Obituary: Daniel Dumile. ‘showing up to class with moet in the flask’
It would be difficult to put in to words the impact Daniel Dumile, otherwise known as MF DOOM, had on the beats and rhythm of what we call life. So before I try, a photo:
Madvillainy taking its rightful place…
To really get a grasp of the web the masked villain spun, it goes a long way to appreciate that at his artistic origins, him and his brother's KMD appeared on the 'Daisy Age' collection including De La and Tribe, with the song 'Peachfuzz'. Its unmistakable piano intro playing under the dulcet brag of his brother.
‘Heavy D, yo, the girls they love me! They love me, I just know it!’
An ode to DOOM…
The KMD face in the back eventually leading them to lose their record deal.
The death of his brother moved Dumile (at this point known as ZevloveX) away from the flowery hop we associate with the Jungle Brothers, to the Mask.
With the veil of mystery now overshadowing DOOM, many would not realise that under various guises, his own half comic book half space cadet trip universe began to take shape: King Geedorah, Viktor Vaughn and most notably MadVillain (paired with iconic producer Madlib) to name a few.
Not to say this universe was half baked: the intricacies in which DOOM's lyrics were constructed reflected his lexical precision: the samples in each album creating a background of mystery fitting for the supervillain.
In this respect, MM.. FOOD and NehvarianDOOM provide to me, his crown jewels.
NEHVARIANDOOM!
ommmmmmmmm…….
MM FOOD:
an album with a lyrical lexicon surrounding Food, and the 1950s Marvel samples used to portray the ‘Masked Villain’
More proof? The identity of Mr. Fantastik, a big big feature in Rapp Snitches (FOOD) and Anti Matter (Geedorah), his true identity unknown to all other than DOOM.
More? DOOM notoriously sent fake DOOMs onto stage to perform gigs, not through pretention, but genuine belief that the mask meant more than anyone could be behind it.
In the age of fast fame, such discipline in his own message is something that will not be seen again.
Daniel Dumile donned the mask, made DOOMsday and created a world.
MF DOOM is now back 'where my brother went'
Audible Tributes:
NTS-
https://www.nts.live/shows/spacebass/episodes/ldldn-mf-doom-special-16th-january-2021
Loyle Carner on his BBC1Xtra show-
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000r4j5
Words by Aman Conan