Madlib Medicine Show #3 - Beat Konducta in Africa

by Madlib

Another month, another cd.  This time around, Madlib gives us about 40 instrumental tracks based around African samples and rhythms, similar in spirit, if not in execution, to his Beat Konducta in India project from a few years ago. 

Afro-funk has become incredibly popular lately, as more and more record labels are dusting off some classic recordings and repackaging them for Western consumption.  Madlib seems to be in tune with this new interest on this project, but I kind of felt like the whole thing fell a little flat.

First, there seem to be more speech samples than I am used to, mostly from what sounds like old National Geographic-style documentaries about the continent.  I'm fine with that, but too many tracks seem to be only that.  The other tracks never seem to have enough room to grow and become their own thing.  I know that this is basically a beat-tape kind of project, but I think that many of the beats here needed a little more polish.

That said, this is a really good background kind of cd.  I like leaving it running when I'm reading or doing something else that requires most of my attention, and it is something that is still going to get a lot of regular play.  Next month:  Jamaica.