Both music critics and Hip-Hop heads alike were blown away by how Madvillainy was masterfully executed. DOOM’s bars perfectly complimented Madlib’s production. The duo sounded like a unit that had been working together much longer than the relatively short time they spent in the house on the hill where Stones Throw crafted all of their opuses during that particular stretch of time.
The album opens with the intro “The Illest Villains” before yielding to the bouncy “Accordion”, a track that’s so beloved and iconic that back in 2011 The Roots once covered it with Weird Al Yankovic. Most tracks on the album were under 3 minutes long and the perfect sequencing greatly enhanced listening experience. This is best exemplified by the flawless four song stretch from “Accordion” to “Raid” and the five song sequence that spans from “Figaro” to “Eye”. It can be argued that the transition between “Fancy Clown” to “Eye” (featuring vocals from Stacy Epps) is what makes the entire sequence stand out so much.
If you instead decided to focus on individual songs that grab the listener like most casual music fans do then the stars of the project are “Accordion”, “Money Folder”, “Figaro”, “Fancy Clown”, “All Caps” & “Rhinestone Cowboy”. DOOM was at the top of his game lyrically and he gained a bunch of new fans off Madvillainy who were in great company with those that already were fans of his bars like Mos Def.
The overwhelmingly positive response to this album not only rose Stones Throws stock as a label and further cemented Madlib’s spot as one of the best producers on the planet but it also helped to catapult DOOM’s career into another strata entirely. This project raised anticipation for his classic Rhymesayers follow up MM.. FOOD which led to his 2005 breakout collaborative album with Danger Mouse for Cartoon Network The Mouse And The Mask. Madvillainy’s influence on both projects is undeniable after hearing them both.
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