MF Doom, Expektoration Live
Gold Dust Media

Expektoration Live captures a MF Doom concert at B.B. King’s in New York. Judging from the track list, which draws heavily from Operation Doomsday, his Madvillain project and MM…Food, the gig took place sometime between 2004 and 2005, before the rapper’s Danger Doom commercial breakthrough, and before he earned infamy by ripping off audiences with “Doombot” imposters that lip-synched his songs. It’s a shame that Doom doesn’t care to perform live anymore, because he wasn’t that bad. Expektoration has a grimy, frenetic quality reminiscent of Doom’s best work, as he and backing DJ Big Benn Klingon rip through indie classics like “Accordion” and “Rhymes Like Dimes.”

While the Plug One 50′s top 20 albums list is designed to be authoritative (or at least highly opinionated), the top 30 tracks list tends to be a mishmash of random favorites.

These are a few songs that caught my ear. Some were important singles; others were just “YouTube singles”; and still others were random MP3s. It was actually difficult to put together, not due to an abundance of choices, but because I usually pay attention to albums, not songs. I can’t promise that the situation will improve next year, and I’ll learn to remember the cuts that I liked, but shit, it would make this job a lot easier, wouldn’t it?

I decided to rank the top ten, if only to highlight the ones that truly stood out for me, and then alphabetized the rest.

1. Raekwon, “House of Flying Daggers”
Ice H20 Records/EMI

Raekwon caught everyone’s attention with this throwback to the glory days of Wu. Over a banging track from the late J Dilla — which, it should be noted, was reportedly commissioned before Dilla’s death — Rae, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface and Meth drop a bag of heat rocks, with GZA on the chorus. It let us know that the long-delayed Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt II would actually be good.

2. Eminem, “Beautiful”
Interscope

Relapse should have sounded like this bittersweet single, not the drug-addled attempts to reclaim Slim Shady glory that made it such a disappointment. It proves that Eminem, when not sheltered by Jimmy Iovine and a nation of suburban Stans, is still capable of producing great records. Bonus points earned for “Beautiful’s” accompanying video, which paid elegiac tribute to Em’s native, broken-down Detroit.

3. The Roots, “How I Got Over”
Def Jam

“Out on the streets, where I grew up/First thing they teach you is not to give a fuck/That type of thinking will get you nowhere/Someone has to care.” Brilliant.

4. Cage, “Nothing Left to Say”
Definitive Jux

Cage’s official single, the serial killer fantasy “Depart From Me,” got the Shia LaBouef video treatment, but this teaser single made a bigger impression on me. It honors his late friend and rhyme partner Tero “Camu Tao” Smith, an underappreciated vet who died from cancer last year. (A few major blogs who shall remain nameless, unaware of Camu Tao’s talents, struggled to mount tributes.) Cage gives him the musical tribute he deserves, promising to “live through Camu” over smash-mouth guitars and a raucous El-P beat.

5. Hudson Mohawke, Polyfolk Dance EP
Warp

This five-track instrumental 12-inch summarized Hudson Mohawke’s ideas, with the standout “Velvet Peel” at its whimsically digital center.

6. Buckshot & KRS-One, “Robot”
Duck Down Records

After Jay-Z’s “D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)” blew up, the airwaves Buckshot tried to claim credit for starting the anti-vocoder trend since his track dropped first. I liked when KRS-One rapped”Go online, look up Kraftwerk/everything we doing is past work.” It was kinda corny: these days, any teeny bopper can not only download Kraftwerk’s complete catalog, but their influences and their followers, which is neatly documented by Allmusic.com. You have to read deeper into Kris’ line to get his overall point — these silly trends really are reverberations of what’s come before them. It’s simple wisdom.

7. Anti-Pop Consortium, “Volcano”
Big Dada

After reuniting last year following a six-year layoff, I wondered if Anti-Pop still had the potential to “disturb the equilibrium.” This vibrant battle rap let me know that my fears were unfounded.

8. Sa-Ra Creative Partners, “Love Czars”
Ubiquity Recordings

Technically, this 10-minute locked-groove symphony isn’t a hip hop track; you’ll have to dig up the remix featuring Jay Electronica and Ta’Raach for that. However, it exemplified future soul, and all the cross-currents — from hip hop to house music and future jazz — that flow through it.

9. J Dilla feat. Black Thought, “Reality Check”
Nature Sounds

“Reality Check” was a diamond amidst the rough, unfinished beats and sloppy vocals of Jay Stay Paid. Black Thought’s rant about reality TV hell, with its allusions to Public Enemy’s “She Watches Channel Zero,” rolled over Dilla’s synth-y track like a third rail.

10. Mos Def, “Casa Bey”
Downtown Records

Mos Def’s The Ecstatic was effortlessly innovative, and this laser-sharp example of his lyrical prowess, set to his own jazzy shapeshifting beat, was a sterling representation.

And here’s the rest of the list in alphabetical order:

Aceyalone & The Lonely Ones, “The Lonely Ones”
Decon

Asher Roth, “Lark in My Go-Kart”
SRC

Busdriver, “Least Favorite Rapper”
Anti-

Cage, “Depart From Me”
Definitive Jux

Cam’ron, “I Hate My Job”
Asylum

Clipse, “Kinda Like A Big Deal”
Columbia Records

The Clonius, Adroit Adventures EP
Ubiquity Recordings

Del and Tame One, “The Franchise”
Gold Dust Media

Dorian Concept, “Tropical Trilingual Tease” (online sample track from “Trilingual Dance Sexperience”)
Affine Records

Drake, “Best I Ever Had”
Universal Motown

Filastine, “Marxa”
Soot Records

Finale, “Jungle Music”
online MP3

Kero One, “Welcome to the Bay”
Plug Label

Mos Def, “Supermagic”
Downtown Records

MF Doom, “Lightworks”
Lex Records

Pill, “Trap Goin’ Ham”
Grade A Muzik

Raekwon, “Surgical Gloves”
Ice H20 Records/EMI

Tanya Morgan, “Hardcore Gentlemen”
Interdependent Media

Themselves, “Roman Is As Roman Does”
Anticon

Theophilus London, “Cold Pillow”
online MP3

This year’s crop of hip hop albums was an improvement over last year. But it didn’t come from the artists expected to dominate.

Around this time in 2008, everyone was buzzing about the “new school” of blog-hyped rappers. They injected the medium with an enthusiasm not felt in ages. So far, however, the results of this youth movement are decidedly uneven. Wale’s Attention Deficit drew mixed reviews; even fans of it must concede that it has plenty of decent rhymes, but lacks great songs. By contrast, Kid Cudi landed a few monster singles, particularly the undying “Day ‘N Nite,” but his Man on the Moon: The End of Day seemed monotone and self-indulgent. Blu and the Cool Kids mostly kept silent, and we all know what happened to Charles Hamilton.

With the jury still out on the so-called “freshman class,” the end of the aughts belonged to the veterans. With the notable exception of Nosaj Thing and Dorian Concept, all of the artists on this list are firmly established. Some mounted surprising comebacks after years of mediocre and sub-par work; others made solid follow-ups to classic albums. Unlike 2008 and Flying Lotus’ Los Angeles (and, I would argue, the Cool Kids’ The Bake Sale), these recordings didn’t establish new stylistic tropes. In a year when populism and stubborn class and racial traditions weighed down American culture, these works met expectations and buffered the status quo, whether it was the true-school ethos or the mainstream’s street-rap-as-blues credo.

That’s not to say that 2009 wasn’t an exciting time: it was. But hip hop music thrives on youth movements, and to see blog rap’s most promising rookies disappear in a cloud of weed smoke, meandering mixtapes and incessant corporate-sponsored tours and marketing campaigns was frustrating. It certainly didn’t convince the old heads from continuing to insist that the genre is a dead zombie walking. Of course, next year could be different. But for now, this is where we are.

I don’t know if this list is unique from any other, but I suspect there may be a few surprises. Perhaps the most contentious entry is for Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…Pt II. It has topped many lists, but it certainly didn’t top mine. If my summary reads negative, it’s in reaction to the universal acclaim that has greeted it, some of which seems unwarranted. People love their action fantasies, and Raekwon’s triumphant return has some great crime narratives. But I think some consider it the year’s best because it fits stereotypes of what a great hip hop album is supposed to sound like; other entries on this list drew strong reviews, too, but they were often considered something other than “real hip hop.”

I don’t know what that “other” may may be. Maybe “alt-rap,” “backpacker,” or some nefarious micro-genre like “wobbly”? But lists such as the Plug One 50 will continue to be an anomaly until fans stop equating the genre with criminal activity and po-faced lyrical schemes, embrace a more complex universe of sounds, and live up to Afrika Bambaataa’s vision of hip hop as a perspective on the world instead of a region-specific, drug-infested street corner.

Yes, 2009 was a good year. We got consistently great music, but we missed the excitement that made 2008 seem like a promise of better things to come. Hopefully 2010 will combine not only the tried and true, but also the shock of the new.

1. Mos Def, The Ecstatic
Downtown Records

Few albums sound as hard-earned as The Ecstatic. It incorporates everything Mos Def has done up to now, from the scat-rapping to the soulful singjay-ing that is a bedrock of his stunning live performances. Like Erykah Badu on last year’s New Amerykah Part One (4th World War), he turns to cutting-edge producers — namely Madlib, Oh No and Mr. Flash — to create a frission that his past albums lacked. Those older recordings, particularly 2007′s disastrous True Magic, made The Ecstatic a surprising comeback, but it wouldn’t have been possible without those trials and errors. Its hopeful theme, an obvious nod to President Obama’s 2008 election and the ensuing “Life in Marvelous Times,” tells of a hard road to glory.

2. Sa-Ra Creative Partners, Nuclear Evolution: The Age Of Love
Ubiquity Recordings

If Sa-Ra’s first collection of recorded material, The Hollywood Recordings, was a coked-up ode to sex, drugs and nightlife; then Nuclear Evolution showed a way out of the despair and decadence. “Love Czars,” the album’s magnificent centerpiece, rolled out a locked groove as hypnotic as a Theo Parrish track; “Cosmic Ball,” with jazz-fusion master Gary Bartz as guest, was a shambolic dance in the light. Overall, Nuclear Evolution showed the different sides of Sa-Ra with a depth not heard before, justifying their rep as one of the most talented of the new soul era.

3. Nosaj Thing, Drift
Alpha Pup Records

Here’s an excerpt from my interview with Nosaj Thing earlier this year:

The hype surrounding Drift is the inevitable result of a scene gathering media and fan attention. Thankfully, Drift isn’t a summary of beat music clichés, but a haunting suite of songs that resembles Romantic classicism, minimalism/new music theory and old-school “electronica” techniques pioneered by Global Goon and Aphex Twin. (One of Drift’s tracks is titled “1685/Bach,” a nod to the year Johann Sebastian Bach was born.) Marrying his esoteric melodies to subtly dusted beats, Nosaj Thing creates an instrumental journey that leaves an indelible impression.

4. Brother Ali, Us
Rhymesayers Entertainment

Some critics have asked why Brother Ali, with two great albums under his belt, is never ranked among today’s best MCs. Certainly, few artists could convey inner peace and happiness with such clarity. Like Animal Collective, whose Merriweather Post Pavilion used domestic bliss as a source for drama as rich as any emotional conflict, Brother Ali takes marriage and family as a starting point to wonder why the rest of the world is in turmoil. He raps with such passion and moral certitude; he truly is, as Chuck D. calls him, “a soldier of love.”

5. Aceyalone, Aceyalone & The Lonely Ones
Decon

The second in a planned trilogy of tributes to his influences (the first being 2007′s underrated dancehall venture Lightning Strikes), Aceyalone & the Lonely Ones celebrates the big beats of classic Motown and doo-wop. But it’s not just another retro-soul exercise. Aceyalone playfully inhabits Bionik’s tracks, dropping a series of clean, family-friendly rhymes reminiscent of Freestyle Fellowship’s “Inner City Boundaries.” This may not be Aceyalone’s most important album, but it’s joyously fun all the same.

6. Raekwon, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…Pt. II
Ice H2O Records/EMI

At 22 tracks, this long-awaited sequel to Raekwon’s 1995 masterpiece was full of highs and lows, from the terrific “House Of Flying Daggers” and “Surgical Gloves” to boorish smackdowns like “Broken Safety” (featuring the always predictable Jadakiss). Importantly, this edition focused narrowly on crack dealing, all the way down to the absurd “We Will Rob You” (an interpolation of Queen’s “We Will Rock You”). Save for the anguished “Cold Outside,” it didn’t aspire towards the white-hot hellfire and spiritual redemption of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Here, drug dealing isn’t one’s lot in life, but a familiar role, like a Martin Scorsese gangster flick. The purple tint of the album cover — an allusion to the original’s limited-edition “purple tape” jewel case  — signified business as usual. However, its best songs made for undeniably spectacular mainstream entertainment.

7. Madlib – Beat Konducta, Vol. 5-6: A Tribute To…
Stones Throw

Originally released as two vinyl-only EPs (Vol. 5: Dil Cosby Suite and Vol. 6: Dil Withers Suite), this tribute to Madlib’s friend and collaborator James “J Dilla” Yancey contains real and genuine sorrow. Madlib may have been Dilla’s biggest influence in his final years; you can hear it in his masterwork, Donuts. So the Beat Konducta repays the favor by incorporating samples from Dilla’s best loved tracks, including “The Light.” It’s still quirky and weird…this is a Madlib album, after all. Call it a revival, with plenty of beers, blunts and tears to go around.

8. Serengeti & Polyphonic, Terradactyl
Anticon

Serengeti has worked quietly in Chicago, releasing poorly-distributed albums full of sharply detailed character sketches and odd hooks, which makes him a perfect addition to the left-of-center Anticon. As his official national debut, Terradactyl brings those subterranean elements to light. There is “My Negativity,” which he chants as “My Negga-negga-negga,” drawing an unconscious parallel with a historic epithet. “My Patriotism” turns not to politics but to intimate relations. Meanwhile, Polyphonic the Verbose’s electronic squalls dance around Serengeti’s tales of everyman woe like glowing brain synapses.

9. Tanya Morgan, Brooklynati
Interdependent Media

Brooklynati was a sophomore effort in every way — bigger guests, better production and a concerted effort to translate the rough charms of its debut, 2006′s Moonlighting, to a broader canvas and a wider, blogosphere-primed audience. That the group was mostly successful — the album doesn’t really take off until nearly a third of the way through, during their brilliant “horrorcore” parody “Hardcore Gentlemen” — misses the point. Von Pea, Ilyas, and Donwill continue to grow by leaps and bounds, delivering cipher cuts (“Never 2ndary”) and love jawns (“Never Enough”) with the unique perspective of three admitted rap nerds who are slowly becoming genuine indie-rap heroes.

10. DOOM, Born Like This
Lex Records

If The Ecstatic was Obama’s campaign of hope set to hip hop, then Born Like This was the rabid, red dog populist aftermath. It’s not exactly a fuck-you album on par with Prince and the Revolution’s Around the World In a Day and OutKast’s Idlewild, since DOOM bookended his first solo disc in five years with a gospelly “Thank Yah.” But after enduring rumors of alcoholism, ill health and even his death, prompted by years of eccentric behavior — he hasn’t been seen publicly without his trademark mask since the late 90s — and notorious no-shows at his concerts, DOOM sounds unrepentant. On the Charles Bukowski-quoting “Cellz” and the homophobic “Batty Boys,” among others, he sounds furious, shoving hard rhymes and third-person asides down your throat like Ron Artest. He doesn’t do it consistently enough to make Born Like This a classic, but he still manages to excite and infuriate all at once.

And here’s the rest of the list sans commentary:

11. P.O.S., Never Better
Rhymesayers

12. Finale, A Pipe Dream And A Promise
Interdependent Media

13. Shafiq Husayn, Shafiq ‘En A-Free-Kah
Plug Research

14. Busdriver, Jhelli Beam
Anti-

15. Mike Slott, Lucky 9Teen
LuckyMe

16. Anti-Pop Consortium, Fluorescent Black
Big Dada

17. Willie Isz, Georgiavania
Lex Records

18. Dorian Concept, When Planets Explode
Kindred Spirits

19. Zion-I, The TakeOver
Gold Dust Media

20. Mr. Lif, I Heard It Today
Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises

The Daily Swarm posted two random message board comments about DOOM’s L.A. concert last Saturday, along with a poorly-lit YouTube video:

It’s hard to see here but you can catch glimpses of him. It was obvious that he was an imposter since he never once laid his hand on a microphone and just played his new tracks on a laptop. I get what he’s goin for here…he’s a VILLAIN, but he’s ripping off his fans! I was super pissed along with everybody else who came to see him.

ConsequenceofSound.net followed up with a post:

According to DOOM’s label, Stones Throw, which does not handle the rapper’s booking, it was “obvious that he wasn’t going to show up at a venue that fits only 200 people when his performance fee requires venues about 10 times that size.” That said, they would neither confirm nor deny if it was indeed an imposter.

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the real DOOM twice. The first time was back in 2000 at the CMJ Music Festival, when Megalon punched a drunk and disorderly DOOM on stage (which MF Grimm later referenced in “Book of Daniel”). Good times. The second was at SXSW in 2004, right before he dropped his mammoth Madvillain project. It was no-frills entertainment, with DOOM cuing up a track, spitting out laser rhymes, and then cutting to the next song. That was a long time ago, before DOOM flipped off his fans and turned into a hip hop version of the Residents (minus the all-important disclaimer that anyone could be wearing the mask).

DOOM has pulled his “doombot” stunt so many times it’s hard to care anymore. After breaking into the Billboard top 40 with his last album, Born Like This, it’s clear that it pays to impersonate an all-too-real “supervillain” who seduces and then breaks his fans’ hearts. Regardless of his antics, touring rap artists have convinced promoters that, yes, they know how to put on a good show and, no, a phalanx of thugs won’t tear up the club and shoot somebody. His no-shows don’t change that.

Rap promotion is one of the dirtiest games in the business, and while I don’t know if Oaxaco or the undercard DJs are necessarily to blame (other promoters have cried foul afterwards), it’s clear that no one should book DOOM without a guaranteed contract; and fans shouldn’t attend any advertised DOOM shows unless there’s clear proof of such contract.

However, it seems like DOOM shows up if one of his collaborators are around. He made a rare appearance with Madlib and the Stones Throw crew at Arthur Verocai’s concert last March. He was slated for a Madvillain reunion show with Madlib at the We the People Festival this month before it was canceled; it’s reportedly being rescheduled for early next year. An upcoming concert with Mos Def in NYC is probably a good bet, too.

Since my post on DOOM’s Unexpected Guests last month, Gold Dust Media has changed the track listing considerably. Several cuts have been removed, including De La Soul’s memorable “Rock Co.Kane Flow” single. Others have been added, too, notably a previously-unreleased live version of “I Hear Voices” from the 2001 Operation: Doomsday reissue. And, as shown above, an impressive horticultural image of the Super Villain now adorns the cover. The release date is November 10.

Check after the jump for the new track listing and the earlier, pre-release one.

• 1. Talib Kweli, “Fly That Knot” (feat. DOOM)
• 2. J Dilla & DOOM, “Sniper Elite”
• 3. Scienz of Life, “Yikes!!!” (feat. DOOM)
• 4. KMD, “Sorcerers”
• 5. Vast Aire, “Da Supafriendz” (feat. DOOM)
• 6. Count Bass D, “Quite Buttery” (feat. DOOM)
• 7. “?” (feat. Kurious)
• 8. The Prof., “All Outta Ale” (feat. DOOM)
• 9. Masta Killa, “E.N.Y. House” (feat. DOOM)
• 10. The Prof., “Bell Of Doom” (feat. DOOM)
• 11. “My Favorite Ladies”
• 12. Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck & GZA, “Street Corners (DOOM Remix)”
• 13. DOOM & Ghostface, “Angels”
• 14. J Dilla & DOOM, “Fire Wood Drumstykx”
• 15. DJ Babu, “The Unexpected” (feat. DOOM & Sean Price)
• 16. Hell Razah, “Project Jazz” (feat. Talib Kweli & Viktor Vaughn)
• 17. John Robinson, “Black Gold”
• Bonus Track: “I Hear Voices (Live)”

And here’s the original track listing:

• 1. De La Soul, “Rock Co.Kane Flow” (feat. DOOM)
• 2. Jake One, “Get ‘Er Done” (feat. DOOM)
• 3. Talib Kweli, “Fly That Knot” (feat. DOOM)
• 4. Dilla, Ghost & DOOM, “Sniper Elite”
• 5. Jake One, “Trap Door” (feat. DOOM)
• 6. John Robinson, “Sorcerers” (feat. DOOM & Invizible Handz)
• 7. Vast Aire, “Da Superfriendz”
• 8. Count Bass D, “Quite Buttery” (feat. DOOM)
• 9. DOOM, “?” (feat. Kurious)
• 10. DOOM, “All Outta Ale”
• 11. Masta Killa, “E.N.Y. House”
• 12. DOOM, “Bells Of Doom”
• 13. DOOM, “My Favorite Ladies”
• 14. Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck & GZA, “Street Corners (Remix)”

With the fall season fully underway, misanthropic rapper/producer DOOM is making a surprise contribution to the glut of new product. Set for release on October 27 via Lex Records Gold Dust Media, Unexpected Guests compiles several guest appearances, including his classic “Rock Co.Kane Flow” single with De La Soul, along with what appears to be a few new tracks – at least in regards to an official release.

The artwork above and the track listing below are tentative; both may change before Unexpected Guests is released. I’ll update this post if that happens.

(October 28 update: The track listing and artwork has been changed, and the release date has been moved back to November 10. Also, I made an error on the label; Gold Dust Media is releasing the compilation. You can view the changes here.)

• 1. De La Soul, “Rock Co.Kane Flow” (feat. DOOM)
• 2. Jake One, “Get ‘Er Done” (feat. DOOM)
• 3. Talib Kweli, “Fly That Knot” (feat. DOOM)
• 4. Dilla, Ghost & DOOM, “Sniper Elite”
• 5. Jake One, “Trap Door” (feat. DOOM)
• 6. John Robinson, “Sorcerers” (feat. DOOM & Invizible Handz)
• 7. Vast Aire, “Da Superfriendz”
• 8. Count Bass D, “Quite Buttery” (feat. DOOM)
• 9. DOOM, “?” (feat. Kurious)
• 10. DOOM, “All Outta Ale”
• 11. Masta Killa, “E.N.Y. House”
• 12. DOOM, “Bells Of Doom”
• 13. DOOM, “My Favorite Ladies”
• 14. Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck & GZA, “Street Corners (Remix)”

As many of you already know, Lex Records will release DOOM’s new album Born Like This on March 24. Here’s the usual bio excerpt:

Mask-wearing hip-hop maverick DOOM (previously MF Doom) unveils his imminent new album, BORN LIKE THIS – a tour de force of thrillingly intricate and diabolically original songwriting. …

As well as head-spinningly complex, reference-rich rhymes, DOOM also provides the majority of the peerless production himself with just 2 tracks here featuring the studio skills of others. Credit for crafting the bouncies of beats on short yet sweet BALLSKIN goes to Washington’s Jake One, whilst the much-missed J Dilla’s magical psychedelic jamboree illuminates LIGHTWORKS. Guest vocalists include founding Wu Tang Clan members Ghostface and Raekwon, with the former appropriately appearing in his cartoon-inspired Tony Starks guise. BORN LIKE THIS takes its title from Charles Bukowski’s dystopian poem, ‘Dinosauria, We’, read by its author and re-scored by DOOM on CELLZ. Sharp-eared followers of the interesting end of hip-hop may recognize some of the album’s lineage – the instrumental of LIGHTWORKS is a highlight of J Dilla’s Donuts and an early demo of ANGELZ has circulated in cyberspace – however, the rest of the newborn record’s 16 tracks are 100% fresh and, until now, unheard.

• 1. Supervillain Intro
• 2. Gazillion Ear
• 3. Ballskin
• 4. Yessir! (feat. Raekwon)
• 5. Absolutely
• 6. Rap Ambush
• 7. Lightworks
• 8. Batty Boys
• 9. Angelz (feat. Tony Starks, Raekwon & Paloma Faith)
• 9. Cellz
• 10. Still Dope (feat. Empress Sharhh)
• 11. Microwave Mayo
• 12. More Rhymin’ (feat. Kurious)
• 13. That’s That
• 14. Supervillainz
• 15. Bumpy’s Message
• 16. Thank Yah

DOOM, “Ballskin”

Project Mooncircle announced yesterday that it is releasing a new project from John Robinson (a.k.a. Lil Sci from Scienz of Life) titled Who Is This Man?, and that it will be completely produced by MF Doom.

MF Doom, of course, has stirred up a lot of shit over the past two years, most of it not musical. In recent months, Lex Records has strongly hinted at dropping a Doom album before the end of 2008, but has yet to make details available. So this is the first confirmation of a new project by the Metalface Villain since Dangerdoom’s The Mouse and the Mask (yes, it has been that long).

Robinson has worked with Doom for many years going back to the late 90s and Atlanta’s ill-fated Nuwaubian era (okay, we won’t go there). He has already released an album this year, a collaboration with Carlos Nino called What’s the Science? And hey, what a coup for Project Mooncircle, especially after getting a Cyne album earlier this year! Indie hip-hop is alive and well.

Who Is This Man? is due on November 7, and will feature DJ Rhettmatic on the cuts as well. More details soon.

October 6 update: It looks like the album came out via iTunes on September 22. The track listing is below.

• 1. “Intro/Outside Perspective”
• 2. “Indy 102″
• 3. “There She Goes” (feat. Jah Orah)
• 4. “Shrink Rap”
• 5. “Invizible Man” (feat. 20/20)
• 6. “Rapsploitation”
• 7. “Black Gold”
• 8. “Expressions” (feat. Tiffany Paige)
• 9. “Outta Control”
• 10. “Crazy Music” (feat. Invizible Handz)
• 11. “The Truth” (feat. Stahhr the Femcee & Invizible Handz]
• 12. “The Replenish”

Cunninlynguists are touring the Eastern United States (as well as a Canadian date) next month. No new album, just more shows. The Kentucky trio is still booking the tour, so check back for updates.

By the way, producer Kno just posted an “open letter” dissing the fuck out of MF Doom. I don’t agree with everything Kno says, but after watching Doom gaffle fools for several years (yes, he was doing it way before his ongoing “Doombot” tour) I have to acknowledge that he makes some good points. Here’s a long excerpt — you can read the entire thing at the group’s MySpace page:

It came to my attention in late 2007 that you pulled a series of no-shows and Super Dave-esque stunt double lip-syncing fiascos in Pomona, San Diego, San Francisco, Rock The Bells in San Bernardino and then in Atlanta.  The latter saw the crowd throwing beer at your body double, who subsequently exited the stage only to steal all the merch money and door receipts, insuring no one would be granted a refund for your clone’s piss-poor Milli Vanilli routine.  Classy.

The whole thing was shrug-inducing because I’m not a huge fan of your body of work, so pardon my inability to completely connect with the disdain of someone paying $25 dollars to see a slightly rotund, middle aged man in a dirty Gladiator mask stand around onstage and talk into a microphone only to be duped into watching a presumably younger, slightly-less rotund man in a dirty Gladiator mask stand around onstage and pretend to talk into a microphone.  As the old folks say, “buyer beware”.

It was shrug-inducing, that is, until someone passed me a link to a discussion in which a talent buyer for a well-known Cali venue clearly states;

“…needless to say, hiphop will not be taking place at the venue again (we will still book alternative artists like sage, atmosphere, subtle, all through legit agencies that we regularly do business with).”

Ok, now wait a minute.

You pissing on your most dedicated fans by cheating them out of their hard-earned cash, while being completely foul, was ultimately no business of mine.  At worst it might create a small conundrum for Doom fans torn between investing money in your possibly fraudulent live show or using that loot to re-up on another sack of Northern Lights kush.  Not a tough call, I’d assume.

But on the flipside, seeing talent buyers publically saying they’ll only book “alternative artists” like Sage and Atmosphere (Holy awkward racial undertones, Batman) in the future because of your method of handling business?  Now I have an issue.

See, people don’t buy much music anymore.  Touring is what allows artists who aren’t supervillainous children of Latverian gypsies bent on world domination to meet our fans, fuel our art and put money into our projects and pockets.  As part of an “indie” act that operates in the same ever-narrowing circles as you, I can definitely say the ability to book proper gigs with reputable promoters and venue operators is becoming more and more scarce by the month, especially with the poor reputation live hip-hop has for professionalism and punctuality as well as the economic woes of many venues and agencies.  The recession is a sumbitch.

So, if any artist pisses off these promoters, fans or venue owners then ultimately they are fucking with my money.

• 10/08: Inferno, Madison, WI
• 10/09: The Abbey, Chicago, IL
• 10/10: Club 200 East, Milwaukee, WI
• 10/11: Oberlin College, Cleveland, OH
• 10/12: Gordon Best Theater, Peterborough, ON
• 10/14: Babylon Nightclub, Ottawa, ON
• 10/15: Harper’s Ferry, Boston, MA
• 10/16: Knitting Factory, New York, NY
• 10/18: McDaniel College, Westminster, MD
• 10/19: Carpool, Herndon, VA
• 10/20: The Brewery, Raleigh, NC
• 10/21: The Jinx, Savannah, GA
• 10/22: PS14, Miami, FL
• 10/24: Lenny’s, Atlanta, GA
• 10/31: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• 11/01: Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY

10/08-10/24: w/Substantial
10/08-10/18, 10/31-11/01: w/PackFM

Photo by Jens Nordstrom.

Two years ago, MF Doom was everywhere. He was still basking in the success of his Madvillain classic with Madlib, and had released one of the year’s biggest albums, the Danger Doom banger with Danger Mouse. His early work for Fondle ‘Em sold on Ebay for hundreds of dollars.

Since then, save for the odd guest appearance (he recently produced a track for Hell Razah’s well-received Renaissance Child), the prolific Daniel Dumile has mostly disappeared from view. Dude may be a little eccentric, but he’s a savvy businessman, cutting off the product just when he was in danger of being overexposed. Now, instead of thinking “Dang, another Doom album?”, heads are eagerly waiting the man’s next epic. When will Madvillain 2 come out? When will Def Jam finally allow Nature Sounds to put out Swift and Changeable, his album with Ghostface?

On July 24, MF Doom will re-issue his 2004 Rhymesayers album Mm…Food as an expanded CD/DVD package. Imaginatively wrapped in aluminum packaging like a candy bar, it includes a tour DVD, a sticker and a poster. New York zine Impose is also issuing a limited-edition 7-inch of Metal Fingers instrumental material. Finally, Doom is making a brief trip across the States. He’ll mostly stick to major markets, and half of the dates are on the Rock the Bells tour. Hopefull all of these scraps are just mere appetizers for a full course meal in 2008. How’s that for food metaphors? Tour dates are below.

• 7/29: Randall’s Island, New York City, NY
• 8/08: TBA, San Diego, CA
• 8/10: Glasshouse, Pomona, CA
• 8/11: Hyundai Pavilion at Glen Helen, San Bernardino, CA
• 8/12: El Rey, Los Angeles, CA
• 8/15: The Independent, San Francisco, CA
• 8/16: The Independent, San Francisco, CA
• 8/18: McCovey Cove, San Francisco, CA
• 8/25: Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN
• 8/26: Charter One Pavilion, Chicago, IL
• 8/28: Blind Pig, Ann Arbor, MI
• 8/29: DTE Energy Music Theatre, Detroit, MI

www.myspace.com/mfdoom