Otis Jackson Jr. (a.k.a. Madlib) wins the award for the coolest bedroom ever.
With apologies to Russell Simmons, Madlib's arguably the hardest working cat in hip-hop.
Besides creating his own jams and flows under a few different noms de guerre (Quasimoto, Sound Directions, Yesterday's New Quintet), the California-born MC and DJ has produced albums and tracks for a number of marquee-level artists, including De La Soul, Ghostface Killah, and MF Doom. He's also collaborated more than a few times with such ghetto-fab talents as Mos Def and the late J Dilla (who passed away in 2006).
The latter MC served as a mentor to Madlib, and their collaborative project Jaylib produced the stellar 2003 disc Champion Sound. J Dilla proved to be a significant influence to his protégé, so much so that music critic Jeff Weiss (of our sister publication LA Weekly) described the talented pair as having "a friendship borne out of mutual appreciation and respect."
The fifth and sixth volumes in Madlib's ever-growing Beat Konducta series, which were release in August and October of last year, are filled with separate suites of jazzy instrumental hip-hop and serve as a tribute to J Dilla.
The discs are also at the top of the list of best-selling albums at East Side Records, 217 West University Drive in Tempe, for the week of January 13-19.
The rest of East Side's top 10 sellers follows the jump.
1. MadLib, Beat Konducta Vol. 5: Dil Cosby Suite (Stones Throw)*
2. MadLib, Beat Konducta Vol. 6: Dil Withers Suite (Stones Throw)*
3. Sex Vid, Communal Living (Dom America)*
4. Blatz/Filth, Shit Split (Alternative Tentacles)**
5. Crystal Stilts, Alight of Night (Slumberland)*
6. Destruction Unit/Black Sunday, split LP (FDH)*
7. Various Artists, Oh Graveyard, You Can't Hold Me Always (Mississippi Records)*
8. Mystery Girls, Incontinopia (In the Red)**
9. Deerhunter, Microcastle (Kranky)**
10. The Okmoniks, Party Fever!!! (Slovenly Recordings)**
