OJ Simpson

Detroit-bred rapper Guilty Simpson and Southern California–based producer Madlib both came of age in the early to mid-\'90s, a time when rap albums were carefully constructed and often cinematic works of art. In its return to the album concept of one rapper/one producer, *OJ Simpson* maintains a timeless feel, even if its beats are thoroughly modern and sometimes even mind-altering. Each member of the duo helps refine the other man’s talents. The conversation peaks on “O.J. Simpson,” “New Heights,” and especially “Hood Sentence,” in which Madlib lets the musical spirits circulate around Guilty’s gruff descriptions of inner-city strife.

Cohesive, focused, and flat-out fun, Guilty Simpson and Madlib have crafted one of the best hip-hop records of the year.

This year’s fantastic In Search Of Stoney Jackson was a Strong Arm Steady album, but it was really all about super-producer Madlib, who lent his acid-soaked, purple-and-paisley stamp to every psychedelic beat and oddball interlude. The eccentric Oxnard producer, born Otis Jackson Jr., goes even further on O.J.…

Previewed on the first volume of producer Madlib’s series of Medicine Show releases, the final, official OJ Simpson album is just a bit more straightforward than the meandering mixtape that preceded it.

Nearly sunk by a series of sound collages driven by film dialogue or classic comedy albums, the OJ Simpson collaboration between gruff Detroit-born Guilty...