Madvillainy is the only studio album by American hip hop duo Madvillain, comprising MC MF Doom and producer Madlib.
Madvillainy is the only studio album by American hip hop duo Madvillain, comprising MC MF Doom and producer Madlib.
8.0
Madvillain:
Madvillainy
Artist Origin: 🇬🇧 / 🇺🇸
Release Date: 23 March 2004
Label: Stones Throw
Genres: Hip-Hop
Prosecutor: Phil
The quick fire, superhero comic strip style concept album from Madvillain has plenty to keep even the most infrequent hip hop listener entertained.
Madlib works his magic crafting beats mixed with jazz, soul, funk and all sorts of mad sound effects. It’d stand strong as an instrumental - but throw DOOM into the mix (the gin in the campari, the cream in the coffee) and you’ve got a certified classic.
He’s in it for the quiche, ye might aswell not ask him for no free shit capiche? Oh my achin hands from rakin in grands an breakin in mic stands. 10
Dan
Hip-Hop is a genre I’ve always struggled to connect with. The holy trinity of ‘bitches, blunts & guns’ can leave me feeling underwhelmed and struggling to see what all the fuss is about (f**kin’ snowflake).
Although Madvillainy does lean into some of these tropes, there’s enough variation through the jazz/soul infused samples and slick word-play to lift the record above the hip-hop parapet.
It’s an intriguing mix of low-fi production alongside loftier samples and soundscapes. The spoken vignettes help piece the narrative, although the sheer volume of samples can make it feel quite manic.
Not everything is fresh and surprising, with a few half-baked efforts, such as Rainbows and America’s most blunted, which feels like a stock standard for mid-00s hip-hop.
The strongest moments arrive towards the backend - namely the soul-tinged Fancy clown, the menacing All Caps and the swaggering strings of Strange Ways. 6.7
Adam
Lovely little album. wish I’d discovered these lads before MF Doom had to go... Great mix of samples and scratch which are the backbone of this somewhat dark album. The pace drops and stops and picks up and runs, and I like the unpredictability that brings. 7.8
Rich
Masks, villainy and mother-fucking doom have been common features in all our lives this past year, so why break the habit for Crim Recs. Combining scattered beats with elements of jazz and electronica, Madvillainy is a comic book concocted of wildly diverse sounds, styles and influences, all underpinned by MF DOOM's off-kilter, yet always inspired, lyricism ("Got more soul than a sock with a hole").
It's a sometimes chaotic listen, with all the various components sporadically competing against one another, but that's part of its charm. Nevermind Hip-Hop this is Chip-Chop and, what it lacks in harmony, it compensates with invention and playfulness. I'll admit that I found it a challenge to form a complete attachment with the record, but I'm continuing to find different things to enjoy about it - its legacy difficult to dismiss. 7.3
Mike
Thank God this wasn't all money and beef and kitchens. This was a definite grower. Have listened to this alot. Loved the samples and feeling of American pop culture. Unpredictable and at times bizarre. I feel like alot of the lyrics are playful and tongue-in-cheek. Having a laugh at some more popular contempories of the time. Like I said the other week I didn't realise it was recorded 17 years ago. Sounds fresh. 8.1
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The quick fire, superhero comic strip style concept album from Madvillain has plenty to keep even the most infrequent hip hop listener entertained.
Madlib works his magic crafting beats mixed with jazz, soul, funk and all sorts of mad sound effects. It’d stand strong as an instrumental - but throw DOOM into the mix (the gin in the campari, the cream in the coffee) and you’ve got a certified classic.
He’s in it for the quiche, ye might aswell not ask him for no free shit capiche? Oh my achin hands from rakin in grands an breakin in mic stands. 10
Dan
Hip-Hop is a genre I’ve always struggled to connect with. The holy trinity of ‘bitches, blunts & guns’ can leave me feeling underwhelmed and struggling to see what all the fuss is about (f**kin’ snowflake).
Although Madvillainy does lean into some of these tropes, there’s enough variation through the jazz/soul infused samples and slick word-play to lift the record above the hip-hop parapet.
It’s an intriguing mix of low-fi production alongside loftier samples and soundscapes. The spoken vignettes help piece the narrative, although the sheer volume of samples can make it feel quite manic.
Not everything is fresh and surprising, with a few half-baked efforts, such as Rainbows and America’s most blunted, which feels like a stock standard for mid-00s hip-hop.
The strongest moments arrive towards the backend - namely the soul-tinged Fancy clown, the menacing All Caps and the swaggering strings of Strange Ways. 6.7
Adam
Lovely little album. wish I’d discovered these lads before MF Doom had to go... Great mix of samples and scratch which are the backbone of this somewhat dark album. The pace drops and stops and picks up and runs, and I like the unpredictability that brings. 7.8
Rich
Masks, villainy and mother-fucking doom have been common features in all our lives this past year, so why break the habit for Crim Recs. Combining scattered beats with elements of jazz and electronica, Madvillainy is a comic book concocted of wildly diverse sounds, styles and influences, all underpinned by MF DOOM's off-kilter, yet always inspired, lyricism ("Got more soul than a sock with a hole").
It's a sometimes chaotic listen, with all the various components sporadically competing against one another, but that's part of its charm. Nevermind Hip-Hop this is Chip-Chop and, what it lacks in harmony, it compensates with invention and playfulness. I'll admit that I found it a challenge to form a complete attachment with the record, but I'm continuing to find different things to enjoy about it - its legacy difficult to dismiss. 7.3
Mike
Thank God this wasn't all money and beef and kitchens. This was a definite grower. Have listened to this alot. Loved the samples and feeling of American pop culture. Unpredictable and at times bizarre. I feel like alot of the lyrics are playful and tongue-in-cheek. Having a laugh at some more popular contempories of the time. Like I said the other week I didn't realise it was recorded 17 years ago. Sounds fresh. 8.1
< Prev | Home | Next >