Madlib

Madlib gained wide recognition through Madvillainy, the 2004 album he produced with MF Doom as Madvillain. Born Otis Lee Jackson Jr. on October 24, 1973, he is an American DJ, producer and rapper from Oxnard, California, whose sample-heavy records move between hip-hop, jazz, funk and experimental forms. Critics have acclaimed his eclectic production, and he is regarded as one of modern hip-hop's most influential producers.

Jackson began making music in the early 1990s and first came to prominence as part of the hip-hop collective Lootpack. His work has often been released through a shifting cast of aliases and groups, including Quasimoto, Yesterdays New Quintet, DJ Rels and the Beat Konducta. Quasimoto was the name attached to The Unseen in 2000, while Yesterdays New Quintet gave him a vehicle for jazz-influenced material. Across these projects, Madlib has drawn on jazz and world music as well as the loops and breaks central to his hip-hop production.

Collaboration has remained central to his catalogue. In addition to MF Doom, his frequent partners include J Dilla, with whom he recorded as Jaylib; Freddie Gibbs, as MadGibbs; Talib Kweli; and Erykah Badu. Madlib produced all of Gibbs' Piñata in 2014 and Bandana in 2019, albums that received widespread critical acclaim. He founded the label Madlib Invazion, extending a body of work that includes rap records, instrumental projects and jazz-oriented ensembles.