In the late 90s and 2000s, a New York rapper emerged with a familiar vocal cadence, though he was hidden behind a mask. This rapper created a brilliant persona as a supervillain. He leaned heavily into comic book villains and animated superhero shows for sound bites and references. He took on the name MF Doom, covering his face with a signature metal mask. The majority of his persona was based on Doctor Doom, but also on other Marvel Comics villains such as Destro and the Phantom of the Opera.
It didn’t take long for New York underground rap fans to pinpoint whose familiar voice this belonged to underneath the mask. MF Doom’s real name was Daniel Dumile. In the early 1990s, he performed under the name Zev Love X. Dumile was part of the rap group KMD, which stood for “Kausing Much Damage”, with his younger brother DJ Subroc. They made the group a trio, with another rapper by the name of Jade 1. Just before the rap group signed with Elektra Records, they replaced Jade 1 with a rapper going by the name Onyx The Birthstone Kid.
Together, they recorded two albums, with only one being released during their time together. Their debut album, Mr. Hood, was released in 1991. The album charted decently for a debut album from an unknown group. It peaked at No. 67 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Their lead single, “Peachfuzz”, peaked at No. 11 on the Hot Rap Songs chart. The follow-up single, “Who Me?” peaked at No. 19 on the chart.
The Tragic Death of DJ Subroc
In 1993, DJ Subroc and his brother formed another group called Monsta Island Czars. Additionally, he had taken up producing and produced tracks for his fellow Monsta Island collaborators. This group included artists such as 3rd Base, MF Grimm, and Kurious Jorge.
His original group, KDM, began recording their follow-up album in 1993. Tragically, before it was finished, Subroc was struck by a vehicle while attempting to cross the Nassau Expressway on Long Island in New York. Dumile wasn’t with his brother, only hearing about the incident later that same day. Following this tragedy, he stepped away from his rap career and experienced hardship. At one point, Dumile reported that he was nearly homeless and had been sleeping on benches on the streets of Manhattan. He then relocated to Atlanta in the mid-90s.
In 1999, Dumile secretly returned as MF Doom, a supervillain rapper. His brother’s death directly influenced this shift in direction. He began performing at open mics, freestyling without exposing his face. Eventually, he adopted a mask, inspired by the 2000 film Gladiator. He released his debut solo album, Operation: Doomsday, on October 19, 1999. The album became a minor hit, peaking at No. 17 on the Independent Albums chart and No. 24 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Chart. Soon after, the previously unreleased KMD follow-up album was released in 2000.
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, MF Doom released multiple solo albums and collaboration albums, either under the name MF Doom or under a handful of aliases and variations. He became a critically acclaimed and notorious underground rapper. In October 2020, Doom was hospitalized in Leeds, England, due to respiratory issues. He died on October 31, 2020, due to a reaction to his blood pressure medication. His family announced his death two months later, on December 31.
Photo by Ross Gilmore/Redferns
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