Madlib
Your father was an R&B session musician. He was the one who exposed you to music at a young age?
Exactly. He had a crazy collection of all types of music. He brainwashed me. In a good way.
Did that mean you always thought of music as a possible career path?
Um. Nah. I didn’t really look at it like that. As a kid, I was trying to copy what I heard. Namely, I was just listening to producers I looked up to, like 45 King and Marley Marl, and trying to do what they were doing. I ain’t think it’d be a career until I recorded [his first rap group] Lootpack. I didn’t think I’d make money from the type of music I like.
What was the first kind of music you got into?
I was strictly jazz and soul — I didn’t see beyond that. Then when I heard hip-hop, I didn’t listen to jazz or soul till I started trying to produce. Now I like everything. Well, probably ’cause I’m older. In your forties it’s kind of different. I wish I liked it all back then. My collection would have been crazier.
I’ve read that you spend hours or days or weeks just listening to music. How’s that work? Are you taking notes or anything while you’re doing it?
I just try to absorb as many things as I can, then figure something out from there. It’s the knowledge. I try to get creative. I listen to a lot of different things. I’ll be listening to prog rock, then the next couple of hours — Indian. Prog rock, that’s my favorite shit ever. I’m also into a lot of industrial shit right now. Whatever. Anything. Different rhythms. I try to challenge my ears. I get bored easily.
Is there any genre you’ve never been able to get into?
Country. I’m serious. I haven’t really delved into it. I know there’s some good shit in every genre. But I haven’t searched it out.