After a decade of abstract work, Pinata was a return to raw, street-level hip-hop. Freddie Gibbs’ gritty, coke-rap narratives are the perfect foil to Madlib’s soulful, broken beats. Tracks like "Thuggin’," "Deeper," and "Shame" (featuring BJ the Chicago Kid) are modern classics. This album proved Madlib could still make bangers. The 2020 sequel, Bandana , tightened the formula further.

A 13-album series released monthly in 2010–2011, covering everything from African psych-rock to live jazz. Sound Ancestors (2021): An acclaimed instrumental album arranged and edited by Kieran Hebden (Four Tet) 🛠️ Production Style & Tools Famously used the Boss SP-303 sampler to create Madvillainy while in Brazil. Mobile Beats: He produced the entirety of the Freddie Gibbs album using only an Aesthetic: