Hold onto your turntables, because the unheard demos from MF DOOM and Madlib’s iconic album, Madvillainy, are making their vinyl debut.
In 2002, before Madvillainy became the masterpiece it is today, a series of demo versions leaked online, creating a buzz among hip-hop fans. Madlib and MF DOOM recorded these raw cuts in Los Angeles at Madlib’s Bomb Shelter studio. Though these tracks were unfinished, they hinted at the album’s groundbreaking sound.
Now, 20 years later, Stones Throw Records is bringing these demos to vinyl in a special 20th-anniversary edition. The label announced on Instagram that the demos have been mastered by Dave Cooley and will include Eric Coleman’s contact sheets from the album cover shoot. This rare release is designed to be an ‘Audiophile Edition,’ pressed on 180g vinyl and presented in a gatefold jacket complete with printed lyrics, all aiming for top-notch quality.
The vinyl will hit US stores on Black Friday, November 29, with a global release rolling out next year. Pre-ordering is already available through Stones Throw’s website, giving fans a chance to secure their piece of hip-hop history.
Interestingly, this isn’t the only MF DOOM project getting a re-release. His 2004 solo album, Mm… Food, is also set for a revival with additional bonus material and new artwork by Sam Rodriguez. It will drop on November 15 via Rhymesayers Entertainment.
In tandem with these musical reissues, an authorized biography of MF DOOM is being released, titled “The Chronicles of DOOM: Unraveling Rap’s Masked Iconoclast,” written by S.H. Fernando Jr. The biography is said to cover the mystique surrounding DOOM’s life, from his beginnings with KMD to his elusive public persona, even detailing the two-month delay before the world learned of his passing.
For fans of MF DOOM and Madlib, these releases offer an opportunity to explore deeper into the artist’s works and legacy. The demos and biography together weave a more comprehensive understanding of the enigmatic figures behind Madvillainy, keeping their contribution to hip-hop alive and celebrated.
