Madlib has revealed that Kendrick Lamar wanted him to work with him on ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’.

The 2015 album was Lamar’s third and featured production from a host of stars including Thundercat, Flying Lotus, Pharrell Williams and more.

Now, in a new interview, the rapper and producer has said that his name could also have ended up on the credits. However, he didn’t pick up his phone when Lamar called.

“Back then I was more elusive than I am now,” Madlib told the Guardian. “I was busy on my own thing. Missed opportunities, man.”

He went on to say that, had he received Lamar’s offer, it “probably wouldn’t have worked out anyway”, describing himself as a “sore thumb”. The musician said that he had never properly worked in a studio with anyone before, despite his long history of collaborative records.

Madlib also shared his thoughts on the state of rap music right now, saying it “should be like Public Enemy stuff”, but wasn’t there.

“I wish it was more like how it was in the earlier days when I was coming up,” he said. “My influences. Real music. Music can teach you … things not to do. Most of the music today is telling you bad things to do. My type of hip-hop can help you grow up.”

Madlib released his latest album ‘Sound Ancestors’ on Friday (January 29), which was produced in collaboration with Four Tet’s Kieran Hebden. The record was made in LA “over the course of some years”, according to an announcement last year, and Hebden was in charge of the editing, mastering and arrangement of it.