In his last hours, 2020 managed to throw us another hurdle when the world learned that MF DOOM, the mysterious masked rapper and hip hop legend, had died at the age of 49. The rapper’s death was first announced by his wife, Jasmine, on his Instagram page. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed. But MF DOOM representative Richie Abbott confirmed that the rapper, whose real name was Daniel Dumile, had died months earlier, on October 31.
When we said goodbye to 2020 and pinned our hopes on the new year, fans around the world wept. An icon, one of the largest ever, has passed. Well-known for his intellect, wit and intricate rhyme scheme, Dumile has established himself as one of the most qualified speakers of the genre. However, there is one thing that has made his legend more recognizable than anyone else: his mask. That’s what Daniel Dumile, MF DOOM did
To understand MF DOOM, you need to understand the mask and the story behind it.
Dumile went through several pseudonyms before becoming MF DOOM as we know him now. From KMD to King Geedorah, Madvillainy, Viktor Vaughan and Zev Love X – DOOM also made beats under their pseudonym Metal Fingers. Each nickname had a different personality and history. DOOM’s identity was originally created based on Doctor Doom, the fictional supervillain. DOOM appeared on the hip hop scene performing at open mic events in New York using socks and bandanas to cover his face.
However, the history of hip hop was made when the famous graffiti artist Lord Scotch designed a mask by deconstructing a helmet used in the film Gladiator. Wearing the bulky piece, the metal-faced DOOM fully embraced the image of the comic book villain as opposed to the stereotypical rap gangster. He summed it up perfectly in the following line of “Figaro”: “The best undercurrent MC you’ve ever heard.”
In many ways, the masked rapper was ahead of his time. By avoiding the celebrity hype while dominating the game, DOOM proved that being a rapper has nothing to do with chains or influence, but the search for true art. In a 2009 New Yorker article, he told writer Ta-Nehisi Coates that the mask “came out of necessity”.
“I wanted to go on stage and pray, without people thinking about the normal things people think about. Like girls saying ‘Oh, he’s sexy’ or ‘I don’t want him, he’s ugly’ you get up,” he said. Dumile. “A look always makes a first impression. But if there is a first impression, I can also use it to control the story. So why not do something like put on a mask?”
And the ranks of anonymous Internet-era artists are part of that legacy, from country-trap singer RMR to Leikeli47 in Brooklyn and London’s AutoTune trap king M Huncho.
In addition to the industry, the DOOM mask was an emblem for legions of children on the outskirts. The underdog who was at the top of the game. His comic rhymes changed the script for hip hop’s long history of praising the bad guy. Spitting out extremely mind-boggling lines, full of jokes that would embarrass even names like Eminem and Lil Wayne.
DOOM also used the mask to perform some of his most controversial stunts. In the work of a true supervillain, Dumile became known for sending con artists on stage to perform for fans with his trademark metal mask. The imposters irritated fans and provoked outrage. Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2009, he shrugged, saying, “I tell you one thing: when you come to a DOOM show, come expecting to hear music, don’t expect to see.”
In recent years, DOOM has stayed out of the public eye, avoided interviews and offered few updates. In addition to a few guest appearances, things went quiet. So when news broke on New Year’s Eve that the masked man had passed away months earlier, a feeling arose among fans and other artists: we may not have mentioned DOOM while discussing our lists of best MCs, but for many he was among the best to do that. The phrase “your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper” is used a lot when discussing OGs, but when Q-Tip said about DOOM in tribute, it rang true.
With the mask, MF DOOM established himself as the most confused and intriguing godfather of hip hop. And even in death, he remains unmistakably one of the most influential and brilliant MCs of all time.
Rest in peace, MF DOOM.