Review by Booklist Review
Daniel Dumile (1971--2020), aka MF DOOM, was a legendary rapper and producer known for his clever wordplay, unique beats, and signature masked persona. Alongside his younger brother Dingilizwe, Dumile recorded two albums in the early 1990s as part of the pioneering rap group KMD. Dingilizwe's tragic death in 1993 profoundly influenced DOOM, who re-hit the scene in 1999 with Operation: Doomsday, quickly establishing himself in underground hip-hop. A lifelong comics fan, DOOM modeled his alter ego after Marvel Comics' Doctor Doom, an iron mask--wearing supervillain also "scarred" by a death in his family. DOOM's response to the commercialization of hip-hop and the "keep it real" 1990s was to keep it unreal, mostly rapping in the third person and creating multiple characters for himself, including a dragon from outer space: "The character can do anything. Regular MCs can't really do that." Fernando (From the Streets of Shaolin, 2021) provides a comprehensive look at DOOM's life and career, meticulously researched through interviews with the rapper's many collaborators and those closest to the man behind the mask. His track-by-track breakdowns of DOOM's albums will have sample spotters diving into their record collections. A perfect pairing with Dan Charnas' Dilla Time (2022), this is an essential exploration into the world of "your favorite rapper's favorite rapper."
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Looking back at a late rapper inspired by comics. Journalist Fernando explores the short and troubled life of the popular masked rapper MF Doom, who died at age 49 in 2020. The London-born Doom was raised in New York and faced challenges early on, including the death of his collaborator brother, Sub, at age 19. The experience doesn't harden him so much as it breaks his heart. "Some part of DOOM was gone when Sub died," says a music executive. This dark period, however, compels the rapper to seek a sort of rebirth, adopting the alter ego Doom from the comic book villain Dr. Doom of the Fantastic Four. One comic book fan describes him as "a compelling villain because he's unabashedly the hero of his own story." A love of cartoons, escape, and fantasy underscores Doom's journey. "DOOM also possessed a time machine like his comic-book alias," the author writes, "taking rap back to the fundamentals of dope beats and clever wordplay." With the release of the albumMadvillainy, Doom becomes "a certified star and no longer simply your rapper's favorite rapper." An insightful celebration of a beloved rapper. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
