Madlib: Next Steps

Hip-hop mystic Madlib's canon becomes even more phantasmagoric as you move through its deeper dimensions. Recorded with his group Lootpack, the strange orchestral stabs of “The Anthem” are as offbeat as they are compelling. Elsewhere, the Jaylib project sees the Beat Konducta unite with J Dilla, with the pair's collective sparkle encapsulated by the thick drum kicks, dirty organ chords and pass-the-mic brevity of “McNasty Filth”.