Madlib - Beat Konducta Vol. 5-6: A Tribute to...

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  • Though he spent many years as a quietly revered producer for A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots and Erykah Badu, it was Donuts that cemented J Dilla's legacy. The album, to put it simply, completely refashioned the accepted notions of how to construct an instrumental hip-hop album. To use a cinematic analogy, Donuts took a found footage approach, stitching together fragmented instrumentals in an attempt to tell a coherent narrative. Sadly, days after the album was released, Dilla died from complications arising from TTP—a rare blood disease. Under the moniker The Beat Konducta, Madlib has released two separate collections of work that have been constructed in a similar manner to Donuts. The first was released at the exact same time as Dilla's coda. The coincidence makes sense; not only did Madlib and Dilla collaborate on Championship Sound as Jaylib, they also shared noticeably similar sensibilities: a vast knowledge and collection of jazz LPs, a fondness for sensimilla, a penchant for dubby sonic approaches and a prodigious workrate. This produced a friendly rivalry that found many hip-hop heads squaring the two off against one another, trying to determine which one was the better. Beat Konducta Vol. 5-6 may be viewed as both requiem and retort, a dedication to a fallen friend as well as a rejoinder to Donuts. The surprise here is that, while it's an overt homage to Dilla, Vol. 5-6 is quintessential Madlib. That means we get a big mess: gruff, elemental hip-hop ("Two for Pay Jay"), soul breaks ("Andthenagain"), dubbed out stereo panning (the whole album), neo-soul ("The Mystery) and even a Throbbing Gristle sample ("Dirty Hop"). On "The Electric Zone," the track is divided into two parts, with a bleeping, boom-bap beat that is reminiscent of Beck in his lo-fi period at the outset fading into a slinky, bleary-eyed hip-hop beat by song's end. But the key strength of this volume of Beat Konducta lies in the way that Madlib has once again harnessed his scattered ideas into a cohesive train of thought; Vol. 5-6 can be played as background music but rewards close listening. It's a relative linearity that has caused this perpetually stoned slob savant to make his most listenable album since Madvillain, deftly juggling the styles of two maestros without losing its creator's smudged fingerprints.
  • Tracklist
      01. For My Mans (Prelude) 02. The Mystery (Dilla's Still Here) 03. Beat Provider (Through the Years) 04. J's Day Theme #3 (Support) 05. In Jah Hands (Dilla's Lament) 06. Get Dollaz (24-7) 07. The String (Heavy Jones) 08. Two For Pay Jay (No Dough, No Show) 09. No More Time? (The Change) 10. Do You Know? (Transition) 11. Dirty Hop (The Shuffle) 12. Floating Soul (Peace) 13. Infinity Sound (Never Ending) 14. Sacrifice (Beat-A-Holic Thoughts) 15. Rebirth Cycle (Super Soul) 16. Rolled Peach Optimos (Call Day) 17. The Main Inspiration (Coltrane of Beats) 18. The Get Over (Move) 19. Shades of Pete (Super) 20. King Chop (Top Line) 21. Anthenagin' (?) 22. Dil Cosby Interlude 23. Dill Withers Theme 24. First Class (The Best Catalogue) 25. Lifetime (Lifeline) 26. The Electric Zone (Plugged In) 27. So Much (Music) 28. Smoked Out (Green Blaze Subliminal Sounds) 29. Another Bag of Bomb (No Seeds) 30. All Love (The Movement) 31. Detroit Playaz (Gator Walk) 32. Blast (Computer Rock) 33. J.B. and J.D. (Interlude) 34. Never Front (Ears Up) 35. Dillalade Ride (Contact High) 36. Suffer (Concentration) 37. Show Me The Good Life (Chip Stack) 38. Slapped Up (Snap N' Clap) 39. Another Batch (Play It Again) 40. Full Figure Pockets (Pay Jay) 41. Smoke Interlude (Hawaiian Punch) 42. The Sky (Beyond Sight)
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