Aaron Grech January 2nd, 2020 - 12:18 PM
Legendary west coast hip hop producer Madlib has announced a new instrumental version of his Freddie Gibbs collaborative album Bandana, titled Bandana Beats, which will be out via Madlib Invazion/ESGN/Keep Cool/RCA on January 31st. The producer announced this project on social media, which displayed a sample of one of the tracks along with a cover of the upcoming project.
According to Pitchfork, the producer has also announced another collaborative project with the rapper Oh No, who is his younger brother. Bandana is the second collaborative album by Gibbs and Madlib, following up from 2014’s Piñata, which was also followed up by an instrumental project titled Piñata Beats.
Bandana held a plethora of high-profile guests such as rappers Pusha T, Killer Mike, Yasiin Bey (who is best known as his former moniker Mos Def), Black Thought and Anderson .Paak. The project was listed as our seventh best album of the year, while “Education,” the track featuring Bey and Black Thought was also listed as one of our best songs of 2019.
“All in all, Bandana serves as powerful proof that real hip-hop is not dead nor dying. It is alive and well and evolving every day in studios and venues around the world,” mxdwn reviewer Max Deeb explained regarding the project. Though classic genres may be falling somewhat idly to the wayside as new forms and styles emerge, it is important to look to those who are pushing the genres forward in positive ways; and to support those artists in any way possible.”
