10 Essential Flying Lotus Hip-Hop Tracks

Flying Lotus has been making brain-melting beats for about a decade now. The LA-based producer lives in the underground, but as the electronic music world has exploded, his music has gained the acclaim of critics and casual music listeners everywhere.

FlyLo made some huge waves in the blogosphere when news broke that he is in fact Captain Murphy, the enigmatic, cartoony, deep-voiced, laughing hip-hop personality that released the Duality mixtape a couple years back.

Over the years, Flying Lotus has worked with acclaimed and accomplished musicians like Erykah Badu and Thom Yorke. Most recently he's scored a massive track with Kendrick Lamar and even got a Snoop Dogg feature on his newest album You're Dead!. He's truly a versatile producer who has no boundaries for his style. Even Andre 3000 digs the dude's music...

Let's peep some of the dopest hip-hop tracks FlyLo has stamped his name on.

Azizi Gibson- Emperors New Groove (Prod. by Flying Lotus)

Azizi Gibson met Flying Lotus in a gym before being signed to his Brainfeeder label. A 5-minute rap song isn't the easiest thing to conquer, but chilled-out flow and even chiller FlyLo beat make it doable.

Captain Murphy featuring Viktor Vaughn, Earl Sweatshirt & Thundercat - Between Villains (Prod. Flying Lotus)

Captain Murphy is Flying Lotus' alias and Viktor Vaughn's is MF Doom's, just in case you didn't know. This is dark and dangerous hip-hop, as an ominous beat is met with some eerie bars from the lyricists.

Flying Lotus' newest album You're Dead! is one of my favorites of the year. The futuristic jazz delivered on the 19-song LP is unlike anything most of us have heard before, and contributions by Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Thundercat and alter-ego Captain Murphy make it an important release in the hip-hop world. When was the last time the world's hottest rapper jumped on an experimental jazzy beat?

Chance The Rapper's zany flow is the exact opposite of this soul-sampled Flying Lotus beat...but somehow it works. If you didn't think this dude was crazy yet, watch the video below. He's definitely off his rocker.

Flying Lotus featuring Captain Murphy & Earl Sweatshirt - Between Friends

This might be my personal favorite joint on the list. The beat could play out for an hour and I wouldn't get sick of it. Some rappers go hard, some go artisan. 

Captain Murphy - Children of the Atom (Prod. Madlib and Flying Lotus)

We'd love to be a fly on the wall when Madlib and Flying Lotus get together to produce a beat. Captain Murphy's deep, enigmatic vocals bless this cut off the mixtape Duality.

Hodgy Beats - Lately (Prod. Flying Lotus)

Flying Lotus' relationship with Odd Future goes beyond Earl Sweatshirt with this Hodgy Beats cut. Chill hip-hop is the product of the 23-year-old Cali MC's collab with FlyLo.

Flying Lotus featuring Captain Murphy & Snoop Dogg - Dead Man's Tetris

The other all-star hip-hop name on You're Dead! came in the form of Snoop Dogg. Where Kendrick represents for the new-school, Snoop throws down for the legendary, old-school West Coast. The way he comes in after this beat builds up is one of the high-points of the entire album. 

Mac Miller has had an interesting ride through his hip-hop career. He was bubblegum poppy before turning to the druggy/stoner vibe that "S.D.S." emulates. Flying Lotus is the perfect beat for that latter style though, and this is a really dope cut from the MC.

Jeremiah Jae - Cat Fight (Prod. by Flying Lotus)

Chicago is a hip-hop hot spot right now, but while Chance, Kief and 'Ye steal the spotlight, cats like Jeremiah Jae chill in the underground. Another Brainfeeder MC, "Cat Fight" demonstrates the young dude's laid back style.