Madvillain: Madvillainy
When two notoriously reclusive left-field hip-hop mavericks clash, at least on the level of rapper MF DOOM and DJ/producer Madlib, a legend is almost bound to be born – this is certainly the case with 2004’s Madvillainy. A crowning achievement for experimental hip-hop in the mainstream, Madvillainy features Madlib’s markedly obscure samples (from any and all genres), surreal and sometimes non-sequitur lyrics courtesy of DOOM (who approaches near Eliotic levels of lyrical difficulty), all with an overarching supervillain theme that wouldn’t seem out of place from 1960s comic book culture. While a difficult sell at first, what with its abstract subject matter and brief, decidedly radio-unfriendly songs, Madvillainy has been embraced by both hardcore hip-hop heads and casual enthusiasts as one of the finest offerings of the mid-2000s. Just remember – ALL CAPS when you spell the man’s name!
