A Stones Throw sci-fi masterpiece – one that was destined for greatness from conception, but we're still pretty well blown away by the final product! MC Doom and beatmaster Madlib couldn't be better suited for a collaboration. As much as we've dug the best of Doom's material of the last couple years, he's always needed a good editor – and Madlib brings nothing but the best sci-fi sound collages, scratches, and titanically driving funky beats – the grooved out 70s side of 'Lib's personality is wisely given a powder, while in the company of a vocal presence that's as insane as Doom. When it's not so pounding, the sound drops into the kinda gloomy, murky crackle of earliest Wu Tang. This is easily the best album of its kind since Dr. Octagon tore the flood gates open. Essential!!! "The Illest Villains", "Accordian", "Bistro", "Raid" feat Medaphoar, "America's Most Blunted", "Rainbows", "Curls", "Money Folder", "Hardcore Hustle","Fancy Clown", "Supervillain", "All Caps", "Rhinestone Cowboy" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The bugged sci fi maestro MF Doom's mid 00s masterpiece – and a straight up tie with Madvilliany for the championship title of best Doom-related LP since his immortal debut! As you'd guess from the title, this album has a running theme with food, each title funnier than the last, but stays fresh throughout the 15 tracks thanks to tight production, masterfully spliced samples, and a verbal flow that's cooked and spiced to some kind of freakish perfection. The great "Hoe Cakes" single gets served early in set, and it sets the tone for a truly strong album. "Boss like King Koopa. . .". Includes "Beef Rap", "Potholderz" with Count Bass D, "One Beer" produced by Madlib, "Poo Poo Platter", "Fillet-O-Rapper", "Gumbo", "Fig Leaf Bi Carbonate", "Kon Queso" produced by PNS, "Vomitspit", "Kookies" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Janeiro Jarel and MF Doom – united as JJ Doom – and it's one of the fresher Doom collaborative projects of the past couple years! As unique as MF Doom is on the production tip, we gotta say we dig his joint efforts more when he's on the rhymes and another producer is behind the beats. Of course, the reason is that Doom is even more distinct behind the mic than he is when he wears the production mask. JJ's spacey style pilots most of the tracks on Key To The Kuffs, so Doom is free to drop mad rhymes. There's an impressive guest list, too – which includes Beth Gibbons, Damon Albarn, Indigo, Khujo Goodie and others. Titles include "Waterlogged", "Guv'Nor", "Banished", "Bite The Thong", "Dawg Friendly", "Rhymin Slang", "Winter Blues", "Viberian Sun Pt. II", "Wash Your Hands" and more. CD

The first full length from MF Doom – a record that set the standard for underground hip hop to come! On this modern classic, Doom caps off the 90s with more jazzy soul in the beats, and some semblance of straightforward rhyme mastery from both Doom & his guests – taken to the outer limits! What really pushes this one into legendary status are how well he works with creaky comic adventure samples – using them as the genesis of Doom's metal face supervillain persona. Looking back, the set is clearly the building blocks for deeper insanity to come – but the sense of structure may well make it his best album ever! Includes "Doomsday", "Rhymes Like Dimes" feat Cucumber Slice, "The Finest" feat Tommy Gun, "Go With The Flow", "Tick Tick", "Hey!", "The Mic", "Dead Bent", "?" feat Kurious and much more – including all of the classic skits (yeah, we said it, classic skits, creative sci fi sample genius that are creative as the proper tracks) – with 19 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

Janeiro Jarel and MF Doom – united as JJ Doom – and it's one of the fresher late Doom projects! As unique as MF Doom is on the production tip, we gotta say we dig his joint efforts more when he's on the rhymes and another producer is behind the beats. Of course, the reason is that Doom is even more distinct behind the mic than he is when he wears the production mask. JJ's spacey style pilots most of the tracks on Key To The Kuffs, so Doom is free to drop mad rhymes. There's an impressive guest list, too – which includes Beth Gibbons, Damon Albarn, Indigo, Khujo Goodie and others. Titles include "Waterlogged", "Guv'Nor", "Banished", "Bite The Thong", "Dawg Friendly", "Rhymin Slang", "Winter Blues", "Viberian Sun Pt. II", "Wash Your Hands" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A Stones Throw sci-fi masterpiece – one that was destined for greatness from conception, but we're still pretty well blown away by the final product! MC Doom and beatmaster Madlib couldn't be better suited for a collaboration. As much as we've dug the best of Doom's material of the last couple years, he's always needed a good editor – and Madlib brings nothing but the best sci-fi sound collages, scratches, and titanically driving funky beats – the grooved out 70s side of 'Lib's personality is wisely given a powder, while in the company of a vocal presence that's as insane as Doom. When it's not so pounding, the sound drops into the kinda gloomy, murky crackle of earliest Wu Tang. This is easily the best album of its kind since Dr. Octagon tore the flood gates open. Essential!!! "The Illest Villains", "Accordian", "Bistro", "Raid" feat Medaphoar, "America's Most Blunted", "Rainbows", "Curls", "Money Folder", "Hardcore Hustle","Fancy Clown", "Supervillain", "All Caps", "Rhinestone Cowboy" and more. CD

The first full length from MF Doom – a record that set the standard for underground hip hop to come! On this modern classic, Doom caps off the 90s with more jazzy soul in the beats, and some semblance of straightforward rhyme mastery from both Doom & his guests – taken to the outer limits! What really pushes this one into legendary status are how well he works with creaky comic adventure samples – using them as the genesis of Doom's metal face supervillain persona. Looking back, the set is clearly the building blocks for deeper insanity to come – but the sense of structure may well make it his best album ever! Includes "Doomsday", "Rhymes Like Dimes" feat Cucumber Slice, "The Finest" feat Tommy Gun, "Go With The Flow", "Tick Tick", "Hey!", "The Mic", "Dead Bent", "?" feat Kurious and much more – including all of the classic skits (yeah, we said it, classic skits, creative sci fi sample genius that are creative as the proper tracks) – with 19 tracks in all. This remastered, expanded 2CD edition for 2011 includes a second CD of alternate versions, instrumentals and b-sides. 23 tracks on Disc II. CD

The first full length from MF Doom – a record that set the standard for underground hip hop to come! On this modern classic, Doom caps off the 90s with more jazzy soul in the beats, and some semblance of straightforward rhyme mastery from both Doom & his guests – taken to the outer limits! What really pushes this one into legendary status are how well he works with creaky comic adventure samples – using them as the genesis of Doom's metal face supervillain persona. Looking back, the set is clearly the building blocks for deeper insanity to come – but the sense of structure may well make it his best album ever! Includes "Doomsday", "Rhymes Like Dimes" feat Cucumber Slice, "The Finest" feat Tommy Gun, "Go With The Flow", "Tick Tick", "Hey!", "The Mic", "Dead Bent", "?" feat Kurious and much more – including all of the classic skits (yeah, we said it, classic skits, creative sci fi sample genius that are creative as the proper tracks) – with 19 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

A baker's dozen doses of special herbs from the Metal Fingers kitchen! You get all the dank goodness you could hope for here from the hands of the artist formerly known as Zev Love X, to keep things nice and spicy for maximum flavor satisfaction – prime timeless beats from the earlier days of the Doom era. Tracks include "Pennyroyal", "Lavender Buds", "White Willow Bark", "Orange Blossoms", "Coffin Nails", "Dragon's Blood", "Horehound", "Myrtle Leaf" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

13 more aural afrodisiacs, tonics, potions, poisons, vitamins, stimulants, depressants and other special herbs from the Metal Fingers pharmacy. You get all the dank goodness you could hope for here from the hands of the artist formerly known as Zev Love X, to keep things nice and spicy for maximum flavor satisfaction. Titles include "Safed Musli", "Licorice", Camphor", "Cedar", "Wormwood", Buckeyes", "High John" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Volumes 9 & 0 (yes, 9 & 0, not 9 & 10...Doom does what Doom wants) in the benchmark instrumentals series from the might MF Doom –- with 13 aromatic soundscapes, tonics, potions, poisons, vitamins, stimulants, depressants, anti-depressants, formulas, herbs and special spices from Metal Fingers' own tasty ingredients and organic pharmacology! Titles include "Vinca Rosea", "Burdock Root", "Vervain", "Bergamont", "Podina", "Coltsfoot Leaf", "Passion Flower", "Coca Leaf", Peach Extract" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Masta Ace does his inimitable, classic era-schooled, longtime mic master thing in peak form over beats by MF Doom! Coming out at time when Masta Ace was hungry to cement his legacy – as if he had and anything to prove – and Doom was a steady figure in underground hip hop, especially on the production side – it stands up strong alongside some of the better work by either figure. It also includes vocal cameo by Doom along the legendary Big Daddy Kane – plus appearances by Reggie B and Pav Bundy. 15 tracks on the 2LPs including "Son Of Yvonne", "Me And My Gang", "Fresh Fest" feat Reggie B, "Thing I Am" with Big Daddy Kane & MF Doom, "I Did It", "Dedication", "Da' Pro", "Slow Down", "Crush Hour feat Pav Bundy, "Store Frontin'" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

You guessed it. Danger Mouse and MF Doom together – and also a collaboration with the writers and voice talent of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block of programming circa the mid 00s – so the dangerous duo make room for appearances by Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Space Ghost, Brak, Zorak, Harvey Birdman, the Sealab 2021 team and the Mooninites – plus live action characters Ghostface, Talib Kweli and Cee-Lo. Basically, you can look at the project as a crass, college age market research driven coup and an affront to classic hip hop – OR you can look at it as sorta less pretentious Gorillaz. We're rollin with the latter, and it's a helluva lot more fun, too!! DM's and Doom's styles compliment each other as well as Doom's and Madlib's – and the participation of Adult Swim makes this one of the few hip hop albums in which you actually look forward to the skits! One question, though. Where is Schoolly D? Tracks include "Sofa King", "ATHF", Mince Meat", "Old School" feat Talib Kweli, "Bizzy Box" feat Cee-Lo, "Space Hos" and more. CD

The long hinted at full duo effort from Danger Mouse & Black Thought – which despite the title arrives with no shortcuts taken by either party – they got to the highest level after decades of grinding and stellar play! Danger Mouse hasn't produced a straight-up, classic-schooled gritty hip hop album in quite a while and he couldn't have a finer foil than Black Thought – and guest spots include an archival verse from Danger Mouse's late partner MF Doom, appearances by Raekwon, Run The Jewels, Kid Sister and others. Titles includes "Cheat Codes", "Sometimes", "Darkest Part" with Raekwon & Kid Sister, "No Gold Teeth", "Belize" with the late great MF Doom, "Aquamarine" with Michael Kiwanuka, "Identical Death", "Strangers" with A$ap Rocky & Run The Jewels, "Violas And Lupitas" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary record from KMD – the group's second album, which was unissued at the time because their label had an issue with the now-famous cover image! The set is every bit as fantastic as their first – with some of that strong influence from jazz that marked their music as a real standout at the time – but also some raw elements that really make us wonder where they would have gone, had they kept on together as a trio – if not for the untimely early death of Dingilizwe Dumile! Yet, as history shows, that moment spawned the MF Doom persona of group member Zevlove X (Dumile's brother) – who would go on to form a legacy of his own. The whole thing's great, even without that mini-history lesson – and titles include the classics "Plumskinnzz" and "What A Ni**a Know" – plus "Get-U-Now", "Sweet Premium Wine", "Black Bastards", "Constipated Monkey", and "Gimme". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary record from KMD – the group's second album, which was unissued at the time because their label had an issue with the now-famous cover image! The set is every bit as fantastic as their first – with some of that strong influence from jazz that marked their music as a real standout at the time – but also some raw elements that really make us wonder where they would have gone, had they kept on together as a trio – if not for the untimely early death of Dingilizwe Dumile! Yet, as history shows, that moment spawned the MF Doom persona of group member Zevlove X (Dumile's brother) – who would go on to form a legacy of his own. The whole thing's great, even without that mini-history lesson – and titles include the classics "Plumskinnzz" and "What A Ni**a Know" – plus "Get-U-Now", "Sweet Premium Wine", "Black Bastards", "Constipated Monkey", and "Gimme". LP, Vinyl record album

A hell of a record from the early 80s scene – a set that many folks slept on when first released, yet a record that's gone on to be every bit as classic as work from De La Soul or Tribe Called Quest in their prime! Of course, part of the album's fame has expanded over the years – as the launching board for Daniel Dumile, soon to be MF Doom – yet the record's got all sorts of fantastic energy of its own – all the wit of some of the trio's hip New York contemporaries, but spun a bit differently – and really linked together in a way that makes the record a masterpiece from start to finish! Brand Nubian guest on "Nitty Gritty" – and other titles include "Who Me", "Peachfuzz", "Humrush", "Figure Of Speech", "Trial N Error", "Soulflexin", "Gasface Refill", and the hilarious "Mr Hood At Piocalles Jewelry/Crackpot". LP, Vinyl record album

Companion EP to the debut release from Sa-Roc – one of the most inventive female MCs of the past decade, and an artist who just continues to explode with fresh energy on each new release! Titles include "Options", "Wild Seeds", "Dusty Roads", "Reconstruction Of The Heart", "Great Escape", and "The Rebirth" featuring MF DOOM. 12-inch, Vinyl record

An amazing return to form for the legendary Arthur Verocai – the Brazilian artist whose 1972 album was initially buried under the shifting sands of time – only to re-emerge to a huge new audience in the 21st Century via reissue – and sampling by a host of artists who include Ludacris, MF Doom, and others! This set features Verocai recreating the album in a live setting – adding in some additional music, and working with key Brazilian talents Airto on percussion and Jose Roberto Bertrami on keyboards, as well as the great Justo Almario on reeds – plus some younger talents all brought together as part of this fantastic Timeless series by Mochilla. The performance is wonderful – a fantastic testament to the true timelessness of this music – with titles that include "Karina", "Sylvia", "Dedicada A Ela", "Sucuri", "Flying To LA", "Na Boca Do Sol", "Velho Parente", "O Mapa", "Balada 45", "Isabel", "Bis", "O Temo E O Vento", and "Filhos". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing return to form for the legendary Arthur Verocai – the Brazilian artist whose 1972 album was initially buried under the shifting sands of time – only to re-emerge to a huge new audience in the 21st Century via reissue – and sampling by a host of artists who include Ludacris, MF Doom, and others! This set features Verocai recreating the album in a live setting – adding in some additional music, and working with key Brazilian talents Airto on percussion and Jose Roberto Bertrami on keyboards, as well as the great Justo Almario on reeds – plus some younger talents all brought together as part of this fantastic Timeless series by Mochilla. The performance is wonderful – a fantastic testament to the true timelessness of this music – with titles that include "Karina", "Sylvia", "Dedicada A Ela", "Sucuri", "Flying To LA", "Na Boca Do Sol", "Velho Parente", "O Mapa", "Balada 45", "Isabel", "Bis", "O Temo E O Vento", and "Filhos". CD & DVD edition includes the audio and video of the performance! DVD was shot in black & white, and hour + performance, slideshows and special features. CD

Abstract Orchestra have already given us two great albums worth of funk remakes of cuts originally created by the Madvillain team of MF Doom and Madlib – and here, Rob Mitchell of the orchestra follows into the production talents of the latter, by serving up remixes of cuts from the previous two album projects! Rob's style is different than that used by Madlib – maybe more hip hop into club, but in a way that still lives up to all the great spirit of the Abstract Orchestra originals – as he serves up Ghost Life remixes of "Curls", "Bistro", "Eye", "Fancy Clown", "Accordion", "Fire In The Hole", "Borrowed Time", and "Fluid". LP, Vinyl record album

With MF DOOM on "Fly That Knot". 12-inch, Vinyl record

A jazz trio, but one who serve up tunes from a whole host of different hip hop sources – instrumental readings of cuts originally served up by 9th Wonder, Jurassic 5, Pete Rock, MF Doom, and Tribe Called Quest! The setting is familiar – bass, drums, and either piano or keyboards, depending on the cut – but the group really live up to the spirit of the originals, first by using drums in a way that often feels like beats – and second by never jazzing things up too much, and often just laying in the cut and really loving the rhythms! Titles include "Shapes", "One Beer", "We Our Future", "Wordplay", "The Way You Do It", "Great Expectations", "TROY", "Let's Group", and "Koolout Ish". LP, Vinyl record album

A second great set of cave art from the DJM Trio – a very groovy instrumental combo who turn out jazz versions of classics from the world of soul, funk, and hip hop! This time around, the trio take on cuts by Slum Village, Patrice Rushen, J Dilla, Solange, MF Doom, and others – and even turn out a cool take on a tune from the Legend Of Zelda Wind Waker video game – all done with lots of beautiful keyboard work from Dominic J Marshall, next to the bass of Sam Vicary and drums of Sam Gardner. Titles include "Sage Fado", "Strange Heart", "Cranes In The Sky/All Falls Down", "Computer Love", "Forget Me Nots", "Fantastic 3", "Cheating", "Maybe Beautiful", and "Bistro". LP, Vinyl record album

Action-packed post millennium hip hop from Czarface – the increasingly impressive team of Wu veteran Inspectah Deck with 7L & Esoteric! Czarface's style is fresh take on some the wilder underground/grindhouse cinema, comic books and otherwise fantastically-inspired hip hop of Wu Tang Clan, MF Doom, Dr. Octagon, etc. – heavy on the distinctive, though classic rap inspired craft of Deck & Esoteric, though – feeling real, raw and of their own strong devices. DJ 7L's production is big sound and raw at the same time, a rock solid foil for the rhymes of the primary MCs and their guests. Includes "Electrical Level 1", "Two In The Chest", "Czar Wars", "Dust" with Psycho Les, "Revenge On Lizard City", "Dare Iz A Darkseid", "Tarantulas" feat Blackastan, "Sabers", "Talk That Talk", "All In Togehter Now", "Level Electric 1" and more. CD

Action-packed post millennium hip hop from Czarface – the increasingly impressive team of Wu veteran Inspectah Deck with 7L & Esoteric! Czarface's style is fresh take on some the wilder underground/grindhouse cinema, comic books and otherwise fantastically-inspired hip hop of Wu Tang Clan, MF Doom, Dr. Octagon, etc. – heavy on the distinctive, though classic rap inspired craft of Deck & Esoteric, though – feeling real, raw and of their own strong devices. DJ 7L's production is big sound and raw at the same time, a rock solid foil for the rhymes of the primary MCs and their guests. Includes "Electrical Level 1", "Two In The Chest", "Czar Wars", "Dust" with Psycho Les, "Revenge On Lizard City", "Dare Iz A Darkseid", "Tarantulas" feat Blackastan, "Sabers", "Talk That Talk", "All In Togehter Now", "Level Electric 1" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Ghostface brings some real hip hop to latter day Def Jam – his best album since Supreme Clientele – and possibly '06 hip hop album of the year! Fishscale features appearances by the Wu Tang Clan & Theodore Unit, Ne-Yo, Megan Ward and others on the mic – but it's the stable of producers that helps make this one of the best above ground hip hop albums we've heard in a long time. MF Doom puts his Metal Fingerz behind the boards for a bunch of tracks, and the legendary Pete Rock handles a few – with additional work by J Dilla, Just Blaze, Lewis Parker and others. Ghost brings a literal lyrical focus to a number of the tracks – but he's still spraying words all over the damn place – and the best tracks are just as thrilling as his surreal word bombs of yore.Tracks include "Shakey Dog", "Kilo" feat Raekwon, the excellent Just Blaze-produced anthem "The Champ", "9 Milli Bros" feat Wu Tang Clan, "Beauty Jackson", "RAGU" feat Raekwon, "Be Easy" feat Trife, "Dogs of War" feat Raekwon & Theodore Unit, "Barbershop" and more. CD

Def Jam must've been as high on Fishscale as the rest of the hip hop heads – as here's an official end of '06 addendum LP to the one of the better LPs from a Wu Tang alum in years! More Fish brings in a few more appearances by Ghost's Theodore Unit roster – with production by J-Live on the stellar opener "Ghost Is Back", plus more work by production work by MF Doom, Fantom Of The Beat, Hi Tek and Anthony Acid. Other tracks include "Miguel Sanchez" feat Trife Da God & Sun God, "Outta Town S**t", "Good" feat Trife & Mr Maygreen, "Street Opera" feat Sun God, "Block Rock", "Pokerface" feat Shawn Wigs, "Greedy Bi*ches" feat Redman & Shawn Wigs, "Blue Armor" feat Sheek Louch, "You Know I'm No Good" feat Amy Winehouse, the previously vinyl & download-only "Back Like That (rmx)" feat Kanye West & Ne-Yo and more! CD

The best work in years from The Herbaliser – a mixture of funk, hip hop production, and slight soundtrack touches on the best cuts! The album's got a huge amount of guest vocals – from the likes of Blade, Seaming To, MF Doom, and Rakka Irscience – but the best part of it is the instrumentation, a complicated mix of keyboards, strings, samples, drums, and horns – the best part of which are handled by the Easy Access Orchestra, a very welcome presence here, as they take the Herbaliser's sound out of the bedroom studio and into the soundstage. Titles include "The Turnaround", "Something Wicked", "Time 2 Build", "Good Girl Gone Bad", "Worldwide Connected", "Hard Stuff", "It Ain't Nuthin", "Battle Of Bongo Hill", and "24 Carat Blaq". CD

The second album from IDK, and one that's already really expanding his scope from the first – opening up with a lot more tracks overall, and opening the door to plenty of feature spots – including work from The Neptunes, Slick Rick, Young Thug, Offset, MF Doom, Rico Nasty, and Sevyn Streeter! Those artists really push forward that sense of variety that IDK has in his music – really free play between sung and spoken vocals, with a shifting array of themes that bounce along beautifully over the course of the record. Titles include "Jelly", "Santa Monica Blvd", "Dogs Don't Lie", "Cry In Church", "Hey Auntie", "Keto", "1995", "Peloton", and "10 Feet". LP, Vinyl record album

Prince Paul returns to the hard-hitting, ambitious narrative format of his great Prince Among Thieves LP with this all star effort that features Guru, Masta Ace, Trugoy, Planet Asia, the Beatnuts, Chuck D, Ice T, Jean Grae, Premier, Kardinal Official, Erick Sermon, Sly Boogie, MF Doom, comedians Dave Chappelle & Chris Rock, and others. This time the story line covers the life span of a hip hop record, and the hard truths of a life in the business. The incisively satirical skits that Paul's famous for (he's one of the VERY few cats that can actually pull those things off, possibly because he hires actual comics to play them out) are here in abundance, and so are the darker-edged, lean & popping beats and surprising samples that he does so incredibly well! Another great piece of work from one of the most innovative producers of the last couple of decades. Lots of tracks and skits including "Make Room", "So What", "The Drive By", "Politics Of The Business", "What I Need" and more. Dialogue sample: "C'mon Paul, this is backpacking music. We'll be lucky if we can go double wood with this $h!t. Take back these wackass records and bring me something I can sell!" Highly recommended! CD

Music from Monks Of Doom, Beef, A Witness, No Prisoners, Spiral Jetty, Ride, Luddi Hill Death Squad, Barbel, Creature Comfort, Joe Foster & The Devil, Family Cat, and Levellers 5. CD