MM...Food

You could call the proper follow-up to 1999s heralded Operation: Doomsday highly anticipated if it werent for the wealth of side projects, pseudonyms, bootlegs, and mixtapes MF Doom unleashed afterward. Still, every bit of Doom output has the undergrounds tongue wagging, and as usual, the metal-fingered villain doesnt disappoint. Part of the reason for this is that Mm..Food is unconcerned with the hype and doesnt try too hard. Its actually one of Dooms least ambitious releases and a lot more fun than his previous ones, especially anything released under his dark Viktor Vaughn moniker. Food references and a ton of samples and scratches from old Fantastic Four read-along records keep the album light as Doom takes tired hip-hop topics like keeping your hoes in check and turncoat friends and screws with them. Backstabbers get their due on the Whodini-sampling Deep Fried Frenz while guest Mr. Fantastik gives fakes a proper whooping on the excellent Rapp Snitch Knishes. Dooms behind every beat here, whipping up a busy brew of screw-loose samples and late-90s beats. The mostly instrumental middle of the album is a fantastic, playful ride and more fresh evidence the man is never swayed by fads. Fans looking for his next big statement might be let down at first listen, but Mm..Food is as vital as anything hes done before and entirely untouched or stymied by the hype. ~ David Jeffries