Madlib
Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note
Blue Note
Released 06/24/23
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Two of the most innovative and inspired art forms to ever emerge on American soil, it’s no wonder that jazz and hip-hop have been so closely—and compellingly—intertwined within our country’s musical fabric during the latter genre’s five-decades-strong history. Likewise, when the most iconic of jazz labels (Blue Note Records) and one of hip-hop’s most accomplished sonic pioneers (Madlib) hooked up to celebrate the company’s enduringly rich catalog back in 2003, the top-tier quality of the resulting output came as a surprise to no one.
Twenty years after its June 2003 arrival, Blue Note has reissued Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note on 180-gram vinyl as part of its ongoing classic vinyl series. Equal parts reverence and reimagination, the album finds Madlib revisiting the sterling fare of legendary Blue Note artists including Donald Byrd, Bobbi Humphrey, Ronnie Foster, Bobby Hutcherson, and Wayne Shorter, among others.
In a recent interview with Blue Note president Don Was in conjunction with the album’s 20th anniversary, Madlib reminisced about the genesis of the project, calling the opportunity to make the record “a dream,” while drawing parallels between jazz and hip-hop due to the genres’ improvisational, iconoclastic and raw qualities.
Enjoy their insightful discussion, listen to the album, and add the classic vinyl edition to your collection below.
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