The Villain is the second studio album

Studio album

A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

 by Detroit gangsta rapper Trick Trick. It was released on November 11, 2008.

The first single "Let It Fly" features Ice Cube

Ice Cube

O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...

, with production by Lil Jon

Lil Jon

Jonathan Mortimer Smith , better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and occasional disc jockey who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004...

. The album features guests such as Eminem

Eminem

Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...

, Esham

Esham

Rashaam Attica Smith, better known by his stage name Esham , is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan known for his hallucinogenic style of hip hop which he refers to as "acid rap", which fuses rock-based beats and lyrics involving subjects such as death, drug use, evil, paranoia and...

, Ice Cube

Ice Cube

O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...

, Kid Rock

Kid Rock

Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...

 and Lil Jon

Lil Jon

Jonathan Mortimer Smith , better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and occasional disc jockey who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004...

.

Controversy

Within days of release, controversy surrounded this album, revolving especially around anti-homosexual subject matter. This November 11 article published on AllHipHop.com

AllHipHop

AllHipHop.com is a hip hop news website. It was founded in 1998. At five million visitors a month, it is the world's most popular hip hop website. Essence magazine has dubbed it "the CNN of hip-hop". In 2006, AllHipHop won the Rising Stars Award from Black Enterprise magazine. In 2007, PC Magazine...

 pointed out some of the objectionable lyrics on the album, such as “... He’s a fucking faggot so I’m lettin’ off my AK/Bust ‘em in his forehead/He ain’t worth lettin’ live/A man and man shouldn’t raise another man’s kids!” In discussing the album, Trick Trick remarks that “Homosexuals are probably not going to like this album. But it's okay, I don't want their faggot money any goddamn way. It’s just that every time that you turn on the TV, that sissy shit is on, and they act like its fucking okay...and I address that issue. I address it hard as hell.”

In response to this attack on the gay community, AllHipHop.com

AllHipHop

AllHipHop.com is a hip hop news website. It was founded in 1998. At five million visitors a month, it is the world's most popular hip hop website. Essence magazine has dubbed it "the CNN of hip-hop". In 2006, AllHipHop won the Rising Stars Award from Black Enterprise magazine. In 2007, PC Magazine...

 posted an article on November 13 where various gay and lesbian hip-hop musicians responded in a variety of different ways.

Track listing

1. "Villain Intro"
2. "Trick Trick"
3. "U Can Get Fucked Up" (featuring Goon Sqwad)
4. "Who Want It" (featuring Eminem
   Eminem
   Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
   
   )
5. "Can't Fuck Wit My City" (featuring Marv Won & Guilty Simpson
   Guilty Simpson
   Byron Simpson, better known by his stage name Guilty Simpson is a rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He was previously known as Guilt. Over time, he saw that there were more emcees using the alias. In order to set himself apart from the others, he added his last name to become Guilty Simpson. He is...
   
   )
6. "Somethin 4 These Hataz" (featuring Fatts, Diezel & Paradime
   Paradime
   Paradime, birth name Freddie Beauregard, does the turntables and back up vocals for Kid Rock. He first appeared on the Detroit hip-hop scene in 1991 in the form of a solo album, which sold only a few hundred copies...
   
   )
7. "Work Skit"
8. "Let's Work"
9. "Hold On"
10. "Let it Fly" (featuring Ice Cube
    Ice Cube
    O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
    
     & Lil Jon
    Lil Jon
    Jonathan Mortimer Smith , better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and occasional disc jockey who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004...
    
    )
11. "All Around the World" (featuring Royce da 5'9")
12. "2getha 4eva" (featuring Esham
    Esham
    Rashaam Attica Smith, better known by his stage name Esham , is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan known for his hallucinogenic style of hip hop which he refers to as "acid rap", which fuses rock-based beats and lyrics involving subjects such as death, drug use, evil, paranoia and...
    
    , Kid Rock
    Kid Rock
    Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...
    
     & Proof
    Proof (rapper)
    DeShaun Dupree Holton better known as Proof his stage name, was an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. During his career, he was a member of the groups Goon Squad, 5 Elementz, Promatic, and most notably D12...
    
    )
13. "Follow Me"
14. "MF Pimp" (featuring Big Sweetz)
15. "Get it Crackin"
16. "Crazy" (featuring Throatslash)
17. "You Told Me" (featuring C.A.C)
18. "Let It Go" (featuring The Mathis Family)