Biography
The Lootpack emerged among several southern California crews reviving old-school styles throughout the 1990s, delivering some of the most overlooked material on the rejuvenated West Coast underground circuit. Longtime friends Madlib (producer and MC, born Otis Jackson Jr.), Wildchild (MC, born Jack Brown), and DJ Romes (scratching, born Romeo Jimenez) assembled the trio in 1990 in Oxnard, a modest beach town roughly an hour from Los Angeles. Having experimented with hip-hop since junior high, the three established an official unit during their college years.
A demo tape reached King Tee and Tash of Tha Alkaholiks, prompting the Lootpack to enter the associated Likwit Crew collective; the group also handled production for two songs on Tha Alkaholiks’ 1994 debut 21 & Over while guesting on the later releases Coast II Coast and Likwidation. Securing a suitable contract proved elusive, leaving the 1996 EP Psyche Move—financed by Madlib’s father, soul singer Otis Jackson Sr.—as their sole release for an extended period. Bay Area DJ Peanut Butter Wolf noticed Psyche Move and eventually brought the group to his Stones Throw imprint.
Stones Throw issued the Lootpack’s debut 12-inch “The Anthem” in 1998. The follow-up singles “Whenimondamic” and “Questions” led to the 1999 full-length Soundpieces: Da Antidote. Although commercial success remained modest, the album generated significant discussion within underground hip-hop circles and earned strong admiration from the artists and writers who encountered it. “Weededed” appeared as another 12-inch, and the project positioned Madlib as a producer worth tracking into the new decade. Several side ventures, notably the eccentric dual-persona project Quasimoto and the jazz-funk ensemble Yesterday’s New Quintet, soon absorbed much of his focus.
The Lootpack stayed largely inactive in the studio yet maintained an active touring schedule; in 2001 DJ Romes issued the breakbeat collection Hamburger Hater Breaks, and the group compiled its own documentary Da Packumentary. The single “On Point” surfaced in 2002, followed by the 2004 anthology of unreleased material Lost Tapes.
A demo tape reached King Tee and Tash of Tha Alkaholiks, prompting the Lootpack to enter the associated Likwit Crew collective; the group also handled production for two songs on Tha Alkaholiks’ 1994 debut 21 & Over while guesting on the later releases Coast II Coast and Likwidation. Securing a suitable contract proved elusive, leaving the 1996 EP Psyche Move—financed by Madlib’s father, soul singer Otis Jackson Sr.—as their sole release for an extended period. Bay Area DJ Peanut Butter Wolf noticed Psyche Move and eventually brought the group to his Stones Throw imprint.
Stones Throw issued the Lootpack’s debut 12-inch “The Anthem” in 1998. The follow-up singles “Whenimondamic” and “Questions” led to the 1999 full-length Soundpieces: Da Antidote. Although commercial success remained modest, the album generated significant discussion within underground hip-hop circles and earned strong admiration from the artists and writers who encountered it. “Weededed” appeared as another 12-inch, and the project positioned Madlib as a producer worth tracking into the new decade. Several side ventures, notably the eccentric dual-persona project Quasimoto and the jazz-funk ensemble Yesterday’s New Quintet, soon absorbed much of his focus.
The Lootpack stayed largely inactive in the studio yet maintained an active touring schedule; in 2001 DJ Romes issued the breakbeat collection Hamburger Hater Breaks, and the group compiled its own documentary Da Packumentary. The single “On Point” surfaced in 2002, followed by the 2004 anthology of unreleased material Lost Tapes.
Albums
