Madlib Speaks On MF DOOM's Passing: "I Still Can't Believe That He Died"

"We talked last year and everything seemed fine," Madlib said in a recent interview.

Madlib recently spoke on MF DOOM's passing in an interview with NPR.

While discussing his forthcoming new album Sound Ancestors, the producer was asked about DOOM's death and said that he learned of it "when everybody else did, on social media."

"His family's very private, so they probably didn't know how to approach that one," he said. "I still can't believe that he died. That's weird."

Madlib also said that the two spoke last year "and everything seemed fine," with the producer still sending him beats and just checking in, "whether it was music or not, talking about our kids or whatever."

Amid news of DOOM's death in October last year surfacing earlier this month, many fans reflected on his Madvillainy album with Madlib. Originally released back in 2004, Madvillainy is considered one of DOOM's most beloved albums. Recently, Stones Throw founder Peanut Butter Wolf offered an update on the long-awaited sequel to Madvillainy.

“DOOM was always telling me ‘It’s 85% done, it’s 85% done.’ That was the magic number,” Wolf said on Pete Rosenberg and Cipha Sounds‘ Juan Ep is Dead podcast. However, as time passed, Wolf explained that it was unclear what could even be included in a proper Madvillainy follow-up, with submitted verses popping up on other people’s albums or being leaked on YouTube.

“I got a little frustrated, and I was just like, you know, ‘It’s gonna happen when it’s gonna happen.’ I don’t wanna be the guy to force creativity or anything,” he said, before adding that he does have approval from DOOM’s team and family to compile the completed material into an offiicial release.