Perhaps the most notoriously enigmatic masked rapper that
hip hop has ever seen, Daniel Dumille (better known as MF DOOM) embarked on his
second side project album in 2003, this time under the pseudonym Viktor Vaughn
with a release titled Vaudeville Villain.
Previously in Dumille’s releases both responsibilities of
rapping and producing were handled by the man himself, but Vaudeville Villain sees a few of his collaborators handling the
beats, allowing the masked villain to fully concentrate his efforts on throwing
down verses. This is exactly what he does during the album's first few seconds on “Vaudeville Villain”, which simply contains one
long, sprawling verse of abstract and comedic rhymes. Viktor Vaughn showcases a
kind of intellectually pop-cultured brag through the track, as well as firing
shots at other mainstream acts – “Viktor the director flip a script like Rob
Reiner / The way a lotta dudes rhyme their name should be ‘knob shiner’” There
are other rhymes throughout Vaudeville
Villain which I’m sure only operate to trigger confused reactions from
listeners, especially this couplet near the end of “The Drop” – “Woopdie-do
flows do fifty like a hooptie do / Groupie crews try to figure out from which
coop he flew”
Initially Vaudeville
Villain seems to have a vague theme of introducing Vaughn’s character, whereas
the second half loosely references Dumille’s past. And typical of a MF DOOM
release, the verses are filled with abstract references, bizarre rhyming
patterns and a flow that is impressively consistent through all 14 tracks that
Viktor Vaughn leads on. Dumille also makes a point to his mainstream
counterparts in 2003, that hooks and choruses aren’t always necessary to create
memorable numbers – Vaudeville Villain is
100% verses. As the album progresses, we become more and more aware of Viktor
Vaughn’s subtle, insidious manner, especially on “Let Me Watch” where Vaughn
goes on a date with his “cousin’s friend’s friend” and despite the two having
feelings for one another, Vaughn ruins everything by trash-talking her. The
track ends with ‘Nikki’ stating “I’d rather masturbate than fuck with Vik
Vaughn”, and rather than be insulted by such a statement, Vaughn demands “Let
me watch”, hinting at his true intentions.
The traditional, old-school drum sample-heavy production
style on Vaudeville Villain is really
just a formality, a different yet fitting approach for Dumille who manages to
adapt and ride the beats without really noticeably changing his style. And
unlike other DOOM-related efforts, the obscure television sound bites (which at
times in his other releases intrude on particular tracks and spoil the flow) are
thankfully kept to a minimum. With the beats firmly taking a back seat, often
it’s not the production that catches the ear but rather Viktor Vaughn’s
rapping, either through an interesting rhyme or his appealing, appropriately
paced style of delivery. There are times when the beats do become more prominent
though, most notably in the mesmerisingly glitchy “Raedawn” and the infectious
combination of horns, strings and drums in “Saliva”, handled by renowned
producer RJD2.
In Vaudeville
Villain are some of the most relentless, humorous and lasting examples of rhyming and
vocal delivery in hip hop’s history, understandable given that Dumille was just
about at the peak of his powers – 2004 would see the release of acclaimed
releases MM…Food (as MF DOOM) and Madvillainy (a collaboration with
revered underground producer Madlib), and in 2005 he would also work with
Gorillaz on their release Demon Days
and Danger Mouse in The Mouse and the
Mask. Despite the laidback production being refreshingly appropriate in a
MF DOOM release, the way the album progresses is a little uneven at times, with
a few tracks seeming unnecessary (particularly the “Open Mic Night” numbers), but
it’s still a damn entertaining album even considering its somewhat abstract
nature, and is perfectly accessible. At the very least you’ll be walking away
from Vaudeville Villain with several
handfuls of memorable rhymes, some of which may require rabid clicking of the
replay button.
B+
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