Dudley Perkins

You might know Dudley Perkins through one of his many roles as an essential player in the West Coast 805 Hip Hop crew that brought you the likes of Lootpack, Quasimoto, Wildchild, Oh No, and Medaphoar. Although a rapper since 1987, Dudley first came on the scene in 1995 under the MC alias Declaime, featured on the opening track of The Alkaholiks second album, "Coast To Coast" (Loud). A few years later, hip hop fans saw different talents at work as his illustration of the Lootpack coincidentally became the album cover for their debut release: Soundpieces (Stones Throw).

It was around this time in 1999 that he and Madlib were messing around in the studio and came up with a unusual track, “Flowers” about Dudley’s love affair with sticky green trees. Eventually, Peanut Butter Wolf heard the track and insisted on releasing it on a limited edition 7” to surprisingly great results.

"Flowers" was embraced both by Hip-Hop fans as well as Nu Soul enthusiasts like British DJ Gilles Peterson, who featured the track on his Worldwide Mix CD (Talkin Loud). Lemon Jelly mentions in Muzik Magazine (April 2003) that "Flowers" is one of their favorites of all time, describing Dudley as sounding like “a very early Erykah Badu on acid”. Vinia Mojica, who’s sang with everyone from ATCQ to Mos Def, has also recently expressed interest in collaborating with Dudley as well.

Although the success of this song may have been a quirky fluke, Dudley’s debut album is proof that his attempt at entering the realm of the singing world was anything but a mistake. A Lil' Light is the direct result of demand for a follow-up to "Flowers".

With a fresh, homegrown quality similar to Cody Chestnut’s debut, Dudley presents us with a new, unique type of soul on “A Lil Light”. Mr. Perkins takes us for a ride through his own very unique, intimate, wild and bumpy road. No wonder people compare Dudley to a cross between ODB and Snoop (with whom he bears an uncanny resemblance). A painfully honest MC attitude mixed with the presentation of a cracked soul singer.

Listen to the new single, "Money" about how the evils of money make the world go ‘round. His tongue in cheek method goes over most people’s heads, but even this most controversial yet predictable of topics gets a new take when presented through the mind of Dudley.

A Lil' Light is the first fully-produced Madlib album since Yesterdays New Quintet's "Angles Without Edges" (Stones Throw, 2001). It is also the precursor to Madlib’s albums with Jay Dilla, MF Doom and comes out at the same time as his Blue Note remix album, "Shades of Blue". For Dudley Perkins, Madlib has created a backdrop that lets the man be loose and liberated in ways that most artists wouldn't dare. The question now is how wide are your ears? And can you get with this?