Madvillainy

“Living off borrowed time the clock ticks faster” spews rapper MF Doom on “Accordion,” the second song off “Madvillainy,” the 2004 collaboration between MF Doom and legendary underground producer Madlib. With 22 tracks, it clocks in at only 46 minutes.

“Madvillainy” almost spins by your brain on the first listen. Anyone unfamiliar with MF Doom, hip hop’s current underground king, might be confused by some of the obscure references and slick metaphors, but after its style settles in, listeners should be amazed by his layered rhymes.

MF Doom’s abstract stories are accompanied by Madlib’s amazing production. Also an MC, Madlib stays behind the boards and his efforts are well spent. Madlib, a well-known crate digger, creates instantly memorable beats using samples unrecognizable to almost all. On “Curls,” Madlib’s beat brilliantly skips along, while MF Doom uses his witty wordplay to craft a vague story about himself with lines like, “Kept the dro in the drawer/A rhyming klepto who couldn’t go up in the store no more.

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One of the greatest achievements of “Madvillainy” is the way it flows. Songs will end and begin again, catching listeners off guard, while at the same time keeping their attention. This is the type of album where you will still be catching new things on the one hundredth listen. Relaxing alone with headphones and the lights off may be the greatest way to experience “Madvillainy.”

With a sequel coming soon, “Madvillainy” should be heard by all fans of good hip hop. There are not many opportunities to hear a great producer in his prime team with “The best MC with no chain ya ever heard,” as Doom refers to himself on “Figaro.”