After a few days to sit with this. I know a few people legitimately don't like this album because you can't pleas everyone. And I understand people that don't like the mixing on here. But for the most part if you're a hip-hop head and you don't like this album you're overthinking shyt or you're a contrarian and just trying too hard to be different.
I knew he made the No More Parties in LA beat on an iPad. This is dope. Truly goes to show it's not about the gear, it's about the skill. The most expensive basketball shoes won't make you hit your jumpers.
It took around a year to clear the samples:
https://djbooth.net/features/2019-06-03-freddie-gibbs-madlib-bandana-sample-clearance
There's still a massive gap in the timeline (almost 2 years) from December 2016 to June 2019.
I'm curious if "John Gotti Karate" was on the original version. It would explain why it's not on here.
Fred.
JGK had to have been on here at some point. Had to have been. I know I'm not saying anything I didn't say last week, but Madlib and Gibbs were playing it at shows separately, and Gibbs was posting it on social media, etc. Also it fits in with the Japanese guy talking throughout the album, as well as a couple Japanese sounding samples.
I'm convinced they would've had it on here if they could have. If it took a year to clear the samples then there were definitely some things that didn't make the cut. It's rare that every sample on any project this sample heavy is cleared. Sometimes whoever owns the sample just says no, and there's no amount of up-front money or points on the back end that will make them say yes.
That was the case with Hoover Street by Schoolboy Q. The holder wouldn't clear the sample no matter what, so they had to go back and make a new beat for it. I'm assuming Madlib and Gibbs didn't remake the song with a new beat and just took the L.