Declaime

While Dudley Perkins brings the weird yet melancholic and soulful vocals at Stones Throw Records, Declaime is his rapping counterpart. Most listeners could meet Declaime first on the classic Lootpack album 'Soundpieces - The Antidote' as a guest lyricist. (2) As a vocal muse for Madlib’s creations, Dudley is unmatched; he’s earned first pick at Madlib’s prized beat collections. Just like Madvillain or Quasimoto, the Dudley/Madlib combination is a facet unto its own – on par with the most illustrious collaboration projects in Madlib’s catalog. His dynamic sophomore effort, entitled Expressions (2012 A.U.), takes an extended detour in the direction of Parliament’s Mothership Connection. The funk is strong this time around – as is the soul music that brought tears to the eyes of Dudley’s and Madlib’s aunts and uncles back in the golden days. Dudley continues his plaintive, introspective soul-searching – as well as his trademark questions of the future for mankind. As always, his search for goodness and truth is balanced by a robust and hilarious celebration of the good life – the booty life and the weed life. But expect even funkier dance-floor singles this time – and even more melodious arrangements from Madlib, who again handles all production duties. Aside from Dudley Perkins’ two releases on Stones Throw, he has continued to work for other labels under the name Declaime, as well as several collaborations with Georgia Anne Muldrow. (3) Originally affiliated with the Likwit Crew, Declaime debuted on tha Alkaholiks' second album, Coast II Coast, and also appeared on Lootpack's Soundpieces before releasing his own solo work. His first release, Ill Mind Muzik, was a six-track EP produced by Madlib and released by Goodvibe in 1999. His debut full-length, Andsoitisaid, then followed in 2001, again produced by Madlib and featuring West Coast hip-hop MCs such as Rasco and Lootpack. In 2004, Conversations with Dudley, an album that bridged his two musical identities (that of Declaime and his birth name, Dudley Perkins), came out. In 2010 he partnered with producer Quazedelic for the G-Funk inspired Fonk. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.