Quotes from Madlib

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.

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

Not anyone can rap to my beats.

I don't have beef with anybody.

I try to challenge my ears. I get bored easily.

I'm constantly buying records.

Dudes I work with have to be like-minded to where I just hand them a beat that has a chorus and they can do with them what they gotta do. If they can't do that, I usually don't work with 'em.

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

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'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.

I do a few shows every year, but I'm mostly at home, making music. Day and night.

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

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

As a kid, I was trying to copy what I heard. Namely, I was just listening to producers I looked up to, like 45 King and Marley Marl, and trying to do what they were doing.

I listen to a lot of different things. I'll be listening to prog rock, then the next couple of hours - Indian.

At one point, I took a year off just to listen to music and really digest it. I listened to everything you could imagine.

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 like white wine, Riesling.

I used to drink straight Hennessy, but I started drinking wine and champagne. It's easier to tour like that.

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

Prince Paul's one of my teachers. He's always been one of my main inspirations as far as interludes go and getting a little quirky at times.

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.

Dizzy Gillespie would come by, eating gumbo. It was crazy. My grandparents were friends with all of them. Dee Dee Bridgewater, all of them, they'd come through.

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