About

MF Doom is an ever-evolving oddity. Since starting his career spouting bouncy, Brand Nubian-esque black power verses with his late brother Subroc and rapper Onyx in the collective KMD, Daniel Dumile has gained weight, smoked hallucinogens, drank libations, and developed a new style to match his rapidly deteriorating voice. Now, in a new arena of arrhythmia and soft beats, MF Doom staggers into a telephone booth somewhere underground and falls out as Viktor Vaughn. 

Despite its admittedly slight flaws, Vaudeville Villain goes head-to-head with Doom's other 2003 project, King Geedorah's Take Me to Your Leader, for what stands as the hip-hop album of the year thus far. Unless his collaboration with Madlib (MadVillain) or his official MF Doom LP on Rhymesayers prove to be flawless ventures, this album will come out not just among the year's greatest, but also among the best in his catalog. - Pitchfork, 2003