the present, paying tribute to and reinvigorating the former while expanding the horizons of the latter." The rhythm was rooted in hip hop over which were placed repetitive phrases of jazz instrumentation: trumpet, double bass, etc. Bands involved in the formation of jazz rap included A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets, De La Soul, Gang Starr, Jungle Brothers, and Dream Warriors.
Madvillainy is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Madvillain, a group consisting of MF Doom (MC) and Madlib (producer). It was released on March 23, 2004 on Stones Throw Records. The album was recorded between 2002 and 2004 and was produced entirely by Madlib, with the exception of "The Illest Villains" which was produced by both Madlib and Doom. Madlib created most of the album's instrumentals during a trip to Brazil, where the production was composed in his hotel room using minimal amounts of equipment. Fourteen months before the album was officially released, an unfinished demo of the album was stolen and leaked onto the internet. Frustrated over the leak, the duo stopped working on the album and returned to it only after they released other solo projects.
Madvillain is an American hip hop group consisting of two MCs and producers, MF DOOM and Madlib. Their debut album Madvillainy was met with wide critical acclaim for its unique approach—short songs, obscure lyrics, few choruses and a sound which was generally unfriendly to commercial radio.
Quasimoto is a side project of hip hop producer Madlib, from Oxnard, California. Quasimoto is composed of Madlib and his animated alter ego Lord Quas, known for his high pitched, comedic voice, which sounds as if he has inhaled helium. Lord Quas is an exaggerated caricature of a gangster rapper, with lyrical subjects frequently including references to violence and drug use, and he has been seen as a parody of the content of typical hip-hop music. Another notable characteristic of Quasimoto's sound is the interplay between Quas' voice and Madlib's voice. Quasimoto was conceived one day in the studio, when Madlib decided to rap to his own beats. Madlib did not like the sound of his voice so he decided to slow his recorder down, rap slowly, then speed the recording back up to produce Lord Quas' distinctive high pitched sound.
Lootpack is an American hip hop group signed to Stones Throw Records with members Madlib, Wildchild, and DJ Romes. They made their first appearance on the 1993 debut album by Tha Alkaholiks, 21 & Over.
The Unseen is the debut studio album by Quasimoto, a hip-hop duo composed of Madlib and his animated alter ego Lord Quas. It was released under Stones Throw Records on June 13, 2000. It was re-released in 2005 as a deluxe edition with a bonus CD containing the instrumental version of the album.
Weldon Jonathan Irvine Jr., also known as Master Wel, was an American composer, playwright, poet, pianist, organist, and keyboardist.
Beat Konducta is a 7-album series released by hip hop musician Madlib. "Beat Konducta" is also an alias which Madlib uses. The series began officially in 2006 with the release of Beat Konducta Vol 1-2: Movie Scenes. The album was stylistically a companion to J Dilla's Donuts, which was released the month before, 3 days prior to Yancey's death. He has since followed with Beat Konducta Vol 3-4: Beat Konducta in India in 2007 and Beat Konducta Vol. 5-6: A Tribute to...(Dil Cosby and Dil Withers Suite) in 2008, which is a tribute to Yancey.
Peanut Butter Wolf's Jukebox 45's is a compilation album of Stones Throw Records, an American hip hop label. Most of the album is performed or produced by Madlib, though other Stones Throw artists have songs also.
Soundpieces: Da Antidote! is the first studio album by Lootpack, an American hip hop group consisting of Madlib, Wildchild and DJ Romes. It was released on Stones Throw Records in 1999. The album was produced by Madlib and mixed by Kutmaster Kurt.
Peanut Butter Wolf Presents Stones Throw: Ten Years is a compilation album released by Stones Throw Records. The album celebrates the founding of Stones Throw ten years earlier. Many songs were taken from past Stones Throw releases to demonstrate growth over the 10-year period, however, there are also unreleased tracks found on this album. On January 23, 2007, this album has been re-issued as a 2/CD featuring the 2nd disc as a mix CD by J-Rocc of the Beat Junkies.
The following is a list of Madlib releases under that name or Yesterdays New Quintet, a fictional jazz group created by Madlib.
Madlib Medicine Show was a 13-album series by Madlib originally scheduled to be released monthly on his own imprint, Madlib Invazion throughout 2010 and into 2011. Odd months present releases featuring Madlib's production work while even months showcase DJ work and mixing skills.
Sujinho is a latin jazz collaboration album between Otis Jackson Jr., an American hip hop producer and MC known as Madlib, and Ivan Conti, drummer for the Brazilian funk band Azymuth. This album features Brazilian samba music and Latin Jazz, one of Madlib's interests Sujinho has been released twice, once in the Netherlands on Kindred Spirits in 2x vinyl and in the US on Mochilla Records in CD format.
Stevie is the second album released by Madlib's virtual band, Yesterdays New Quintet. A suggested by the title, the album is a tribute album to the R&B musician, Stevie Wonder. It was released in 2004 on Stones Throw Records.
Slave Riot is a jazz and fusion music album by Oxnard-based hip hop producer Madlib's Jazz virtual band Young Jazz Rebels. It's a group of fictional members all created by Madlib. It was released on March 23, 2010 on Stones Throw Records in vinyl and CD format.
Space + Time is a fictional jazz music album by hip hop producer Madlib's 'Yesterday's New Quintet' character R.M.C..
Angles Without Edges is the first album released by hip hop producer Madlib's Jazz project, Yesterdays New Quintet. Although a fictional quintet or virtual band, in reality, it is Madlib playing the instruments while giving credit to fictional characters. The album was released in 2001 under Stones Throw Records on Compact Disc and vinyl record.
