If only we could all be as productive as Madlib. After previous forays into fake film scores and quirky Bollywood cut-and-paste, the latest volumes of his Beat Konducta-themed sketchbook series pays homage to the late J Dilla, his close friend and former collaborator. The result is an hour or so of "bizarro Dilla" beats that wouldn't have sounded out of place on any of the sadly departed Detroit producer's last few records. Most of the tracks on these two releases are brief and to the point, imitating the choppy, stuttering style Dilla was most famous for — check for the chaotic "Lifetime," the noisy, robotic "The Electric Zone" and the murky "Slapped Up" (all off Withers). But some of the best moments take Dilla's recent classic Donuts as inspiration: "Rebirth Cycle" (off Cosby), the elegant "Dillalade Ride," the sensitive '80s groove of "The Sky" and the rickety organ whirr of "Never Front" (off Withers) approximate Dilla's airier, more ethereal material. While the back-story for these albums is somewhat grim, Madlib's playfulness keeps it from being a maudlin affair. On the sinister "Detroit Playaz," a vocal sample of YouTube icon Bubb Rubb pops up, offering a spirited… read more »