WLIB AM: King Of The Wigflip [Explicit]

Madlib is a name revered by hip-hop heads and non hip-hop heads alike. Synonymous with pushing the hip-hop envelop by experimenting with new sounds which disregard the typical genre-boundaries in favour of an urban fusion that is laced with a thumping groove, Madlib has steadily forged his status as one of the most prolific and critically acclaimed producers of the new millennium. Being an acronym for Mind Altering Demented Lessons In Beats, the Beat Generation series has certainly given Madlib license to flex his creative muscle and create a new form of beat-crafting. `WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip' is the final installment in the Beat Generation series and through combining a varied and star-studded ensemble of vocalist (Murs, Talib Kwali, J-Rocc et al) and a dark sound dripping in mystique, the series goes out in some style.

From the Sun Ra-ish spiritual drone'n'clatter of opener `The New Resident', you know Madlib is on another format with this release. Injecting a healthy dose of real instrumentation amongst heavy cut'n'paste sampling, tribal overtones, atmospheric drones and snippets of bass-driven funk, `WLIB AM..' proves to be an esoteric and melody-focused piece of work. It on one hand returns Madlib to his Western hemisphere roots in hip-hop and R&B yet still retains a Worldly veneer. With `WLIB AM..', the name of the game is most definitely minimalism. Micro instrumental shuffles meet with krautish melodic repetition whilst thinly layered but thickly produced atmospherics make for a warm and welcoming soundscape that forms a perfect stage for lyrics to bounce off. There is definite `bounce' going on with heady and rollin' beats snaking across the album, but these beats are refreshingly arranged through the utilisation of a subtler approach rather than the overly pronounced beats coming out of the US on a hourly basis.

Having 19 full length tracks to choose one, listeners are spoilt for choice as the consistency of quality is seriously impressive. From the progressive repeti-shuffle of `Ratrace' featuring the ever insightful Murs to the lushly applied driving-grooves and on-point Kwali/Beat Konducta flowage of `What It Do', this proves to be a versatile release perfect for both headphone introspection and non-captive flexage. Being one of the strongest cuts, the laid-back, spectral and ghostly tones of `The Ox (805)' sit easy beneath MED featuring Poke's brash, in-your face flows. A similar formula is followed on the brooding beats featured on `The Thang-Thang' which features Prince Po in fine fettle, hyping up the skeletal and captivating melodics. The infectiously wavering melody on `I Want It Back' etches into the mind whilst `Blow The Horns On `Em' features Guilty Simpsons crystal clear deliberations that flow ever-so-swiftly over an interestingly low key soundscape that features interjecting horns and clustered hand-percussion.

Flexing his ability to move away from the pumping high-tempo beats in favour of smokey and cinematic R&B burners, he features the likes of Stacy Epps and Frezna to mix up proceedings. On the deliciously opaque `The Plan Pt1' Madlib complements Georgina Anne Muldrow's sung/rapped vocals with a deep groove-laden beat that features crystallized keys that flutter unsynchronized. Elsewhere, liquid grooves gush invitingly on the sweetly and innocently sung 'Yo Yo Affair Pt 1 & 2' featuring Frezna and on `The Way That I Live', he goes back to the old-skool via a brooding slice of funkadelica.

This release marks the end of an era but as it is most often associated with the late J Dilla, BBE Record's Peter Adarkwah states that "it is without question the proper closure". It is therefore a great testimony to the series that such a strong and varied release has had the honor of closing it. (AM)