Doomsday: Halloween commemorates deceased masked rapper

By P.J. Hernandez
Advance News Journal

“Man, you come right out of a comic book!”

That’s what someone may think whenever they see the infamous MF DOOM, a masked rapper who never dared show his face in public. Whether it was in concert or interviews, Dumile (pronounced doom-ee-lay) Daniel Thompson was always rocking a mask. The metallic frame took inspiration from the one that Russell Crowe dons in the film “Gladiator,” as well as Marvel’s Doctor Doom.

With Tuesday marking Halloween, the idea of costumes and masks go hand in hand. The holiday brings joy to the little ones who probably stuffed their bags with candy and adults who have a chance to be someone else for a change.

However, for hip-hop heads and listeners, it’s a somber day.

On Oct. 31, 2020, Daniel Dumile (the name he is commonly referred to as) had died at age 49 to, at the time, unknown causes. For years, fans of the metal-faced rapper were left in this cloud of uncertainty. Most listeners may recall seeing posts on social media by his wife delivering the news. All that was known was he died at a hospital in the United Kingdom, where he was from.

It wasn’t until recently when more details were revealed.

News outlets reported that his wife, Jasmine Dumile, said he had been prescribed ACE inhibitors to help treat his blood pressure (Billboard. com). However, an allergic reaction caused him to develop angioedema, which is swelling under the skin.

Daniel Dumile died due to the condition under hospital care. According to the Billboard article, he entered respiratory arrest due to not being able to breathe.

There’s a lingering question of whether St. James’s Hospital in Leeds could have done more and provided an increase in monitoring. BBC News had reported in a July 7 article that a National Health Services Trust apologized for the “substandard care” to the man.

What made MF DOOM unique wasn’t just the mask, but how he carried himself and the origin of his villainous arc.

His start in the rap industry was under the moniker, Zen Love X, who at the time was this young, smiling artist making music with his brother in the group K.M.D. during the late 80s/early 90s. Sadly, like life does what it does best, it throws bad news like a curveball from pitcher Nolan Ryan.

Dumile’s brother died due to being hit by a motorist and he was dropped from the music label — leaving him to disappear for years, only to return as MF DOOM and vow to take revenge against an industry that had wronged him.

Through slick wordplay, unconventional delivery of verses and rhymes, as well as unique concepts for albums, he was a trailblazer. Instead of doing what others expected of him or what was popular, MF DOOM produced his own tracks, rapped how he wanted to rap and looked how he wanted to look.

There’s that stereotype that rappers need to dress in expensive gear, but the villain had a potbelly and dressed as he was going to go to the grocery store. He even made a mockery of rappers not wearing shirts on his joint, “Beef Rap.”

One of the strongest traits was his unpredictability. With rhymes, it can come with the usual, “I know what they’ll say next,” but MF DOOM would unfold his villainous plans and take listeners for a detour. It’s tough to forget the line, “Got more soul than a sock with a hole,” off the track “Rhinestone Cowboy.”

There’s an album, “MM.. FOOD,” where the tracklist is food items, similar to a restaurant menu. Although, it’s common knowledge that “Madvillainy,” his duo effort with the seasoned Otis Jackson Jr. — aka Madlib — is his magnum opus and a classic. To pack more of a punch with the theme of comic books, that album is like listening to one, each track is less than four minutes — short and sweet like a panel scene.

What adds to the mystique of MF DOOM was he died the year that people were supposed to wear masks — the start of the COVID-19 pandemic — and on Halloween, when people pretend to be someone else.

With a mask to not only shield his identity but to serve as armor against the cold world, it’s tough to label him as simply a hero or a villain. But, no matter what one deems him as, there’s one thing to never forget.

“Just remember, ALL CAPS when you spell the man name.”