The Villain in Black

The Villain in Black is the second full-length solo studio album by American rapper MC Ren. It was released April 9, 1996, through Ruthless Records. The recording sessions took place at the Edge Recording Studios in Inglewood, Audio Achievements in Torrance and Cherokee Recording Studio in Los Angeles. The album was produced by Cold 187um, Dr. Jam, "Big Jess" Willard, and Madness 4 Real. It features guest appearances from Above the Law, J-Rocc, Triggaman, and Khalid Abdul Muhammad.

The album debuted at number 31 on the Billboard 200 and number 7 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, with first-week sales of 31,000 copies. Its lead single, "Mad Scientist", did not make it to the charts. However, the second and final album's single, "Keep It Real", reached number 43 on the Hot Rap Songs chart.