Producer, DJ, and rapper Madlib - born Otis Jackson, Jr., on October 24, 1973, in Oxnard, California - brings a cerebral, sometimes ethereal approach to his music, which confidently spans the worlds of hip-hop and jazz. Born into a musical family, he made his professional entrée into music in 1993 when producing the debut album for L.A. rap trio the Alkaholiks. He became an in-demand producer and collaborator recorded with his first group/crew Lootpack and released records under a myriad of pseudonyms including Quasimoto and DJ Rels. He also collaborated with MF Doom (in Madvillain), J Dilla, Freddie Gibbs, and Talib Kweli. In 2001, he put together a side jazz project that he called Yesterday’s New Quartet, who released several albums before the project evolved into a larger collective called Yesterday’s Universe. From this new musical project came the Madlib-led jazz-fusion group The Last Electro-Acoustic Space Jazz & Percussion Ensemble, who released Summer Suite, their debut album, in 2007. With music produced and arranged by Madlib, the album showcased a new and exciting direction for the multi-faceted artist. In 2009, the group released Fall Suite and then followed that up the next year with Miles Away. While The Last Electro-Acoustic Space Jazz & Percussion Ensemble has yet to release a follow-up to Miles Away, Madlib has continued to remain one of the most original – and prolific –artists/producers in modern hip-hop, jazz, and beyond.
