Jaylib

Dilla was better known as Jay Dee back in 2003, a time when few were prepared for his emerging sound, now deemed legendary, which excelled when put together with Madlib. With each possessing a double threat quality of MC and producer, Champion Sound is split down the middle, with Madlib rapping on Dilla’s beats and vice versa, both emerging with some of the most classic tracks in their discography. When the twelve-inch of "The Red/The Official” dropped, people were completely bugging out over the one-two combination coming their way and today Champion Sound stands as an essential classic. Stones Throw aren’t half-stepping with this reissue either, as they change things up with a Dilla remix of "The Red” — a bold move given the fact that the original is massive — several bonus tracks and remixes, as well as the entire album in instrumental form for all you Serato junkies. Champion Sound went over many heads when it first came out but looking back, it’s apparent that Dilla and Madlib were on some next level that slow pokes just needed time to catch up to. Essential for anyone that gives a damn about real hip-hop.