Madlib makes beats. Hundreds of beats. Behind the scenes, these beats have been passed around to his collaborators on countless CD-R’s over the years. For a few years in the past decade Madlib was using a number system as titles. “One Hundred Beats” was an accurately-named set of raw, unfinished beats on a double-CD set, quickly followed by “Another Hundred Beats” on two more CDs. Other “hundreds” came in the months and years that followed, until other series titles took their place. These works in progress were backed up on hard drives, and just a few covers were made for posterity. These two photos come from the archives of J Rocc and Jeff Jank.

For those who have asked where to get these, the answer is that you probably already have them. One Hundred Beats and Another Hundred Beats provided much of the basis for the albums like Madvillainy by Madvillain, Champion Sound by Jaylib, A Lil’ Light by Dudley Perkins, and several other releases of the era.

via Rappcats