The enthusiasm with which Otis Jackson Jr. aka Madlib roaming his record collection to find material for his productions, has earned him a position as a much sought-after producer in the rap world. Naturally, his versatility plays a major role in this, because he can also manage quite well as a rapper behind the microphone. Madlib started his career with Tha Alkaholiks and later worked with DJ Peanut
… Butter Wolf. Later he turned to jazz with his Yesterday's New Quintet. In 2002 he took on the catalog of the reggae label Trojan on his Blunted In The Bomb Shelter Mix. Shades Of Blue is a remix project for the Blue Note label. The first question that arises when listening to this is whether this is really necessary. Unlike Guru, who received the same honor more than ten years earlier, Madlib is unable to leave a memorable impression. His reinterpretations get stuck with elevator music with a beat below it. It sounds like a group of friends jamming along with some records on a lost Sunday afternoon. (AD)more
