Essential reading today over at Cuepoint, courtesy of Check The Technique author Brian Coleman, who nabs a rare interview with MF Doom about the creation and subsequent shelving of KMD’s seminal Black Bastards LP. This is your weekend reading assignment.

Check The Technique: KMD’s “Black Bastards” and the Birth of MF Doom

Following our reveal of the best major label hip-hop albums of 2014 earlier in the week, we now present our favorite indie LP’s of the year. As per usual, it was hard to find 10 inclusions for the major label list, and hard to narrow it down to only 10 on the indie list.

10. Step Brothers (Evidence + Alchemist) – Lord Steppington – Rhymesayers - Lord Steppington is unlike anything either Al or Ev have done thus far, which is testament to their versatility. It doesn’t sound like a Dilated album without Rakka, nor does it sound like, say, Albert Einstein from a production standpoint. Evidence and Alchemist have challenged themselves here, and ended up producing a dope, unconventional underground rap album, most likely dreamed up in the smokiest of atmospheres. Here come the lords.

9. Bishop Nehru + MF Doom – NehruvianDOOM – Lex Records – MF Doom teamed up with rising star Bishop Nehru for NehruvianDOOM, a solid collaborative album that found him laying down tracks for the young emcee. While some complained about re-used beats, we didn’t mind, as we don’t really listen to Doom’s beat tapes anyway. Sewn together brilliantly with Doom’s off kilter samples from various different sources, it’s rare we find Doom producing a whole album for someone, which made this a real treat.

8. Your Old Droog – Your Old Droog LP – Droog Recordings – It started off as some kid on Reddit proposing the idea that Droog was actually Nas in disguise, leading to a whole bunch of people accidentally checking for the Coney Island, NY rapper. What we found was an incredibly solid LP from a budding emcee with an airtight flow and classic, sample based production. Released on “Droog Recordings” this is the definition of an indie success story.

7. Apathy – Connecticut Casual – Demigodz Recordings – Connecticut Casual is a concept album, but isn’t as heavy as say, The Roots …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin, for example. It’s a pretty straight-shooting, classically styled hip-hop record, but Ap ties the entire thing together by using his home state as a backdrop. Using the New England area’s rich history as a blueprint, he examines the state’s dichotomy of its Yacht-owning upper class, and it’s seedier crime ridden underbelly. Another well put together album, with very interesting, unexplored territory in hip-hop music.

6. Ras Kass + Apollo Brown – Blasphemy – MelloMusicGroup - Ras Kass and Apollo Brown’s, Blasphemy, is a concept LP that is more or less a crusade against organized religion. It’s also one of the best albums of the year, and quite possibly the most concise album that Ras has ever recorded. Ras has finally been given an equally yoked producer to match his sharp lyrical prowess.

5. Ghostface Killah – 36 Seasons – Tommy Boy – Where the Wu failed with A Better Tomorrow, Ghostface delivered with a literal “better tomorrow” releasing his excellent 36 Seasons LP just a week later. An incredibly tight-knit concept album with fresh, original live production from The Revelations, Ghostface Killah has long proven to be the Wu-Tang Clan’s most consistant member.

4. DJ Premier + Royce Da 5’9 – PRhyme – PRhyme Records – American dream team of DJ Premier and Royce Da 5’9 reunited after the success of their classic single “Boom,” for Preem’s first group project since the dissolution of Gang Starr. While the album showed both artists doing what they do best, we’d love to see how they mature as a group with consecutive albums as time goes on.

3. Statik Selektah – What Goes Around – Showoff - While not as high-profile as some of the other releases on this list, Statik Selektah’s What Goes Around was easily one of the most consistent LPs of 2014, especially considering its length. Stat has matured into one of the best producers in the game, able to zero in on that “golden age” sound, with an extensive guest list to help drive it home.

Pharoahe Monch – PTSD – W.A.R. Media – In his most focused and consistent LP since Internal Affairs, Pharaohe Monch has taken a real-life bout with depression and turned into one of the strongest independent LP of the year. He doesn’t try to recapture the success of “Simon Says”, nor does he try to crossover with Cee-Lo-esque gospel/soul tracks, despite his obvious singing chops. This is an unapologetically dark, incredibly well-written, musically sound LP that finds the emcee returning to greatness. Pharoahe Fucking Monch, ain’t a damn thing changed.

1. Run The Jewels (Killer Mike + El-P) – RTJ2 – Productomart / Mass Appeal – RTJ2 is a worthy sequel to the original that gets consecutively better with each listen, topping many of the industry’s year end lists across all music genres. It’s so far removed from what major labels have been pushing on us for the last few years, yet it sons them all with a smart, progressive, politically minded, and musically dope album that challenges the status quo, and reminds us why we still love hip-hop after all these years. It is possible that this album could mark a turning point for hip-hop music, so bump this shit like they do in the future.

We dig the PRhyme album (review coming shortly), but did feel it was a little bit too short. No matter, DJ Premier has revealed in an interview with the New York Observer that an expanded deluxe edition of the album is coming, with three to five new songs on it, including a collaboration with MF Doom.

“The album’s doing really good. We’re shooting a video for every song on it and Royce and I are hitting the road in February. We’re also getting ready to release the deluxe version with three to five new cuts on it. I can’t name all of the artists on it, but we’ve got MF Doom on one. We’re putting that out on 45-inch box set and digital,” said Preem.

As far as the other artists, one of those could be Eminem, as rumor was floating around the industry last year that “Wishin’” was to feature both Em and Common, before the original album was officially released. That didn’t pan out, obviously, but perhaps it will this time around? Time will tell.

Another selection from the next-gen re-release of Grand Theft Auto V for PS4 and X-Box One..

Roc Marciano speaks with Forbes DVD in a rare interview piece. He explains the story behind his name, cites his influences, and says it’s his dream to record an album with MF Doom.

Cult rap super villain MF Doom will team with buzzworthy 17 year old Rockland County, NY emcee, Bishop Nehru, for the NehruvianDOOM project. The project drops September 22nd on Lex Records, who also handled the last couple of projects for DOOM, such as Born Like This and the JJ Doom album. Here’s everything we know about it:

1. Despite The Two Artists’ Age Gap, The Duo Have Excellent Chemistry Together: It’s clear that Doom sees a bit of himself in Bishop Nehru, as he himself entered the game as KMD’s Zev Love X, at the peachfuzz bearing age of 17. Despite Doom’s age of 43, he recognizes Nehru’s authenticity. “He an old soul. He built for this. I can tell by his level of talent, his level of focus. MC’s are born. You can’t make an emcee out of someone that wasn’t born to do this,” Doom said in the Beyond The Mask mini-documentary about the album. Bishop, who was already a fan of Doom, feels the same. “The person who is mentoring you is someone you’ve been listening to for years and someone you’re a fan of… I’m a huge fan of Doom, and when I met him, it was just an instant vibe,” he said.

2. DOOM Is The Producer, Bishop Nehru Is The MC: As Bishop explained in an interview with The Village Voice, he is the primary emcee of the group, but Doom chimes in from time-to-time, as well. “Well it’s titled NehruvianDOOM. It’s DOOM producing the beats and I’m rapping over them, though he’s going to be on some of the songs too. We don’t have any outside features, it’s just me and him,” said Nehru.

3. The Cover Art Was Illustrated By “Adventure Time” Creator, GHOSTSHIMP. – And it just might be the best looking rap album cover of the year. See above.

4. It Started Off As A 7 Song EP, Then Turned Into A 9-Song Album: The tracklist is as follows.

1. Intro
2. Om
3. Mean The Most
4. So Alone
5. Coming For You
6. Darkness (HBU)
7. Caskets
8. Great Things
9. Disastrous

5. The Project Came About After Bishop Rapped Over Some Doom Beats On His Nehruvia Mixtape. Bishop was opening for Doom and Ghostface in London, and was suddenly approached by the Metal Faced rapper. “Doom comes walking up the steps, all nonchalant, like he’s not DOOM,” Bishop told DJ Vlad earlier this year. “He was just like, ‘Yo, dope music man. I appreciate the love and support, you wrecked those beats.’ I guess he heard the tracks I recorded for my first project, Nehruvia. I used a beat of his on there, two of them (“Elder Blossoms” & “Lemon Grass”). I guess he heard them and was like ‘Yo man, dope. I appreciate it. Tell your people to hit up my people.’”

Check out those tracks that led to the creation of this project below.

6. Aside from “Darkness”, It’s All Original Production: DOOM has often been criticized for using previously released beats from his Special Herbs instrumental album series for his vocal projects. While the first single revealed from the project, “Darkness”, uses a beat from the series, the rest is reportedly all previously unheard beats from MF. Check both “Darkness” and “OM” below. “OM” also features an appearance from Doom on the hook.

Watch for Bishop Nehru and MF Doom’s NehruvianDOOM, September 22nd on Lex Records.

We finally have a cover, tracklist, release date (Sept 22nd) and new single for NehruvianDOOM for Lex Records. Pre-Orders are up now.

1. Intro
2. Om
3. Mean The Most
4. So Alone
5. Coming For You
6. Darkness (HBU)
7. Caskets
8. Great Things
9. Disastrous

Stones Throw’s own Jonwayne rapping over about 20 DOOM beats in about 5 minutes.

Go behind the scenes of MF Doom and Bishop Nehru’s upcoming project, NehruvianDOOM. XXL spoke with the mysterious rapper overseas in London, England, to discuss the new project, being a mentor to Bishop and what we can expect from the release.

In this short video, Doom lets folks know that he will be performing at the Check The Rhyme festival in France. But that is not what makes this video cool. That honor belongs to Doom’s new gold mask….

MF Doom and Bishop Nehru will collaborate on the upcoming collaborative album, NehruvianDOOM, to be released on Lex Records later this year. Here is a preview of the album artwork, by GHOSTSHIMP who created the world of Adventure Time. No word on release date yet, but the latest word is that the project has gone from EP to full length LP.

On the 15th anniversary of MF Doom’s seminal debut album, Operation Doomsday, we present our original review of the album, published on HipHopSite on April 20th, 1999. Our original rating was 4 out of 5, but today we recognize this as a 5 @ classic that it is.

MF Doom – Operation: Doomsday – @@@@@

In the early 90′s, KMD dropped one of the most slept on hip-hop classics of all time with Mr. Hood. The crew planned a follow up to that album with “Black Bastards”, but their label decided against it because of controversial album artwork that showed a character painted in blackface hanging from a tree. That was the last we heard from the group, (until their lost material was released last year) and their luck only get worse, as their DJ, Subroc, who was also brother to group member Zev Love X, died after being hit by a car. KMD’s other member, Onyx, left the group, and thus the crew was disbanded.

Enter MF Doom. Similar to the original Marvel Comics’ Dr. Doom, after tragedy struck him, Zev Love X abandoned the person he was, and put on the Metal Face of Doom. Soon after the Monster Island crew was born, which included Doom, as well as another M.F.er, the rumored wheelchair bound, Metal Fingers Grimm, who also reincarnated himself after making little noise on projects from Kool G Rap and a lost KMD remix, as the Grimm Reeper.

Via Bobbito’s Fondle ‘Em label, Doom started to release 12″ after 12″ of tracks that were the furthest thing from conventional hip-hop imaginable, but somehow still very inviting. Doom’s style wasn’t like the off key, off beat, annoying sound of your typical Company Flow clone, but instead a strange selection of beautiful melodic samples, laced with drums in the most unique way possible. Where hooks should have been, they weren’t. Sloppy samples weren’t chopped up with the same precision of the DJ Premiers or Beatnuts that we were used to. Outdated 80’s drum tracks were in the place of progressive beats of today. Unrehearsed rhymes were lazily spit, and sometimes even got buried under some bad mixing. But you know what? It sounded dope.

While many underground heads have anticipated his album, some might be disappointed to only find five new tracks, most of which are overshadowed by the previously released material. Nevertheless, with the new Fantastic Four skits in between, it all comes together nicely, and for the other 99% of the hip-hop audience, it’s an all new listening experience. Standing out among the new tracks is the too groovy “Rhymes Like Dimes”, which features Doom freestyling over the music from one of your dad’s dated pornos. “?” is a phat duet with Kurious featuring the familiar soundtrack that haunts the album’s skits. Otherwise, the classics are all here, with somewhat improved mix downs, still sounding fresh. “Tick, Tick” spotlights MF Grimm , as he slows it down and speeds it up in a schizophrenic manner. “Red & Gold” is a throwback to the early days of hip-hop love ballads, with an incredibly fat sample behind it. “Operation: Greenbacks” and “Dead Bent” are on a similar vibe with the lingering instrumental style that gives Doom’s beats their appeal. And the popular introductory track, “Hey!”, brings back the Scooby Doo loop that made it famous.

Unfortunately, only few will recognize this as quality hip-hop. The same people who can’t recognize the freshness of groups like The Lootpack or Co Flow, will most likely hate this album and quickly cast this away as some wack underground shit. If you consider yourself one of these kinds of people, you are better to leave this one alone. If you think you can open your mind to some innovative, unconventional hip-hop, then check for these Metal-ing kids.

Originally published April 20th, 1999.

Rising young talent Bishop Nehru spoke to Vlad TV about his first meeting with MF Doom, and what it was like to work in the studio with him. He later tweeted that their project together, NEHRUVIANDOOM has grown from an EP to a full-length release.

Hey Nehruvians NEHRUVIANDOOM is no longer an EP and it's officially going to be an Album. K bye.

— Emperor Nehru (@BishopNehru) April 4, 2014

Ten years ago today, we reviewed and rated MF Doom and Madlib’s Madvillainy LP a perfect score of 5 @’s. At the time, we were one of the only rap “publications” to do so. Read on, true believers.

Read: http://www.hiphopsite.com/2004/03/23/madvillain-madvillainy/

DOOM releases this new self-produced remix of the JJ Doom cut originally produced by Jneiro Jarel, in celebration of the release of his new shoe from Clarks Originals. In addition, the beat is made up from noises recorded from the Somerset, UK Clarks factory.