Official MF DOOM appreciation threadWHO IS DOOM?
Definition "super-villain": a killer who loves children
One who is well-skilled in destruction, as well as buildin'Dumile, the son of a Trinidadian mother and Zimbabwean father, was born in Southeast London, England,[1] then moved with his family to New York and was raised in Long Island.
As Zev Love X, he formed the group KMD with his younger brother Subroc and another MC called Onyx The Birthstone Kid.[1] A&R Dante Ross learned of KMD from the rap group 3rd Bass, and signed them to Elektra Records.
Subroc was struck and killed by a car in 1993 while attempting to cross a Long Island expressway before the release of a second KMD album entitled Black Bastards. With the loss of his brother, Dumile retreated from the hip-hop scene from 1994-1997. He testifies to disillusionment and depression, living "damn near homeless, walking the streets of Manhattan, sleeping on benches". In the late 1990s, he left New York City and settled in Atlanta. According to interviews with DOOM, he was also "recovering from his wounds" and swearing revenge "against the industry that so badly deformed him."
Dumile began to rap at open mic events at the Nuyorican Poets Café in 1998 where he withheld his face by putting a stocking over his head. His new identity was influenced by Marvel Comics supervillain Dr. Doom. He wears the mask while performing and isn't photographed without it, except for very short glimpses in videos such as Viktor Vaughn's "Mr. Clean" and in earlier photos with KMD
The release of Operation: Doomsday in 1999 by independent label Fondle 'Em marked the official turning point for Dumile in his reinvention of himself from a major label recording artist of minor status to independent artist, where he would find his greatest success.
The following year, he began releasing albums of instrumental work, a series known as Special Herbs.
For the last month or so I've been essentially listening to MF DOOM nonstop. My taste in hip hop has been pretty rooted in conscious "back pack" rap for some time, but now I'm slowly getting into the more raw, less refined branch of alternative hip hop. Calling MF DOOM raw may be an understatement. His slurred, intoxicated monotone flow is almost less polished than the RZA's. Yet this maniacal flow is one of his charms, along with his unique wordplay and crazy lyrics.
Givin' y'all nothing but the lick like two broads
Got more lyrics than the church got 'Ooh Lawds
And he hold the mic and your attention like two swords
Or even one with two blades on it
Hey you, don't touch the mic like it's got AIDS on it
It's like the end to the means
Fucked type of message that sends to the fiends
That's why he brings his own needles
And get more cheese than Doritos, Cheetos or Fritos 
And while he's definitely an inventive rapper, he's an even better producer. His sample technique avoids the generic 60's soul of his more mainstream peers, instead focusing on obscure 80's R&B and cartoon samples. Yes, cartoon samples. From the Fantastic Four cartoon dialogue that sets the mood for his albums to actually sampling music from Scooby Doo, his beats are insane.
I was first introduced to Doom a year ago, but simply blew him off as a lazy ass MC. But after hearing his 2004 album Mm Food last month, I was instantly hooked
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Great album, and features some pretty sweet guest appearances. After that I checked out DOOM's album with the awesome producer Madlib. Together they are Madvillain
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The album received universal praise and secured DOOM's place in rap. The production is once again amazing, and DOOM delivers great wordplay here.
Yesterday I got DOOM's debut album...
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Considered an indie classic, Operation Doomsday is really DOOM at his rawest. The mix quality is low, as is the vocal quality even by DOOM's standards. Yet despite this, every song is worth checking out and there are more than a few standout tracks. I'm still "disgesting" the album, but right now this is perhaps my favorite album of his. But if you're going to get into MF DOOM I'd suggest you cop Mm Food first.
