When I was 15 or 16 my buddy threw Madvillainy on in the car. Until that moment I had never had enough exposure or care to take hip-hop seriously. That record was not just influential but pivotal in coloring my taste in not just hip-hop but every other genre of contemporary music. The only other time I felt that way was when I first listened to OK Computer. I've been bumping nothing but DOOM this week and I've yet to get tired. RIP to the villain.
Very sad. One of the greatest crate diggers. One of my favorites:
Madvillainy was on heavy rotation for probably 8 months at my house when it came out. That and Quasimoto's (aka Madlib) The Unseen. Those two albums alone elevated Stones Throw to an untouchable level. I was lucky enough to see DOOM live at the Biltmore in Vancouver maybe in '08. For my money, there's never been a better flow than Figaro. See the 1:21 minute mark. RIP MF DOOM