Producer sample breakdown
Madlib Samples
Oxnard, CA -- Active 1993-present -- Born Otis Jackson Jr.
Madlib is a genre-spanning producer, multi-instrumentalist, and DJ who operates across jazz, soul, funk, hip-hop, and electronic music. Under dozens of aliases, he has released hundreds of projects. His collaboration with MF DOOM on Madvillainy (2004) is universally cited as one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever made. Madlib is known for sampling obscure Brazilian, African, and Eastern records that he ships directly from overseas.
Madlib chops samples aggressively, often using only a half-second of audio. He layers samples from wildly different genres, pitches them up or down unpredictably, and uses hardware samplers that color the sound. He rarely loops the same phrase twice in a beat.
Primary sample sources
Notable albums produced
- Madvillain -- Madvillainy (2004)
- Freddie Gibbs -- Piñata (2014)
- Freddie Gibbs -- Bandana (2019)
- Quasimoto -- The Unseen (2000)
- Jaylib -- Champion Sound (2003)
Sample breakdowns
All Caps
Madvillain -- Madvillainy (2004)
What was sampled
Drum break
Accordion
Madvillain -- Madvillainy (2004)
What was sampled
Organ loop
Meat Grinder
Madvillain -- Madvillainy (2004)
What was sampled
Electric piano and drum pattern
Piñata Intro
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib -- Piñata (2014)
What was sampled
Brazilian percussive groove
Other producers
J Dilla
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DJ Premier
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Pete Rock
Pete Rock is one of the architects of the jazz-rap sound, best known for his wor...
Q-Tip
Q-Tip is the principal producer and vocalist of A Tribe Called Quest, the group ...
RZA
RZA is the principal producer of Wu-Tang Clan and the architect of Staten Island...
See Madlib samples in action
Goat Music's Sample Tree videos show the source and derivative side by side so you can hear exactly how each producer transformed the original.