Maclib: The Story of Mac Miller & Madlib's Unreleased Album

Mac Miller collaborated with a variety of musicians; from John Mayer, Thundercat, Flying Lotus to Jon Brion, Little Dragon to name a few. He left a significant impact on the music scene of the 21st century, constantly experimenting with different genres and sounds.

One particularly intriguing project is his collaboration album with legendary hip hop producer Madlib, known as "Maclib". The existence of Maclib first came to light in a 2019 interview with Mac Miller's close friend and collaborator, Thelonious Martin. When asked about music that he wished his fans could hear, Thelonious immediately mentioned "Maclib."

During a performance, Madlib played a song featuring Mac Miller and Thundercat, which sparked excitement among fans who feared they would never hear new music from Mac following his tragic passing. Madlib casually mentioned that there was an entire album, but moved on without elaborating further.

This revelation created a frenzy among hip hop heads, as the possibility of a full-length album featuring two influential figures in the genre was incredibly exciting. Mac Miller and Madlib had initially connected during their collaboration on the album Pinata by Freddie Gibbs and Madlib. Their creative chemistry led to continued exchanges of beats and verses until 2017, resulting in enough material for an EP.

Despite the existence of this music, Madlib stated that there were no plans for an official release, crushing hopes for the album. However, in January 2020, a leaked song called "Shut the Front Door" emerged.

I was there when he recorded it. Blew my fucking mind. https://t.co/4e4vXQf2Aa

— ashy daddy (@Thundercat) February 21, 2019

After a period of silence, insiders and leakers discovered that the sessions had been condensed into ten songs, which were mixed and mastered for an eventual release. In September 2022, two more songs titled "English Breakfast" and "Lightning Dog" and four skits from the sessions, both recorded in 2014, surfaced online.

In a recent interview with Sway, Madlib mentioned that he is in the process of "finishing up" the album, along with working on projects for Erykah Badu and Planet Asia. While no release date has been announced, Madlib claims to have the approval of Mac Miller's estate, raising hopes for the album's eventual release.

RIP Mac 🙏