It's Only Rock "N" Roll: Madlib - "Black Widow" (Rock Konducta, Vol. 1)

There's nothing quite like aimlessly diggin' through a bunch of dusty old crates and cherry-picking one random record based on either an interesting cover, lone production credit, or even a stand-out track and then having it sound 10x more awesome than you [n]ever expected; Well, that's pretty much what Otis "Madlib" Jackson Jr. does for a living! He's recorded tracks with everyone from the late great J Dilla to Brazilian Funk drummer Ivan Conti and somehow unleashed 13 full-length albums between 2010-12. It must be hard for a seasoned rapper-producer like Madlib to constantly keep melding together inventive-sounding output. Attempting to delve into a largely untouched batch of source material, Madlib has bravely crafted Rock Konducta (Vol. 1) for an unspecified December release.


He'll supposedly draw potential inspiration from "1960-70's Progressive Rock, African "Zam-rock," and other Funky forms of the Rock genre," an exploration which dates as far back as Stones Throw Podcast #64 (2011). "Black Widow" is our first real sonic taste grafted from Rock Konducta, excluding 5 possible album tracks that were included on Rock Konducta 45, limited to 500 copies pressed for a #RARE June 2013 show. A touching tribute to his deceased friend and former collaborator J Dilla, Madlib cleverly sprinkled some "McNasty Filth"-era Dilla ad-libs throughout "Black Widow," for good measure. According to Rappcats, Madlib and "the rapper formerly known as Mos Def [Yasiin Bey] have been discussing a trip to Zambia to record a collaborative album" in the near future. But in the meantime, Madlib & Freddie Gibbs' third pre-release 12-inch, Deeper EP is now available and their long-awaited full-length LP, Cocaine Piñata will finally see a rumored wide-release this upcoming February 4th.