Editing MF Doom (section)

===2002–2004: King Geedorah, Viktor Vaughn, and ''Madvillainy''===
[[File:Madlib in 2003.jpg|thumb|alt=Photo of a man with a short goatee and mustache wearing a durag|[[Madlib]] in late 2003, around the time he was working on ''[[Madvillainy]]'' with Dumile]]In 2003, Dumile released the album ''[[Take Me to Your Leader (King Geedorah album)|Take Me to Your Leader]]'' under his King Geedorah moniker.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Martelli |first=Mark |date=July 7, 2003 |title=King Geedorah: Take Me to Your Leader |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/4443-take-me-to-your-leader/|access-date=January 1, 2021 |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|archive-date=January 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101051505/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/4443-take-me-to-your-leader/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=April 29, 2013 |title=MF DOOM's classic King Geedorah album Take Me To Your Leader re-pressed for 2013 |url=https://www.factmag.com/2013/04/29/mf-dooms-classic-king-geedorah-album-take-me-to-your-leader-re-pressed-for-2013/|access-date=January 1, 2021 |website=[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]]|archive-date=January 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101051505/https://www.factmag.com/2013/04/29/mf-dooms-classic-king-geedorah-album-take-me-to-your-leader-re-pressed-for-2013/|url-status=live}}</ref> In ''Pitchfork'', Mark Martelli described ''Take Me to Your Leader'' as close to a [[concept album]], noting how it lays out the "mythos" of the eponymous King Geedorah.<ref name="martellitmtyl">{{Cite web |last=Martelli |first=Mark |date=July 1, 2003 |title=King Geedorah: Take Me to Your Leader |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/4443-take-me-to-your-leader/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101051505/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/4443-take-me-to-your-leader/|archive-date=January 1, 2021|access-date=January 29, 2021 |website=Pitchfork |language=en}}</ref> Martelli praised the album, particularly tracks such as "One Smart Nigger" which, in his view, were superior to other artists' attempts at [[political hip hop]].<ref name="martellitmtyl" /> ''[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]]'', in a brief notice for a 2013 [[reissue]] of ''Take Me to Your Leader'', called it "arguably the most cinematic" of Dumile's albums from the turn of the 21st century.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 29, 2013 |title=MF DOOM's classic King Geedorah album Take Me To Your Leader re-pressed for 2013 |url=https://www.factmag.com/2013/04/29/mf-dooms-classic-king-geedorah-album-take-me-to-your-leader-re-pressed-for-2013/|access-date=January 29, 2021 |website=[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]] |language=en-US|archive-date=January 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101051505/https://www.factmag.com/2013/04/29/mf-dooms-classic-king-geedorah-album-take-me-to-your-leader-re-pressed-for-2013/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Later in 2003, Dumile released the LP ''[[Vaudeville Villain]]'' under the moniker Viktor Vaughn (another play on Doctor Doom, who is also known as Victor von Doom). ''[[NME]]'' described the Viktor Vaughn persona as "a time travelling street hustler".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Saleh |first=Oumar |date=January 11, 2021 |title=Why 'Vaudeville Villain' is MF DOOM's undersung masterpiece |url=https://www.nme.com/en_asia/features/vaudeville-villain-viktor-vaughn-mf-dooms-undersung-masterpiece-2854152|access-date=January 28, 2021 |website=[[NME]] |language=en|archive-date=January 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125111811/https://www.nme.com/en_asia/features/vaudeville-villain-viktor-vaughn-mf-dooms-undersung-masterpiece-2854152|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Pitchfork'' named ''Vaudeville Villain'' the week's best new album and highlighted its lyricism, writing that Dumile was one of the best writers in rap.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pemberton |first=Rollie |date=September 15, 2003 |title=Viktor Vaughn: Vaudeville Villain |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/8514-vaudeville-villain/|access-date=January 28, 2021 |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |language=en|archive-date=August 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210808053752/https://pitchfork.com/cne-player/player.html?autoplay=false&video=5a09fc8c148bb036f9000017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Sylvester |first=Nick |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/5255-mmfood/ |title=MF DOOM: Mm..Food? Album Review |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=November 15, 2004 |access-date=September 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160912101627/http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/5255-mmfood/ |archive-date=September 12, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Dumile's breakthrough came in 2004 with the album ''[[Madvillainy]]'', created with producer [[Madlib]] under the group name [[Madvillain]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 23, 2015 |title=MF DOOM and Madlib Drop 'Madvillainy' Album 15 Years Ago Today |url=https://www.xxlmag.com/today-hip-hop-mf-doom-madlib-dropped-madvillainy/|access-date=January 3, 2021 |website=[[XXL (magazine)|XXL]] |language=en|archive-date=January 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126121341/https://www.xxlmag.com/today-hip-hop-mf-doom-madlib-dropped-madvillainy/|url-status=live}}</ref> They recorded the album in a series of sessions over two years before a commercial release on March 23, 2004.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thurm |first=Eric |date=March 11, 2014 |title=A decade on, Madvillainy is still a masterpiece from hip-hop's illest duo |url=https://www.avclub.com/a-decade-on-madvillainy-is-still-a-masterpiece-from-hi-1798267017|access-date=January 3, 2021 |website=[[The A.V. Club]] |language=en-us|archive-date=January 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126164711/https://music.avclub.com/a-decade-on-madvillainy-is-still-a-masterpiece-from-hi-1798267017|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Madvillainy'' was a critical and commercial success,<ref name=":0" /> and has since become known as Dumile's masterpiece.<ref name=guardianobit/>

Also in 2004, Dumile released ''[[VV:2]]'', a follow-up LP under the Viktor Vaughn moniker. [[Nathan Rabin]] noted in ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' that ''VV:2'', coming as it did after the commercial and critical success of ''Madvillainy'', represented an unusual career choice for Dumile whereby he went "deeper underground" instead of embracing wider fame.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rabin |first=Nathan|author-link=Nathan Rabin |date=July 26, 2004 |title=Viktor Vaughn: VV:2 Venomous Villain |url=https://www.avclub.com/viktor-vaughn-vv-2-venomous-villain-1798199792|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191124013843/https://music.avclub.com/viktor-vaughn-vv-2-venomous-villain-1798199792|archive-date=November 24, 2019|access-date=January 31, 2021 |website=[[The A.V. Club]] |language=en-us}}</ref>

Later in 2004, the second MF Doom album ''[[Mm..Food]]'' was released by [[Rhymesayers Entertainment]].<ref name="guardianobit">{{Cite news |last=Beaumont-Thomas |first=Ben |date=December 31, 2020 |title=MF Doom, iconic masked hip-hop MC, dies aged 49 |url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/dec/31/mf-doom-iconic-masked-hip-hop-mc-dies-aged-49|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101172359/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/dec/31/mf-doom-iconic-masked-hip-hop-mc-dies-aged-49|archive-date=January 1, 2021|access-date=January 1, 2021 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> ''Pitchfork'' gave the album a positive review.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sylvester |first=Nick |date=November 15, 2004 |title=MF DOOM: Mm..Food? |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/5255-mmfood/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160912101627/http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/5255-mmfood/|archive-date=September 12, 2016|access-date=January 31, 2021 |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |language=en}}</ref> Nathan Rabin described it as a "crazy pastiche" but argued that it grew more coherent on repeated listening.

Around this time, he also appeared in a voice role in the [[Adult Swim]] animated series ''[[Perfect Hair Forever]]'' as Sherman the [[giraffe]].