After a long hibernation in their secret lair, the supervillain team of DOOM and Madlib have returned to act as a breath of creative fresh air for the hip hop community. That’s not to say that there haven’t been many top notch rap singles in the years since Madvillain’s debut album originally dropped, but few other prominent hip hop artists actually attempt to release full length albums that defy the general constraints of the genre. With a noted lack of choruses and lyrics that only the schizophrenic could actually relate to, the duo’s undeniable appeal is a very pleasant anomaly.
Released through Adult Swim (the late night television network), new single “Papermill” seems to drop the supervillain aesthetic, but keeps the rest of the band’s bag of tricks intact. The background music, mishmashed from what is apparently a European classic rock song and other samples from Madlib’s endless stash doesn’t appear on first listen to mesh all that with DOOM’s lyrics. However, upon repeated listens, which come easily with the song clocking in at the usual (for this group) sub two minute mark, it clicks together in a satisfying relationship. DOOM’s nonsensical lyrics are both technically brilliant (no more than two lines seem to have any connection to each other, but almost every line seems to have some connect in some way to the one before and after) and essentially inane (…no more than two lines seem to have any connection to each other). While personal taste will probably dictate whether or not one loves the track, thinks it’s kinda cool, or simply regards it as a load of crap (I fall into the first category), everyone should be able to admire the effort and spirit of two of two of the only hip hop artists willing to experiment working together once again. If nothing else, the line “I guess you had to be there/ there was free beer” is flat out awesome, whether it actually makes any sense or just tricks you into thinking it might.
