Lootpack, Soundpieces: Da Antidote!
Lootpack’s only major release, Soundpieces: Da Antidote! delivered a steady flow of classics for LA's Stones Throw Records, among them, early verses from future label stalwarts Quasimoto, MED and Oh No. But perhaps most importantly, the album began the incomparable artistic marriage of producer/rapper Madlib and DJ/label founder Peanut Butter Wolf, a relationship that continues to thrive today.
But Lootpack, comprised of two MCs and a DJ, demand respect for reasons other than mere historical significance. They successfully bridged the precarious gap between experimentation and slapstick shenanigans. Veering away from themes of sex, drugs and politics and towards the kind of knee-slapping put downs that would make The Pharcyde giggle, the lyricism here is relentlessly energetic. Wildchild, in particular, hurls playground snaps ("you'd be a good ass looking girl because your rhymes sound booty ") with hyper-enthusiasm. Madlib, by contrast, raps with a lazily hypnotic drawl — especially on the standout track "Crate Diggin,'" in which he nonchalantly gushes about his record collection of obscurity as if reading off a laundry list.
Ultimately though, the beats elevate Soundpieces beyond standard rap fare. Madlib, who calls himself "The Beat Konducta," produces every track with trademark pizzazz, admirably splitting the material between immediate head-nodders ("Long Awaited," "Hityawitdat") and bizarro avant-garde ("Frenz vs. Endz," "Break Dat Party"). Gone are the predictably clownish jingles (read: The Beatnuts) that usually accompany this style of lyricism; in its place are distorted samples, hard-hitting drum breaks, and sci-fi bleeps that sound like they were swiped from Plan 9 From Outer Space. This is a must-own for fans of the more popular Madlib projects that would soon follow: Jaylib, Quasimoto, and the universally acclaimed Madvillain.
