MF Doom, masked rapper with complex rhymes, dead at 49

Daniel Doomel, the masked rapper who played MF Doom and built a permanent underground fan base through his wordplay and his comic book character, passed away on October 31, according to a statement released by his family on Thursday. He was 49 years old.

Rhymesayers, a rap record label, delivered the statement, which was signed by Dumel’s wife, Yasmin. The poster did not provide details of the cause of death or why the information was shared after two months.

More than six solo albums were released between 1999 and 2009 and five collaborative LPs albums (with Madlib and Danger Mouse, among others). Between 2004 and 2018, Mr. Dumile honed an intricate and imaginative style, inviting esoteric and low-key references as well as caricatures In words, you can be touching.

Born in London and raised on Long Island, Mr. Domill grew up steeped in the influences of early hip hop. He made his debut in 1989 on the 3rd Bass track The ‘gas face’ With a prominent cameo that helped him land a record deal for his own group, KMD, as he sang the song Zev Love X. The cast included his brother, Dingilizwe, who sang under the name DJ Subroc, and his debut album, “Mr. Hood,” in 1991 on the brand Main Elektra. While recording KMD’s second album, “Black Bastards,” Subroc was killed in a car accident, and the company later refused to release the record. Mr. Domelle went underground, and disappeared from the entertainment field, but he continued working on music privately while raising his son.

He reappeared in 1997 with the single “Dead Bent” His first song is under the name Metal Face Doom. (The character was a nod to the villain Marvel Doctor Doom.) Around the time of the 1999 release of the album “Operation: Doomsday”, which featured a compelling character on its cover, he began hiding his face in public, initially with a storage mask, and then With the metallic mask that became his signature.

at A 2009 interview in The New YorkerMr. Dumail said the mask became necessary as he jumped from studio to stage. He said, “I wanted to go up to the stage and public speaking, without people thinking about the ordinary things that people think.” “The visual always makes a first impression. But if there is a first impression, I might use it to control the story. So why not do something like throw a mask?”

He was once an underground cult figure, and Mr.Dumail’s mid-term albums propelled him to even greater fame. Madvillainy, which arrived in 2004 with producer Madlib, was a breakthrough. Pop music critic Keleva Sanneh wrote, “He delivers long, free associative poems full of side hops and unexpected twists.” New York times, 2004 Concert review. “You think you know where it’s going and what each sentence will mean when it ends. Then it bends.”

In the same year, he released his album “MM .. FOOD” (anagrams for his stage name), which included such pieces as “Gumbo”, “Kon Queso” and “Kon Karne”. In rap about the seemingly mundane topic of foolish and witty food, Mr Domill Spin said In 2004 he was “showing respect for human life”.

“I am more like a dressy writer than a freelance writer,” Mr. Dumail She told the Chicago Tribune In the same year. “I love designing my things, and I consider myself an author.”

Mr. Dumail slammed on various characters and later became known for sending scammers on stage to make performances for fans; It was hard to tell the difference in his trademark metallic mask. The body often doubles fans with disappointment but sparked viral moments online, like when MF Doom appeared in concert It turns out Comedian Hannibal Borse.

Although he did not reach mainstream stardom, Mr. Dumille was widely admired by fellow rappers and producers, as well as loyal fan following. Books “was your favorite MC” Q-tip From a tribe called Quest on Twitter. In a post on Instagram, s He wrote, “Thank you for always keeping it strange and raw. It has inspired us all and always will be.”

In 2017, Mr. Dumail Advertise on social media That his son, King Malachi Ezekiel Dumail, died at the age of fourteen. Information on survivors was not immediately available.

Karen Ganz contributed to the report.