Amaro Freitas
Rasif

Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note is a unique project that turns over the legacy of the esteemed Blue Note jazz label to one of hip-hop's most unique artists, Madlib, aka Otis Jackson, Jr.Madlib's ability to absorb his influences and reinterpret them in new forms makes him the quintessential artist for a project of this conception. He is considered to be one of hip-hop's most inventive visionaries. Those who know the enigmatic artist confess he is a quiet personality, but what Madlib doesn't reveal in public, he expresses absolutely in the studio – as a very prolific rapper, producer and DJ. Working diligently on music at all hours of the day, he employs any number of MC and production guises.The idea for Shades of Blue: Madlib invades Blue Note was generated by the esteemed jazz imprint and Stones Throw Records head, Peanut Butter Wolf, both of whom were inspired by Madlib's YNQ project. Shades of Blue isn't just a Blue Note cover album, it's a re-imagination of the Blue Note culture.Madlib draws from the label's music catalog, of course, but also its influence through the years, its history as a prestigious jazz house, the iconography associated with the label and its import on its own.Madlib covers some of his favorite songs from the Blue Note collection, which he cites as being influential to his development. "People say Blue Note was just a phase in hip-hop," Madlib explains, referring to the era when groups like A Tribe Called Quest and Gang Starr would sample the label's sounds. "But music is either good music or bad music and I still listen to Blue Note. I still love it."