Hip-hop artist MF DOOM dead at 49
MF DOOM performs during the Pitchfork Music Festival at Union Park on July 18, 2009 in Chicago. Courtesy: Roger Kisby/Getty Images.
The wife of underground hip-hop icon MF DOOM on Thursday announced that he died on Oct. 31. The rapper, whose name was Daniel Dumile, was 49.
“Thank you for all the things you have shown, taught and given to me, our children and our family,” wrote Jasmine Dumile, his wife. “My world will never be the same without you. Words will never express what you and Malachi mean to me, I love both and adore you always. May THE ALL continue to bless you, our family and the planet.”
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MF DOOM had an illustrious career, first as Zev Love X with hip-hop group KMD; with his younger brother DJ Subroc. His younger brother died in 1993. After stepping away from music for a few years, Dumile returned as MF DOOM, rapping at open mics while obscuring his face with a stocking, a precursor to the iconic metal face mask evoking the infamous Marvel villain that he would later don.
His debut solo release, Operation: Doomsday in 1999, is essential listening. Since then, Dumile has collaborated with a wide array of artists like Madlib, Danger Mouse and Czarface—releasing the critically acclaimed works Madvillainy, The Mouse and the Mask and Czarface Meets Metal Face. Other notable works from his solo career include Take Me to Your Leader (under the alias King Geedorah), Vaudeville Villain (as Viktor Vaughn), Mm.. Food and Born Like This.
MF DOOM maintained a private life. His son passed away in 2017. Throughout his career, Dumile employed what fans have come to call “Doombots,” in reference to the Marvel Comics villain Doctor Doom’s use of robot duplicates of himself, as stand-ins during performances—notably with comedian Hannibal Buress taking to the stage impersonating the rapper. Many voices in the hip-hop community have expressed an outpouring of grief for the master MC, including the likes of Cage, Danny Brown, Denzel Curry, EL-P, JPEGMAFIA, Lupe Fiasco, QTip, and Tyler the Creator.
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safe travels villain
— Tyler, The Creator (@tylerthecreator) December 31, 2020
RIP to another Giant your favorite MC’s MC .. MF DOOM!!
crushing news…— QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 31, 2020
Follow editor Tim Hoffman at Twitter.com/hipsterp0tamus.