After being denied filming permits in several California counties, hip hop producer Madlib’s alter ego, Quasimoto, went to extremes to bring us the new video for his song “Catchin’ the Vibe”.

Known for sounding like he has ingested a great deal of helium, Quasimoto first came into being because American producer Madlib didn’t like how low his voice sounded in the playback of a particular track. Little did Madlib know that Quasimoto would be received by the public with wide open arms – that is, by everyone except for California officials.

Quasimoto’s crew initially set out to film a video for “Catchin’ the Vibe”, the fourth track from Madlib’s recent album Yessir Whatever, in Madlib’s home town of Lost Gates, CA. After being denied filming permits, however, the group headed Los Angeles County, where they were also denied – possibly due to embarrassment caused in the wake of Quasimoto’s official letter of recognition from the Los Angeles mayor and city council, who did not realize that Quasimoto was a semi-fictional cartoon character.

Directors Tuomas Vauhkonen and Jeremias Nieminen were not to be deterred, however, and headed over to Finland and Romania to film the video. The video showcases both Finnish and Romanian cast members, and Madlib himself appears, under costume, in a cameo. Take a peak, below.