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This article is about 'Lapgan Is Ecstatic', a full-length reinterpretation of Mos Def’s 2009 album 'The Ecstatic'. It looks at how Chicago-based producer Lapgan reimagines the original record through Indian and Pakistani samples, reflecting both his longstanding influences and the transnational sonic vision that made 'The Ecstatic' a landmark album.
Released in 2009, Mos Def’s 'The Ecstatic' was a hip-hop album built on a wide range of international samples and documentary-style storytelling. Its production drew from Turkish psych records, South Asian film music, North African rhythms, and Latin American soul. Artists like Madlib, Oh No, and Preservation stitched together a soundscape that traveled from the Middle East to South Asia to the Americas, mirroring Mos Def’s own interest in international music and transnational identity, who used these sounds to frame observations about American foreign policy, conflict in the Middle East, everyday violence, and the experience of living under constant political tension. The record balanced sharp commentary with moments of reflection and humor, and it stood out for the way it connected global musical traditions to the political realities of the late 2000s.
Earlier this month, Chicago-based producer Lapgan released 'Lapgan Is Ecstatic', a full-length reinterpretation of that influential album. Through this mix tape, the beatmaker reimagines 'The Ecstatic' through his own distinctive lens, shaped by years of archiving and sampling rare Indian and Pakistani music. His approach pulls Mos Def’s verses into entirely new contexts: the folk textures of 'pretty dancer,' the dhol- and tabla-driven energy of 'priority,' and the searching ragas threaded through 'roses.' The result is a project that maintains the spirit of the original while carving out its own sonic world.
"I come back to 'The Ecstatic' often. It’s one of my favorite hip hop albums and one that really influenced my sound," Lapgan tells us. He often returns to it, drawn to the “profound truths and affirmations” in Mos Def’s writing and the sampling mastery displayed by Madlib, Preservation, Dilla, and Oh No. Tracks like 'Supermagic' and 'Auditorium' left a lasting impact, guiding his own developing sound. The mixtape grew out of a weekend impulse to finally attempt a remix album that relied entirely on samples and leaned deeply into his crates from India and Pakistan. He describes the process as intentionally intuitive, aiming to keep it fun and fluid.
The project also stands as a full-circle moment. The original album’s globally sourced instrumentation and political vision helped shape Lapgan’s ethos; in turn, 'Lapgan Is Ecstatic' becomes both a tribute and a demonstration of how far he has taken the sample-based form. Known for his work on projects like 'History', 'Duniya Kya Hai', and 'LAFANDAR' (his collaboration with Heems), Lapgan has built a reputation for transforming archival material into contemporary, rhythm-forward music.
With this release, he not only celebrates a classic but invites listeners back to it, reminding them why 'The Ecstatic' continues to resonate across continents and generations both sonically and thematically.
Follow Lapgan here and listen to the mixtape below:
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