MF DOOM: the legacy of hip-hop’s man behind the metal mask

Viktor Vaughn, Metal Face, the Masked Villain, King Geedorah, Zev Love X, the Supervillain and Daniel Dumile. MF DOOM, your favourite rapper’s favourite rapper and probably mine as well, had more names than one can count. His eclectic personas, incognito concert-going and iconic metal mask blurred the line between fiction and reality, blending DOOM’s character and real-life into just another aspect of his music. He challenged hip-hop fans to see music as detached from the more commercial dichotomy between private and public spheres.

It seems bitterly ironic that a man so known for his many aliases had to pass away on Halloween. His passing, having been revealed two months later on December 31st, is not just a tragedy for fans and hip-hop enthusiasts alike, but for the whole music scene. MF DOOM presented total creativity in making music rivalled by few and was widely respected and revered. After a hazy night out in my first year, as I was chilling to ‘Doomsday’ and its flawless sampling of Sade’s ‘Kiss of Life’, I discovered that my flat-mate adored DOOM as well. Finding someone with whom to share my love for his music was an unmatched experience.

DOOM’s albums completely shifted expectations of hip-hop, and while he frequently adopted common tropes, themes and influences of the genre, … [he] sought to completely challenge the commerciality of the industry

Born in London to Trinidadian Zimbabwean parents and having grown up in Long Island, DOOM embodied the idea of diaspora. In his early KMD days, he took cues from the afro-centricity of A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul, as well as adopting classic American comic characters and drawing inspiration from Japanese film classics like ‘Godzilla vs King Ghidorah’. Such a combination of identities is experienced in the widely scattered nature of his discography.

To collate his entire discography would be a monstrous activity, as it includes 6 full-length albums under DOOM, 9 Special Herbs albums, 2 KMD full-lengths, 2 Viktor Vaughn albums and countless others. I remember being entirely lost as to where to begin when I first discovered DOOM. Make no mistake, however, wherever you start will be a classic listening experience.

Each of MF DOOM’s albums completely shifted expectations of hip-hop, and while he frequently adopted common tropes, themes and influences of the genre, like in his virtuosic sampling of classic tracks like Whodini’s ‘Friends’, DOOM sought to completely challenge the commerciality of the industry. He noted “there’s only one beer left, rappers screaming in our ear like we’re deaf” in his classic rejection of crunk rap’s booming popularity around 2004. The challenges and influence DOOM brought to rap are plainly illustrated by the likes of Joey Bada$$’ seminal debut mixtape 1999 as well as the YouTube gold in which Earl Sweatshirt and Tyler, the Creator, upon finally meeting their idol, fawn over DOOM.

Ultimately, the finest illustration of DOOM’s impact is the sheer volume of people so devastated by his deeply sad passing

It wouldn’t be fair, however, to talk about DOOM’s impact without looking at his humour. In ‘Raedawn’, he teases “Told the streets ‘What you staring at?’ / The sewer cap opened up and said ‘Why you wearing that?’”. ‘Guv’nor’ offers an example of his genius rhyming in “Catch a throatful from the fire vocal / With ash and molten glass like Eyjafjallajökull”. Even classic lines like “Livin’ off borrowed time, the clock ticks faster” or “Only in America could you find a way to earn a healthy buck and still keep your attitude on self-destruct” never lose their novelty and humour. What’s more, the greatness of DOOM can be extended to the fact that he’s virtually the only hip-hop artist who could make skits funny, bar Kanye (maybe).

The most amazing part of DOOM’s work is that you could pick any line from a song and it would probably, if not definitely, be funnier and more provocative than any of his contemporaries’. It is evident from his unfailing creativity, lyrical brilliance and ability to craft curated atmospheres to perfectly fit his LPs that he was a man and artist of his word. This is exemplified in the flawless, grimy and villainous temperament of Viktor Vaughn or the pure joy of Mm.. Food. He doubled up on his humour with his crafty sampling, taking from the anime series Trigun on Take Me to Your Leader and the vibrancy of 70s jazz-rock on ‘Gas Drawls’.

Ultimately, the finest illustration of DOOM’s impact is the sheer volume of people so devastated by his deeply sad passing. I have faith, however, that online communities will be able to share and revel in his genius for a long time, even if only through “Doritos, Cheetos, Fritos” memes on Reddit.