For the uninitiated MF Doom is both Viktor Vaughn and King Geedorah (Review of Take Me to Your Leader coming soon). He is pretty much the only artist that it’s completely acceptable to blatantly cockride harder than a favorite codpiece. If you’re still clueless to the fellow’s identity, he’s Zev Love X from KMD. You know, the guy from 3rd Bass’s classic track "The Gas Face". His music is original as hell and it always goes along with a brilliant storyline. If you figured the success of Operation: Doomsday would convince Doom to make more commercially accessible music, you’re forgetting that this is the dude who lost a label deal because he wanted to put a picture of a lynched tarbaby on his album cover. This album along with Take Me to Your Leader both feature his trademark cartoon sci-fi effects, gritty production and muttered multi-syllable non-sequiturs. Doom raps much more on this album than he does as King Geedorah on Take Me to Your Leader.

Production is handled by King Honey, Heat Sensor & Max Bill. I don't have a clue who these guys are so if you do clue me in. Each of these guys drop some uniquely dark electronic beats. RJD2 produces "Saliva" and he is the lone producer whom I know. This album is a bit more slickly produced than Take Me to Your Leader. Of course Slick is definitely the wrong adjective to associate with anything Doom-related. Let’s just say that Vaudeville Villain is less sloppy than Take Me to Your Leader. Nuff said lets take a look at the album.

1. Overture - N/A - Just some comic intro music.

2. Vaudeville Villian - $$$$$ - The beat on this track is tight and fits the theme. Vik tells how he doesn't care if you don't like him. He spits some rhymes full of diverse intellect and just murders this track. His rhymes are laced with metafores and comic punchlines.

3. Lickupon - $$$$1/2 - Biggies "Warning" sampled here. Vik tells a story of coming back from the future and telling of fakers who crossed over. He talks of contemplating war and not to bore him with his glory talk. He tells to watch out for robots and not to use guns. If the blacksmith doubts you he will smack the sh!t out you and tells not to be near the mic when the on button switch. He also tells on his encounter with James Bond. This track is pretty funny.

4. The Drop - $$$$ - After a sound sample Vik rips into this track. Here Vik tells how the rap game has become a freakshow. He tells how b!tch n!ggas always talkin behind people back. That alot of the wack sh!t should be used for riverdance. He talks of trying to save the game like a memory card. This whole song is full of well thought-out punchlines, simale's & metafores.

5. Lactose and Lecithin - $$$$1/4 - We get a sci-fi scientific sample than Vik rips into it spitting about the future. The beat is full of laboratory whirrs and whistles over staccato bass kicks. Vik spits of being the old cartoon baddie.

6. A Dead Mouse - $$$$1/2 - We are treated to a sample and then the beat kicks in. The beat is real tight. He spits some clever punchlines here like "Cat with a dead mouse, How he kept a phase and of course plays with it, kill it, and eat it for days kitty!". In his second verse he talks about being in the laboratory cooking up his schemes. "Sparky, I had enough of your malarchy, for one don't mark me, and who you callin' d!rky?"

7. Open Mic Nite pt. 1(feat. Lord Sear, Brother Sambulca, Rodan & Louis Logic) - $$$$$ - This song starts off with with Lord Sear giving an intro for the open mic poetry event. He tells who is sponsoring and what not. Brother Sambulca comes up and gives us a poem on race. He tells how all races live the same pain of ignorance and we all need eachother, some true sh!t, then they cut his mic. Rodan goes up next and spits about doing different illegal activities. Later on in his verse he spits some really tight punchlines even though his flow does really fit this beat to me. Louis Logic comes up next and just rips the song to specs. The beat changes and He talks about how when he was a youngster and some of the mischievious things that he did back then. He talks about kicin @ss and beating up anyone who is out after curfew.

8. Raedawn - $$$1/4 - This beat is all warped up and full of sound effect. On this track Vik spits a story of him and a chick. Its a pretty good song lyrically but I just can't feel this beat at all. Vik drops some pretty tight punchlines here.

9. Let Me Watch(feat. Apani B) - $$$$$ - This track has a tight laid back flow to it. Vik spits about how his cousin's friend's friend wants to meet him. He tells of what she is wearing. Apani B answers to his "How Ya Doin", she starts off checkin him out and tells how Vik is 20 minutes late. She also talks about how he got tricky eyes. She talks of how her mom is all over protective. Vik answers to "tell me more about ya Vik". They both go on talking about the date and the advances Vik makes. Vik then says something wrong, this sets Apani off and they argue, as at the end of the song Apani B says "I rather masturbate than f!ck Vik Vaughn"

10. Saliva - $$$$$ - RJD2 produced this banger. This beat is absolutely sick, It is dominated by herky-jerky drums, horns and banging bass. Vik spits some braggadocio, laced with some witty punchlines, all in third person. Vik boast that he "plays the back and gets bent like scoliosis". Viks lyrics on this track are amongst the best on Vaudeville Villain. Spitting wicked bars like "Tell em the basics, basically break the matrix and just for kicks make em gel like Asics"

11. Modern Day Mugging - $$$$ - This starts off with a cartoony intro of a man asking "do you think Viktor Vaughn could be captured that easily". Here Vik rips it spitting sh!t about pulling off a robbery. He tells it is really nothing wrong with what he is doing as long an no one gets hurt.

12. Open Mic Nite pt. 2(feat. Lord Sear, AJ Ready Wright & Creature) - $$$$$ - We get a pretty 2LiveCrew-ish beat for the first rap by AJ Ready Wright which he raps about smoking weed before he gets his mic cut off. Creature follows suit and just gets ugly on the track. The beat is tight. Creature spits some witty lyrics on violence and what will happen to you if you are messing with him. After Creature is Vik and the beat is just ridiculously tight. The beat is dark with some nice bass and ghostly "woooo"s in the background. Vik then pulls out a gun during his bid and opens fire.

13. Never Dead(feat. M. Sayyid) - $$$$1/2 - The evil violins and raw electronic keys will have you flippin' out to this. Both of these guys spit some lyrics full of criminal activity and simale's. This track is tight and I would like to hear more from this duo.

14. Pop Snot - $$$$ - This track has some hard drum loops, and electronic keys that will send chills up your spine. This track is full of braggadocio. He talks about how we aint seen sh!t yet.
"Its like limbo, How low can ya go/
V go lower than ya bimbo pantyhose/
Damn yo, I see thats pretty damn low/
In the city streets with more ammo than Rambo/
Y'all don't want V in it/
Make the coolest cat p!ss his coogi in a minute/
When he blowin get ballin at the top slot/
20 G's a head for whoever callin cop shot/
-----------------------------------------------/
Cak-Cak-Cak-Cak-Cak-Cak, Pop Snot"

15. Mr. Clean - $$$$ - Tight beat and lyrically Vik does a great job as usually. On this track sometimes it seems as if he is gonna spit some introspective lyrics, only to back away bob, and weave and throw us another punchline. Its still pretty tight.

16. GMC - $$$3/4 - This track has soe type of electro percussion beat, with bells and other synthesizer sound effects going off in the background. Sporadic bass hits in also. Vik gives us another story of his adventures.

17. Change the Beat(Hidden Track) - $$$$$($) - This starts off with about a full three minutes of raining and thunderstorms. Vik then burst out of the rain with Change the Beat which is pure venom. The supervillain spits some anti-superhero rhymes here laced with hilarious punchlines and some minor introspection. He also states he is a villain for hire. "Have the average emcee say, give me a sick day/They really aint got sh!t to say like Timmy McVeigh". This song is sickenin and I think its the best on the album.
"Good Googaly-Muggaly, see that lugie/
Yeah keep it on the D. L. Hughley/
Ya don't watch here, he might house her like Doogie/
Just to cut her loosey like (Swish) Mitsurugi/
Gooey Gumdrops, Who he got his style from his pops/
You gotta give the bum some props/
Ask your sister, her beatbox is more thicker/
Doom that n!gga detox with more liqour"

MF Doom aka Viktor Vaughn's Vaudeville Villian is a tight album. A must by for any fars of Doom and if you like the crazy/funny type of Eminem hip-hop you will most definitely feel this. Some people may have trouble with this as Dooms voice isn't really ear friendly, and he rarely stays on one topic he usually jets around, but if you really listen to his lyrics, you will see that just like a comic book he is pieceing(?) it together like a puzzle. He raps from the 3rd persona whole lot and sometime he switches from 1st to 3rd person and that may confuse some, but you just have to listen to what the super villain has to say. All In all, You should go get this and at least download a couple of songs if you are skeptical.

Top 3 Songs:
1.Change the Beat
2.Open Mic Nite Pt. 1(feat. Lord Sear, Brother Sambulca, Radon & Louis Logic)
3.Let Me Watch(feat. Apani B)
Honorable Mention(s): Vaudeville Villain & Open Mic Nite Pt. 2(feat. Lord Sear, AJ Ready Wright & Creature)

4.5 Stars

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Hanging With Friends