Tag Archives: madvillainy

#1290: Madvillain – Strange Ways

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When writing about the previous Madvillain song beginning with the letter ‘S’ sometime last year, I made a point that I couldn’t quite recall how I felt when hearing it the first time among the other tracks when I was going through Madvillainy in 2013. Also for the first time. But I can’t say the same for ‘Strange Ways’. Out of the 22 tracks that make up that album, ‘Strange Ways’ was the one that my brain matter latched on to. Not so much due to MF DOOM’s signature internal rhyming scheme usage, but because of the sampled loop incorporated by Madlib. It’s common knowledge that the instrumental is taken from the song ‘Funny Ways’ by progressive rock band Gentle Giant. I didn’t know that back then. But the way those strings were rising and that “myy waays are strange” vocal kept on repeating over and over, alongside those added percussive thumps by Madlib, all came together… the song had the melodic hook, it had the beat. It was already a win.

The production was all well and good. It still is. And through repeated listens, I came to focus on DOOM’s words gradually. Now I could go to Genius, paraphrase whatever’s said there. I tend to not trust that place just ’cause it’s fan-run like any other place, except for those times when artists actually go on there and explain/give context on their lyrics. From what I can tell, ‘Strange Ways’ is a moment of social commentary on Madvillainy, firstly addressing the parallels in life between a drug dealer and a police officer in the opening verse and then providing an overall pitch on war and the pointlessness of it all. Unfair in how we’re chosen to fight while the rich people in the offices sit back and watch what happens. And anyone reading this may comment how there’s much, much more to the track than just that. And that might be the case. But you can go to Genius for that. Me, I’m just into how DOOM delivers his words over Madlib’s beat. And some classic lines in here too. “When the smoke clear, you can see the sky again/There will be the chopped off heads of Leviathan”, is a personal favourite.

The last 30 seconds of the track, as it is on the album anyway, are filled by an interlude taken from a ’50s animated short film in which a man finds out that a lady he’s into is seeing someone else. It leads perfectly into the following song on the album, and isn’t related to the lyrical ‘Strange Ways’ in any way. It’s good for the album flow, though, is the only reason I can think of it being tacked on for. That’s all I’ve got, gotta say. And with that, we’ve reached the end of the Madvillainy representatives in this series. No more DOOM either. A little more Madlib to come, however. I made a vow in about 2021 to stop adding songs onto my iTunes library so there could actually be an end to this thing. But I’ve got my Spotify ‘Liked Songs’ collections. There’s more DOOM on there. More DOOM that, had it been another time, I would have dedicated some time to. But I hope the writing I’ve done regarding his tracks are worth the read. The guy was too great at what he did, such a shame he’s no longer with us.

#1179: Madvillain – Shadows of Tomorrow

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Almost slap-bang in the middle of Madvillainy, the certified classic alternative hip-hop album made by the legendary pairing of producer Madlib and rapper MF DOOM (RIP) comes ‘Shadows of Tomorrow’. I’m trying to think of how I felt about the track when I first heard the LP sometime during 2013… Nothing comes to mind. But I do remember playing it to a good mate of mine when I was visiting him in university the following year. One of those times where I was like, “Hey, have you heard of this album, Madvillainy? It’s sick, man.” Played it really loudly too. It probably sounded strange to the people he was sharing his accommodation with. But I think by that point I’d become friends with all of them at that point, so anything was fair game. Safe to say, it must have clicked with me somewhere along the way.

The track’s first half is rapped by Lord Quasimoto who, for those not in the know, is just Madlib but with his voice altered to a higher pitch. If you’re interested in what you hear, The Unseen would be a good place to start in order to obtain more knowledge on the Quasimoto character. For the second half, Madlib raps with his normal voice. And I want to say that this was the first track where he had ever done this. If not, someone correct me please. But I want to say I read that somewhere. Left me thinking maybe he should rap with his natural tone a lot more often, he’s got the voice to do it. But only he could find the records he does in order to make an instrumental like the one here. Sometimes you just have to stick to what you know you do best, I guess.

All in all, ‘Shadows of Tomorrow’ is a tribute to other legendary artist, composer and all-round cosmic man Sun Ra. In fact, the lyrics are one of Sun Ra’s poems entitled ‘The Shadow of Tomorrow’. So really, all of Madlib’s work on the track goes onto the instrumental, as he pretty much recites the poem word for word – maybe adding an additional word here and there. The ode to Sun Ra is further emphasised by the sampling of the man himself, with excerpts of his dialogue taken from the 1974 film, Space Is the Place, in which Sun Ra stars. The instrumental’s enough to put you in a trance. I think it’s the fact that the music stays in one chord, led by that droning note, which also gives it this mystic Eastern quality. And if you’re one who’s deep into philosophy and the workings of time, then I couldn’t think of a better song to listen that would get your brain working.

#1121: Madvillain – Rhinestone Cowboy

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Well, look at that. I’m 29. Hooray? Such an ugly number. May as well be 30, am I right? Time just keeps going on. Same as it ever was. When I started this whole thing in 2013, I never really thought I’d be doing this blog 11 years later. Don’t think I ever put any sort of timing reference onto it. I’m too deep into the alphabet now, there’d be no point in stopping. Still so many good songs to write about. Writing on here keeps me focused. So thanks to anyone who reads these.

Anyway, today’s song is ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ – the final song on the Madlib and MF DOOM collaboration album Madvillainy. The album is one that I initially heard years and years ago, say 2012 or ’13, but it was probably only a couple of years ago after revisiting it again that the track stood out. I tell you, listening to music at ages 17/18 compared to ages 26/27 is a totally different ball game. My focus went straight to the instrumental, a sped-up sample of ‘Mariana Mariana’ by Brazilian singer-songwriter Maria Bethânia, which became an earworm almost instantly. I’d be singing that at random points during the day, including the sweeping string part that abruptly comes in before the vocal. And you readers out there might be thinking, “What are you talking about the sample for? The rapping’s the best part, ya dummy.” It’s true. ‘Rhinestone’ acts as a kind of victory lap for the album, or an encore, suitably represented by the sampled applause that persists throughout the song’s entirety.

With his trademark hefty vocal, DOOM delivers two fantastic verses. Lines roll into the next with effortless ease, brimming with humour, internal rhyme schemes, braggadocio, and niche references that when pieced all together make for the most engaging of listens. “Got more soul than a sock with a hole.” How’d that rhyme not been made at any point before then? The track is something of an account into the making of the Madvillainy album too. The first verse mentions his and Madlib’s goal of setting the hip-hop game on fire with their collaboration. The former would wake up, write his lines in a few hours, deliver them and sleep again. Like the track’s first verse, an unfinished version of the album was leaked, much to the duo’s frustration. And like the second, they came back to properly complete it in a form that left people standing on their feet in appreciation. By subtly bringing the listener in to the lore of the ‘Villains’, it’s such a slick way to close out the entire project.

#1086: Madvillain – Raid

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Trying to cast my mind back to that first time I listened to MF DOOM and Madlib’s Madvillainy album. Like a lot of other songs/albums I’ve mentioned in passing on this place, I think there’s a strong likelihood that I came across it via going through the ‘best albums in history’ list on besteveralbums.com. This was all happening sometime around 2012/13, sure to have been 18 at the time, naive as anything and still requiring a lot of growing up to do. The album’s always been considered to be a classic, pretty much since its release in 2004. I heard it and thought it was just all right. Pretty much feel the same way now. But even though I may underplay it, the album’s a prime showcase of DOOM’s wordplay and vocal presence and Madlib’s knack for making the most absurd yet captivating beats.

‘Raid’ is the fifth song on the record and is the one that I distinctly remember being the first on there, in my opinion, to be the most immediate and instantly memorable, when going through the album on the premiere listen all those years. Leading in from the previous track ‘Bistro’, a sort of interlude track where DOOM welcomes the listener to “Madvillain Bistro Bed and Breakfast Bar and Grill Cafe Lounge on the Water” and introduces his and Madlib’s various aliases that are to come throughout the album, ‘Raid’ seems to come from the perspective of the various people waiting in this place (or somewhere else, I’ve always imagined it as some sort of town hall) and are waiting for DOOM to arrive on stage to deliver his statement. The whole first verse, though delivered by DOOM, is made up of lines from different individuals wondering about the mystique of this DOOM character who note that people leave his shows “feeling truly enlightened.” But DOOM doesn’t show up, and instead we are greeted with a killer verse from guest rapper M.E.D. who drops the mic and closes out the meeting much to this audience’s excitement. DOOM may not have shown up, but the crowd are pleased nonetheless. This is all just my head canon, by the way. Always imagined a music video for this would end up that way.

Madlib’s sample flips here are fantastic too. There’s a bit of Bill Evans Trio here, George Clinton there. To create the main instrumental underneath the verses, he took the 6/4 timed ‘América Latina’ by Osmar Milito e Quarteta Forma and added another two beats to make it 4/4. I type this like I know these things off by heart, but I’d have no idea what any of the songs used here would be without their usage here. With some added jumpy, erratic, pulsing bass hits, you have yourself a head-bopping backdrop of instrumentation. The creation of the instrumental is deconstructed in the video below. Yeah, ‘Raid’ has always been a big highlight from Madvillainy for me. Some unforgettable lines, the flows are immaculate, the production – as I’ve said – is top-notch. This is some good hip-hop.

#820: Madvillain – Meat Grinder

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Think it’s an understatement to say that it was a sad day when it was revealed on New Year’s Eve that MF DOOM was no longer with us. It was a bigger shock to find that he had been gone for two months by that point. Daniel Dumile was such an enigma. Here was a guy who wasn’t asking to be in the spotlight much. I think he was more a private man who wanted to be with his family a lot of the time. But the way he rapped with that husky voice and jaw-dropping flows and internal rhyme schemes always left the people wanting more. I know I was hoping for something new from him in whatever capacity. It’s a huge loss. But the music is forever.

‘Meat Grinder’ is the third song on Madvillainy, the legendary collaborative album by DOOM and producer Madlib under their Madvillain moniker. I see a lot of comments under this song on YouTube saying how this track reminds them of SpongeBob SquarePants. I always shake my head and think, “Why?” Apart from the sampled slide guitar that I can admit does sound a bit like something from that show, my mind doesn’t automatically go to it. I’m always thinking about how grimy and sneaky-sounding that bassline is. Alongside DOOM’s hoarse vocals, it just gives this real nasty vibe. I feel like it’s a track that should be in a Breaking Bad montage or something. There’s a dirty, disgusting feel to it that only listening it would you be able to understand.

DOOM’s flow and lyrics on here are insane. The internal rhyming on this is miraculous. He was always noted for the way in which he could introduce a word in one line, rhyme it twice in the next and bring it back around in the final line while still rhyming five other words simultaneously. It’s a marvel to listen to. His versatility had no boundaries. I can’t keep up with them myself, but there are phrases throughout which always stick in my mind. “Borderline schizo/Sort of fine tits though”, “Hackthoo’ing” songs, lit in the booth with the best host/Doing bong hits on the roof, in the west coast”… just to list two of them. I’ll just show the rhyme scheme highlight video. Jesus.