Madlib received a rare opportunity with unfettered access to the storied Blue Note archives and permission to use them as he wished for a remix/interpretation album released on Blue Note itself. The result, Shades of Blue, features Madlib interpreting and remixing Blue Note classics such as Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" and Gene Harris' "The Look of Slim" (remixed here as "Slim's Return"). Overall, a good time is had by all, as he doesn't just sample the tracks as much as fit them into his own sound.