MF DOOM

In the world of creative hip-hop, two artists dominate the scene: MF DOOM and Madlib. Known for their eccentric alter egos and prolific output, they join forces as Madvillain for 20 tracks of thoroughly blunted beats and mischievous wordplay. A landmark album that has been hailed by many as a classic, it also features MED, Wildchild and Lord Quas.

No noticeable structure a dozen plays in--just a glorious phantasmagoria of flow. Give them time and Madlib's 22 bits and pieces in 46 minutes seem not just catchy but inevitable--press shuffle at your peril, although "Curls" and "Accordion" hold their own. As for Doom, well: "One scary night I saw the light/Heard a voice like Barry White/Said, 'Sure you're right.'" To emulate neither Barry White, the voice means, nor the kind of quick thinker who normally rhymes "fine, G," "hiney," "Chinee," "shiny," and "pine tree." Instead Doom sounds slow, probably because he's stoned. He loves rhyme so much that the only universe that suits him is one where a gutter ball leads straight to a butterball--and that is a stoned universe. (Grade - A-)