Music fans fear the worst after news that thousands of one-of-a-kind, unreleased tracks and ultra rare vinyls may be unrecoverable, with some comparing the loss to the Notre Dame blaze
The private record collection of legendary music producer Madlib is believed to have been devastated by the wildfires currently sweeping across Los Angeles. The vast collection has been stored in an LA property belonging to the hip-hop star.
The producer’s beats, which have been used by artists such as Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar and MF Doom, often use samples taken directly from his personal trove of at least 20,000 vinyl, CD and cassette recordings.
Madlib’s collection is also believed to house beats made for artists such as Erykah Badu, Freddie Gibbs and Mac Miller.
Along with the records, rooms filled with musical instruments and recording equipment that were used in the production of some of hip-hops most celebrated tracks are all also believed to have been destroyed in the inferno.
Hip-hop fans have shared their despair, with the loss being compared to the fire that burned down Notre Dame cathedral in 2019, and the destruction of the legendary Lighthouse of Alexandria.
Madlib, whose real name is Otis Lee Jackson, was known to be an avid music collector, and spent months at a time searching for the rarest records from around the world. Over decades, the producer is believed to have amassed a collection of ultra-rare tracks, albums and snippets from across music history, and one that would rival some of the most prestigious music archives.
The 51-year-old, who produced the beat for Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West collaboration No More Parties in LA, admitted in a 2014 interview that his LA collection also housed a huge amount of his own unreleased work, including collaborative tracks with cult hero American-British rapper MF Doom, who passed away in 2020.
The collection is also believed to house at least five beats made in collaboration with Kanye West during the creation of his 2010 celebrated album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
“We were just playing each other music for hours: me, him, and DOOM… We were just playing each other’s music, zoning out. He played me a lot of stuff that ain’t came out, some of the stuff that has”, said the producer when asked about Kanye’s visit by Spin Magazine.
Following the devastating news, Madlib’s family released a statement, urging fans to donate to a fund to support the artist:
“We are reaching out with heavy hearts to ask for your support in helping legendary producer Madlib… after losing [his] home, decades of music, and equipment in the devastating LA fires”, wrote a spokesperson on the donation site Donorbox.
“Your donation, no matter the amount, will provide assistance to help Madlib with immediate personal needs, essentials like clothing, temporary housing, transportation costs and the tools Madlib needs to continue creating the music that has touched so many lives.”