Which rap duo released the 2004 album Madvillainy?

The rap duo Madvillain released the 2004 album Madvillainy. Madvillain paired British-American rapper MF Doom with American producer Madlib, whose contrasting talents shaped the project’s distinctive sound.

Madvillainy was released by Stones Throw Records on March 23, 2004. Madlib created much of the production with a sampler, turntable and tape deck, while MF Doom supplied dense, playful and often surreal rhymes. The album’s short tracks, unusual samples and unconventional structures made it more influential than its modest initial chart performance suggested.

The title can cause confusion because Madvillain is the duo’s name, while Madvillainy is the album title. The Cool Kids, Blackalicious and Gang Starr are separate rap acts, not the performers behind this record.

Madvillainy was the duo’s only studio album. It became a landmark of alternative and underground hip-hop and is frequently ranked among the greatest rap albums ever made. Madlib later issued Madvillainy 2: The Madlib Remix, but that was a remix project rather than a new original duo album.