You might know Dudley Perkins as an essential player in the west coast 805 hip hop crew that brought you the likes of Lootpack, Quasimoto, Wildchild, Oh No and M.E.D. A rapper since 1987, Dudley debuted (as Declaime) a few years later on The Alkaholiks? second album for Loud, followed in 1999 by his infamous appearances on the seminal Soundpieces: Da Antidote! album by Oxnard homeboys Lootpack in 1999. It was around then that he and Madlib were messing around in the studio and came up with ?Flowers? ? an unusual track about Dudley?s love affair with sticky green trees. Eventually, Stones Throw CEO Peanut Butter Wolf heard the now-legendary, ever-popular melody and insisted on releasing it on a limited-edition 7-inch to surprisingly great results.

?A very early Erykah Badu on acid? (Muzik Magazine, 2003)?? Maybe. Critics fumbled for adjectives and comparisons to describe the utterly unique vocal presence of a rapper who can?t quite sing, but whose tunes are nonetheless as catchy and certainly as sincere as any contemporaries in the R&B field.

Dudley?s full-length debut on Stones Throw Records, A Lil? Light (2003), showcased his cracked-up singing style over the most melancholy yet raw beats around the underground ? produced entirely by the maestro Madlib.

The sophomore Dudley Perkins album is due to drop in early 2006 ? tentatively entitled Expressions. He continues the plaintive, introspective soul-searching ? as well as his trademark lamentations over the bleak future for mankind. As always, his search for goodness and truth is balanced by a robust celebration of the good life ? the booty life and the weed life. But expect even funkier dance-floor singles this time around ? and even more melodious arrangements from Madlib, who again handles all production duties. Mr. Perkins? latest material suggests an ever-honing instinct for working his twisted melodies around the deepest ?Lib soul beats ? having life-or-death backseat conversations amongst the bass, strings, horns, keys and the listener.