Madlib's 420 Chalice All-Stars Is The December Rap & Hip-Hop Album

Madlib is one of the most consistently great rap producers in the modern era. He's helmed underground masterpieces (Madvillainy), done solo classics (Quasimoto's The Unseen), done the Svengali thing for a group made up of five people who were all actually him (Yesterday's New Quintet), and produced for everyone from Eykah Badu and Talib Kweli to Kanye West and Ghostface. But in 2010, when he launched his own label, Madlib Invazion, he was ready to try something different: he promised his fans that every month for the next year, from February 2010 to February 2011, he'd be releasing a new album. The odd months would be testaments to his beat building and production--not unlike his already popular Beat Konducta series--and the even months would be testaments to his abilities as a tastemaker DJ and mixer, as he'd pull from a variety of different musical styles for megamixes. He called the series Madlib Medicine Show, and it is one of the most audacious projects ever undertaken by a hip-hop producer.

420 Chalice All-Stars is the fourth of 13 entries in the Madlib Medicine Show--Madlib couldn't be contained to just 12. Since it was an even month release, it's an album that showcases Madlib's DJing, in this case, it's a supermix of dub reggae that is inspired by a past Vinyl Me, Please Record of the Month, Super Ape. Over the course of the mix--which is not on Spotify--Madlib drops in the most spaced out reggae you've ever heard. It's a perfect album for a late night chill session.

Madlib Medicine Show's odd months have been released in a vinyl brick, but the even months have never been featured on vinyl. This is the first vinyl release of 420 Chalice All-Stars, which pairs well with our recently released vinyl premier of Medicine Show number two, Flight to Brazil.

In January, Vinyl Me, Please Rap & Hip-Hop is featuring Little Simz's A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons, the debut LP from British MC Little Simz.

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