“Madvillany” by Madvillain

One of hip-hop’s crowning achievements turns 20.

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Welcome to a new edition of the Daily Music Picks newsletter!

Today’s music pick commemorates the 20th anniversary of one of hip-hop’s crowning artistic achievements.

Genre: Hip-Hop, Experimental

Label: March 23, 2004

Release Date: Stones Throw

Vibe: 💯

Before its release in the spring of 2004, Madvillainy was one of that period’s most hotly-anticipated underground hip-hop releases—maybe ever. It brought together two of the alternative rap circuit’s creative heavyweights: producer extraordinaire Madlib, known for his hazy, often hallucinogenic beats, and the late Daniel Dumile, better known as MF Doom. Like the former’s later collaborations with the likes of Freddie Gibbs, this LP managed to blow any expectations out of the water en route to earning a reputation as one of the most impressive (and out-there) hip-hop records of all time.

I think one of the primary reasons for Madvillany’s cultural significance is how much it pushed the envelope and, with hindsight, how futuristic it still sounds. Madlib’s left-field samples and loops feel unencumbered by historical or stylistic reckoning. It’s not at all concerned with what “real hip-hop” is supposed to be. At the time, it really felt like he and Doom were creating something new and evolving the genre. To this day, nothing has the gonzo appeal of tracks like “Accordion” or “Raid,” where the beats sound like they’re dangerously close to becoming unglued from reality.

Despite this, Doom never projects anything less than supreme comfort with the soundscapes swirling around him. The more he rhymes, the more he becomes the record’s anchor, regardless of whether he’s spitting one of many fire bars or acting as a tablesetter for exceptional guest verses, like Wildchild’s head-spinning appearance on “Hardcore Hustle.” It’s the ultimate testament to his skill as an emcee.

Genius works of art like Madvillany grow in stature the longer they marinate in the public discourse. If it’s your first time hearing this one, I envy that experience. If it’s not, then you’ll feel me when I say this classic sounds more impressive now than maybe it ever has.

RIP Doom.

👉 Don’t forget to click the album image to stream the album on your favorite platform 👈