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: Doomsd ...