Your favourite rapper’s favourite rapper!

MF DOOM is perhaps one of the most innovative and influential rappers to grace all of hip-hop - Tag explores how it all began

Born in Hounslow, London in 1971 to a Trinidadian mother and Zimbabwean father, Daniel Dumile was the eldest of five children; although later raised in Long Beach, New York, he was born in London as his mother was visiting family. Later on when Daniel and his brother Dimbaze were teenagers they formed a graffiti group called KMD (Kausing Much Damage) and later on in 1988, they formed a rap group under the same name with Onyx the Birthstone Kid. The two brothers went under the aliases DJ Subroc (Dimbaze) and Zev Love X (DOOM). The trio got their first big break when Zev Love X featured on a 3rd Bass record ‘The Gas Face’. After hearing the verse, 3rd Bass decided to take the group on tour with them as an opener where they were scouted and signed by Elektra Records in 1991. Elektra Records were a prestigious label with past signings of Queen, AC/DC and Metallica. With this signing they released their first studio album ‘Mr Hood’ which was a major success and gained the trio a lot of respect in the underground rap community. However, this success was short-lived as in 1993 they were creating their second studio album when DJ Subroc (Daniel’s brother) was killed in a car accident. The now duo decided to complete the album as they decided it’s what Subroc would have wanted. Unfortunately, when Zev Love and Onyx brought the album to Elektra they rejected it as they claimed the album was too dark citing the graphic cover art of a figure being lynched. Following this Daniel was “near homeless” for weeks.

Birth of MF DOOM

Daniel then took a two-year hiatus; a time in which many believe the supervillain of rap was born. Daniel then returned with a new persona, MF DOOM (metal face when rapping and metal fingers when producing), the supervillain of rap, he began releasing singles on vinyl to drum up hype for his next project, Operation: Doomsday. This project is an assemblance of personal interest, tragedy and madcap creativity. It contains chalky cartoon samples and DOOM’s predilection for anonymity. This album also doubles as a blueprint for aspiring independent artists in the following ways. First and foremost, establishing a clear identity. For DOOM it was his 1960s cartoons. From the onset of the album, DOOM drew an obvious line between comic book culture and rap music. This connection grows stronger throughout the album containing skits without any rap in them and simply the sample cartoon. Along with instrumentals and eccentric lyrics about the tragic beginnings of his homonymous counterpart Doctor Doom in skits like ‘Hands of Doom’ and ‘Back in the Days’. These samples are used as a direct link to DOOM’s emotional and physical trauma which started a trend with rappers like Kanye West, Tyler the Creator and Joey Bada$$ in using their samples as a voice to project their thoughts and feelings. The next is an ear-catching rhyme scheme. DOOM’s rhymes are what makes the artist so legendary with songs like ‘Meat Grinder’, ‘Gas Drawls’ and ‘Kon Queso’ this type of unorthodox rhyming style caught on and again inspired many underground rappers we see today like MIKE, Denzel Curry, Billy Woods and even Lil B the BasedGod releasing a single named MF Based, many finding out DOOM’s style is a lot harder than it looks.

Madvillainy and MM Food

After this awe-inspiring album, Dumile did not record another solo album until 2003, however, he did release some singles and an EP with MF Grimm in this two-year break. He then returned with a new persona King Geedorah, a three-headed serpent using mind control to brainwash the planet through DOOM; the album was called ‘King Geedorah: Take Me to Your Leader.’ This is still regarded as one of the artist’s greatest projects, despite the abstract character at the forefront of the album. In that same year DOOM further expanded his universe with the release of ‘Vaudeville Villain’ by Viktor Vaughn who represents a younger side of Dumille who wanted to follow what younger crowds were doing. In the song ‘Doom on Vik’ he states “Vik is more cutting edge, whatever the new stuff is or these new MCs are doing. But he still appreciates the oldschool art of rhyming. So there’s still a level of sincerity to Viktor’s stuff, but it’s still younger and newer, you know what I’m saying? And he rhymes over whatever beat, it don’t matter.”

Superfan approval

Tag spoke with music student and MF DOOM uberfan Iona Luecker. Here’s what she had to say.

You say you’re one of DOOM’s biggest fans, so we have to ask what’s your favourite album of his?

My favourite album is probably MM..Food because it has so many iconic tracks that have almost turned into the soundtrack of my life in some way. I think my number one on that project is probably Rap Snitch Knishes just because it’s so iconic.

How has DOOM’s music affected your life? DOOM for me opened the door to underground rap and music as a whole. When you take a look back at the amount of rappers he’s inspired over the years, it truly is incredible.

How did you come across DOOM and his music in the first place?

I first came across MF DOOM scrolling through YouTube one time and saw this man staring at me through the thumbnail with this incredible mask and a blank face. I was just so intrigued, I clicked on the video and watched the entirety of it and after I listened to his music alone for about a month because I was so obsessed.

What’s your favourite of DOOM’s alteregos?

I think my favourite of the alter-egos has got to be Viktor Vaughn [...] some of the tracks he’s featured on and that first Viktor Vaughn album is probably one of my favourite DOOM projects of all time.

What is it about him that makes him so likeable?

I think what makes DOOM so likeable is the image that he puts across [,] his elusiveness, which makes him stick out from other rappers. I also believe it’s his lyricism and rhythm that’s so different from the rest.

MF DOOM’s Death

On New Year’s Eve 2020 into ‘21 fans around the world heard that MF DOOM had passed away. Some may have met the news with scepticism as it felt exactly like the type of prank Hip Hop’s supervillain would pull off. He allegedly died earlier on Halloween, the holiday that celebrates fear, masks and mischief, and his family waited until NYE to break the news. But then the news was confirmed, and after the loss sunk in, fans could be humbled knowing this would be exactly how DOOM would have wanted the news to break about his passing, giving one last villainous jeer on his way out.