As an added bonus, did you know that Quasimoto was officially recognized by the city of Los Angeles? Seriously, they handed over a signed certificate and everything. Peep it below and see some more at Stones Throw.

The news of new Quasimoto material sent the internet into a tizzy just a few weeks ago. All it took was the single photo of a test pressing with “Quasimoto – Yessir Whatever” written on it to spark rumors of a full album coming from Madlib’s best alter-ego. But looking back, why wouldn’t it? Yeah, Madlib has a discography large enough to crush entire record labels, plus with the exhaustive Medicine Show series it’s not like there has been a lack of creative output from him recently. The excitement for this new material stems solely from how large of an impact his work as Quasimoto about a decade ago really had on hip-hop listeners.

Things progressed and it turned out that Yessir Whatever wasn’t the next full studio album, instead a twelve track collection of rarities and unreleased tracks. It’s hard to not get disappointed when the news of an album fell flat, but at the same time it’s just as easy to forget that feeling when Madlib’s collection of loosies is still one of the best hip-hop releases of the year

If The Unseen is the fully formed Quasimoto narrative, Yessir Whatever is like looking at scrapped pieces from the storyboard. A few of these tracks, including “Broad Factor” and cuts from the Astronaut EP, existed pressings before this release, but collected alongside others help to create a fascinating look inside one of hip-hop’s most creative minds.

Maybe it’s that nostalgic rush from the extra crisp drums on “Catchin’ The Vibe”, or maybe it’s that sample flip on ”Astronaut”. Then again maybe it’s the way your head involuntarily nods on “Am I Confused”. Somewhere along the line though it becomes clear that even out of the larger Quasimoto narrative, most, if not all of these tracks are fantastic. Even though technically a compilation, especially one containing material from over a 12-year period, it falls together as a remarkably cohesive listen. The Quasimoto character and sound is strong enough to bind together thirty minutes of material regardless of the decade that stands between it.

Madlib isn’t the kind of artist to hold back on releasing music. Between his own albums, production credits, alter egos, collaborations, and mixes, chances are even for the die-hard stans something has fallen through the cracks. This isn’t the same with Quasimoto material. With only two studio albums and a choice selection of singles here and there, everything Madlib has put to wax as the blunted deviant feels special.

There have always been rumors that Madlib was sitting on albums worth of unreleased Quasimoto material. If there is the long rumored third album forthcoming and Yessir Whatever is filled with tracks that didn’t make the cut, then we’re sure in for a treat when it does come. Even if that’s not the case, this compilation still stands as a much-welcomed peek into the life of the one and only Lord Quas.

4 out of 5 stars

4 out of 5

RELATED: The Best Rap Alter-Egos

Click over to Quas’s Facebook page for proof.

RELATED: The Best Rap Alter Egos

UPDATE: Below is a picture of what appears to be a Quasimoto test pressing from his Instagram.

UPDATE 2: It appears there might be a chance that this album is just a compilation. We haven’t received official word on that yet, but if you look here it seems as if that might be the case. We will keep you posted as we look for more reliable sources.

Wolf got us thinking about all the other hip-hop alter egos that have been introduced to listeners over the years. Some of them are simply aliases–such as Redman using his real name, Reggie Noble, for production credits–while others simply haven’t been developed enough to create a lasting impressions. Then there are the cases where maybe, just maybe, the artist should have stuck to his guns–Bobby Digital, anyone?

We have looked into the best alter egos in hip-hop to celebrate when they’re done right and when they can dramatically shape an album or, in many cases, a career.

Navigate through the pages below.

To continue our tribute to some of our favorite labels, we compiled a list of our favorite Stones Throw releases. To pick just 12 was rather challenging, but we couldn’t be more excited with our list. Let us know what you think about our picks in the comments section.

Navigate though the pages below. This list isn’t in a ranked order.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF AN ACTUAL ALBUM(S) BUT A NEW FEATURE IN WHICH WE OUTLINE A PROJECT(S) WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE HAPPEN.

After hearing that James Blake’s forthcoming Overgrown album would sport features from Brian Eno and RZA, we couldn’t help but imagine what other artists would have great chemistry with the UK singer and producer. With something to offer for just about every fan of music, James Blake’s sound is rooted in everything from soul and R&B to dub-step and hip-hop. Which makes him such a stellar candidate for this installment of Armchair A&R.

On the list you are going to see a number of notable names as well as rising stars, including everyone from Janet Jackson to AlunaGeorge. And, of course, let us know which artists you wish would hop in the studio with James Blake in the comments section.

Navigate through the pages below.

But as you might know, “Fatbacks” is also the name of a Quasimoto track, which here gets flipped and chopped up by Ben Jamin. The New Zealand producer released one of our favorite instrumental albums last year, and we get the feeling he’s ready to appear on our list again once 2013 wraps up.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF AN ACTUAL ALBUM BUT A NEW FEATURE IN WHICH WE OUTLINE A PROJECT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE HAPPEN.

This past week, we reported that Flying Lotus was working on Thundercat‘s sophomore effort, a full-length Captain Murphy album, and a project he said he couldn’t talk about just yet. Of course, our minds started wandering as we tried to think of exactly what that mysterious project might be. As a result, we came up with our latest entry in our ongoing Armchair A&R segment, in which we come up with ideas for what we think a certain artist’s next album should be.

It wasn’t easy narrowing down who we think FlyLo could be working with. Although, to be fair, he has given us some hints over the past few months by way of interviews and tweets. We know, for example, that he’s excited by all the hip-hop newcomers making waves these past few years, like A$AP Mob, Odd Future, and SpaceGhostPurrp’s Raider Klan. We also know that the L.A.lien is a fan of Radiohead, so there’s most certainly that to take into consideration.

Click below to see our five guesses for FlyLo’s mysterious project.

Hit the skip to stream the single.