Pusha T continued his “Cocaine’s Dr. Seuss” theme with It’s Almost Dry, working with Pharrell Williams and Kanye West for primary production. The former was Push’s main steward during his days with the Clipse, crafting the bulk of the group’s three albums beginning with 2002’s Lord Willin’, while the latter either contributed or helmed the boards for Push’s solo albums.
Although Ye and Skateboard P split production duties on It’s Almost Dry, one particular name who came up during the initial creative process for the album was Madlib. In Push’s eyes, erecting an album better than his Grammy Award-nominated 2018 album DAYTONA was the main goal of It’s Almost Dry, and he nearly went outside of his usual camp to achieve such a feat.
“I got some beats and they were actually chops from him,” Pusha explained to his manager Steven Victor during a session moderated by Noah Callahan-Bever for Push’s It’s Almost Dry radio show on Amp. “I just think he’s really dope at finding ill sounds and ill chops, and things of that nature.
“But at the same time, it was feeling like a beat tape situation. I felt like to step it up I had to be produced – to step it up from Daytona. When you think about [my last album], it’s just beats and hard raps. I wasn’t produced. The structure of Kanye West you know, taking these things out or whatever the case may be. Honestly, it was just that. It’s Almost Dry is an exercise, definitely on the Pharrell side, in being produced.”
Although the record features notable production moments from 88-Keys on records such as “Diet Coke,” It’s Almost Dry contains elements of Ye’s chipmunk sound on records such as “Dreamin’ of the Past” and “Rock N Roll” and P pulling in sounds reminiscent of Hell Hath No Fury, particularly on “Neck & Wrist” with JAY-Z.
Pusha T & The Roots Join Forces For 'Dreamin Of The Past' Performance On 'The Tonight Show'
However, Pusha and Madlib still could give fans something in the future. As he told KAZI Magazine in 2020, he and the Piñata producer are sitting on “a hard drive of gems,” which would be a “bucket list” project for him.
“We’re taking our time,” he said. I’m crafting and writing to some of them,” Push said. “That’s a bucket list thing for me. The fact that we’re in contact and everything is good, I see that happening. I can’t put a date on it, but I’m definitely on it.”
Push and the loop digga would be super dope.
…”Diet Coke” is basically a 1 bar loop from an 88 Keys beat tape, so why not use something from Madlib? might’ve been better than some of the Kanye joints with way too much vocal samples running the entire beat, that shit gets annoying and distracts from the raps imo.
Would be a great combination!
Yeah. Id love to see this happen. Madlib is one of my favourite producers of the last cpuple years. Going back through his production credits its obviously dudes been dope and Ive been missing out. Having a blast catching up on Madlib.
Pusha, you my guy and all but don’t be wasting madlib bests , briother, that album should be priority no.1
Rappers are scared to step out of their zone because if the album don’t sell then they get dropped from the label but I’m all for it if he would’ve did it I think the game need a 360 change and take these Rappers out of their element That why I’m hoping Kendrick will be the one who does it this year I want to hear something different