There's very little left to say about Madvillainy.

It's a record that's invited a passionate reverence that few albums, rap or otherwise, have received. A one-off collaboration between a legendary unorthodox producer and an intensely poetic emcee, it's a fusion of rhymes and rhythms that refuses to yield. For each and every exceptional bar, there's a similarly inspired sample. It's this sustained effort from both producer and rapper that makes Madvillainy special: whilst the efforts on the album would dominate or overshadow in a less potent pairing, the duo of Madlib and DOOM balance their sustained efforts over 22 tracks.

This having been said, one of the true joys of Madvillainy is Madlib's inspired, innovative approach to sampling. His wealth of musical knowledge is seemingly peerless, and his ability to stitch samples together is awe-inspiring. It recently occurred to me that each and every sample on Madvillainy has a life of its own. That is, of course, the nature of sampling: in borrowing an element from another artist, the producer is removing the element from its time and recontextualizing it for their own use.

That thought inspired me to document every sample on Madvillainy, turning a classic album into a cultural roadmap. Not only does identifying samples increase one's appreciation of music, but it also opens one up to a variety of different subcultures, movements and artistic niches. Madlib's samples, oft-esoteric and unconventional, provide a window into some weird and wonderful culture. Though less comprehensive, there's also a Spotify playlist featuring all available samples in order of appearance.

From Sexploitation to Afrofuturism and everything in between, this is Madvillainy.