Top 35 Madlib Quotes

Dilla was a John Coltrane-type dude. He was always on a higher level. He inspired my music to become looser and more soulful.

People only know me for what they’ve heard, but that only represents about 10 percent of what I’ve done.

I do it for myself and for like-minded people. Half the time I don’t know why I make what I do. I’d do this if no one was listening. I’m stuck. I’ve got the curse.

I’m quiet, so people might think I’m a mute.

If I’m really hyped to do something, I can do most of an album in a day.

My family brainwashed me, like I’m brainwashing my children. They brainwashed me with good taste.

I guess I only work with versatile rappers, chameleons like Guilty Simpson, J Dilla, and Doom.

My pops had me at the studio since I was born. That’s why I got into music. He would let me go up on the controls and mess with stuff.

I don’t worry about collaborating. Whatever happens, happens.

Past, present, and future is where I’m at.

I think a lot of guys are influenced by ‘Pinata.’ I fathered a lot of styles off that album.

I’ve always done music with so-called thug- or gangster-type lyricists. I’ve always been associated with that because I’m from the West Coast.

Embryo is one of my favorite groups ever.

Some people think I’m crazy, but I’m just a normal dude that loves music.

If I sample a song, I usually make samples out of the whole album. Then I move on after that. Doesn’t mean I’m going to release that whole album, but I do that.

I studied jazz at home with my grandparents. They always had jazz dudes at the house, but I didn’t study formally. I just hung around a lot of musicians.

I grew up on Public Enemy, which had a message with great music behind it.

I’m a hermit, people rarely see me.

As far as hip hop, I ain’t even gonna front, it was ‘Rapper’s Delight.’ That was the first thing I heard where I was like, ‘Whoa.’ You take that beat and do something over it. I started collecting records after that, old records.

I don’t like drama in my life, but I like reading about it.

I don’t do selfies.

Sometimes I will slow down the beat for one bar on purpose, just to see if the rapper can adapt his flow and stay on beat.

I’m all about the music.

I didn’t want to put out ‘The Unseen’ because I thought I would be criticized. I thought everyone would think the sped-up vocals were a gimmick. I had to be convinced to put it out.

I search for records that I’ve found on YouTube. If I can’t get the record it doesn’t matter to me, I’ll bump the YouTube rip.

I’ll always work with Stones Throw, but I’m trying to start my own label to release my old material and sign new artists. I want to do everything from rock, to jazz, to electronic, to noise records and movie sound tracks. Both sampled and original music.

My computer? I never use a computer. It’s too easy.

The equipment doesn’t matter, it’s the vibe you put into it. If the music sounds good, music sounds good.

Basically my whole life is music, that’s all I do 24-7.

As long as I’m living decent, then I’m cool.

I’ll take two months off just to listen to records and not do any music so I can absorb all that and then when I go do my music. It’s all in me. I’ll listen to a different genre every two days or something, study it, 24 hours straight.

I’m usually bored with both gangsta rappers and underground ones, too.

I like my space.

Interviews are my least favorite thing to do.

There were a certain amount of people that were down with me, and we would just sit in the room and make music.