The first thing to say about MF Doom is that there are many things to say about MF Doom. But let's start at the end. MF Doom died on October 31, 2020 and the news was made public only two months later, on the last day of the year that just ended. To a mysterious life, an even more mysterious death. The rapper who hid his face also hid his death. An anomaly in times of super exposure for a rapper with millions of followers on his social networks and millions of clicks on streaming platforms.
Let's now put things in their place: MF Doom was one of the artists who best mastered the art of rhyme in the history of mankind. Master of multisyllabic and holorrima, he understood musical language from the musicality of language. One of its best-known bars is a class of form and content as indissoluble and mutually conditioning elements.
Thus begins "Figaro", by the indispensable Madvillainy (2004, with Madlib as producer).
The rest is empty with no brain, but the clever nerd
The best emcee with no chain ya ever heard
In those two verses, there are (not counting the words that are repeated) five rhymes. And now the translation to understand that in that homophonic density there is also a density of meaning. Of course, MF Doom is selling himself here because the egotry of hip hop was in his DNA, but he did it with a critique of the rest of the scene. The smart nerd is him as opposed to a content-depleted mainstream. Being a "rapper without chains" is, on the one hand, a position towards bling bling (the ostentation of gold and hip hop jewels); but also a cry of self-management. Madvillainy, considered one of the best underground albums in the history of hip hop, was released independently, without being tied to a label.
MF Doom, born in London on January 9, 1971 as Daniel Dumile, did not have the popularity of an Eminem or a Kanye West, but his contributions to hip hop were just as important. His peers praised him so much that he was often called "your favorite rapper's favorite rapper." Questlove, Tyler, The Creator, Noname, Ghotface Killah and Flying Lotus were just some of them who publicly expressed their admiration and sadness after the announcement.
MF Doom began his musical career in New York, where he moved with his family (mother born in Trinidad and Tobago and father born in Zimbabwe) from a young age, first as a DJ and then as an MC in open mic competitions. Together with his younger brother DJ Subroc, he formed the group KMD when his alias was still Zev Love X. The peak of his career, however, would only come to him in the early 2000s after editing Operation Doomsday (1999), his solo debut.
Throughout most of his career, MF Doom (named after the Marvel villain Doctor Doom) appeared in public wearing a metal mask, so his actual face is not known. In fact, several times, almost like a troll towards his own character, in his shows he did not appear but someone with his mask (Los Brujos but from there).
Between 2003 and 2005, his state of total grace: Take Me to Your Leader (2003), Vaudeville Villain (2003), Venomous Villain (2004), Mm._ Food (2004), the aforementioned Madvillainy (2004) and The Mouse and the Mask (2005, with Danger Mouse). Everything recorded there includes his best resources as an MC and his head of producer. The rhymes are complex (Mm. Food is conceptual about food, full of metaphors and humor), the flow is direct but without losing the vibe (there is something of A Tribe Called Quest in there) and the music combines jazz, soul, r & b, noise and a sound that refers to the rap of the late 80s and early 90s, the so-called "Golden Age" of hip hop.
While the mainstream hip hop of the third millennium took over the MTV screens, MF Doom found his best moment without giving concessions and adjusting his imaginary as a comic book villain until he became a cult character, who was gaining popularity as he was discovered by the new generations.
In 2017, he reported the death of his son King Malachi Ezekiel Dumile without revealing the cause, just as now his wife Jasmine did not reveal the cause of hers.
Between the two months that passed from the death of MF Doom until it became public knowledge, "Chocolate Conquistadors" appeared, a song that he recorded with the BadBadNotGood for the GTA video game. At the time, the world thought MF Doom was alive. A launch from limbo.
MF Doom was a master of mystery until the day of his death (and beyond as well). A rhyming genius and a vital energy for hip hop from its inner core. One of those characters who never needed the mainstream and preferred to make his story (and tell it) on the side of the road. Or, even more, below. Underground.
With the death of MF Doom, hip hop lost its favorite villain. And also one of his heroes. Although it has been of a rare species.