Episode 158 - Madvillainy by Madvillain (Side A)

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We’d always planned to do a hip hop episode after the Cocteau Twins, but after the sad passing of MF DOOM was announced on December 31st 2020, we decided to switch focus from The Cold Vein by Cannibal Ox to one of DOOM’s finest hours - Madvillainy by Madvillain.

Madvillain is one of many collaborative projects that MF DOOM embarked upon throughout his career, with this particular one being his first collaboration with legendary undergroun hip hop producer/DJ/MC Madlib. One of Daniel Dumile’s many personas, DOOM was born out of frustration with the music industry, ad Dumile sought to “destroy that which had created him” following the death of his brother and the unceremonial dismissal of his first project, KMD by then label Elektra records.

Until Madvillainy, we had only properly been seen on the first MF DOOM album Operation: Doomsday in 1999. After creating albums under the names King Geedorah and Viktor Vaughn in the period leading up to this record, Madvillain saw DOOM bring his “main” persona back into the spotlight, and there it remained until his untimely death last year.

In this episode we cover DOOM’s career right up until 2004, whilst also waxing lyrical on the tendency of some journalists to project their own ideas onto art in order to cack-handedly “legitimatize” something that is already very legit.

Part two is next week, and we’ll cover his career from DANGERDOOM onwards, and then get torn into Madvillainy.