Madlib and MF DOOM's Madvillainy was released almost 20 years ago. Now, Madlib is teasing the potential follow-up album. In an interview with Hot 97, the producer said that the project has been in the works since the release of the duo's first project together. Madlib originally expressed doubt that the sequel album would ever be released. However, his mindset seems to have changed on the subject given MF Doom's untimely passing in 2020. Still, it appears that the album is still very much unfinished, with Madlib referring to the album as being "more like a demo."
Madvillainy, MF DOOM, and Madlib's first collaborative album was released in 2004 to much critical acclaim. The album was listed among many "greatest of all time" lists in publications like NME and Rolling Stone. Since then, the duo had been working on a follow-up, but the process was incredibly slow. Apparently, MF DOOM would only deliver a couple of songs each year, and those songs would often end up on the late rapper's other projects. In a 2019 interview with Spin Magazine, MF DOOM himself hinted at the release of Madvillainy 2, stating that he and Madlib had recorded plenty of material. Sadly, due to the rapper passing in 2020, that never came to fruition.
Madvillainy 2 Still Very Much On The Table
In early 2021, a positive bit of news regarding the project was communicated by Stones Throw Records founder, Peanut Butter Wolf. In his interview with the Juan Ep Is Dead Podcast, he revealed that Madvillainy 2 was 85% done according to MF DOOM. Yet the late rapper felt that there needed to be a few more songs, telling Wolf that he would have to hold off on a release. Out of respect for MF DOOM's creativity, Wolf decided to hold off. However, now that the rapper had passed, he felt less sure about what would happen with the album, stating, "I don’t know what we’re going to do with those tracks."
It may seem like the future of the project is uncertain, but there is hope. Anyone familiar with posthumous releases knows that one of the most difficult aspects can be getting permission from the late artist's family or estate. However, Wolf clarified in his podcast interview that he had already received permission from MF DOOM's family. Additionally, despite the album's unfinished state, Madlib has expressed interest in completing it. "We didn’t piece it together or anything and some of them it sounds like he just did one take and that’s it," Madlib said, "[But] I’m gonna finish it. I gotta change a lot of the beats because some of the beats were used also.”