The Supervillain: Remembering MF DOOM, the metal-masked rapper
In the Batman film — “The Dark Knight” — which was released back in 2008, Harvey Dent tells Bruce Wayne one line that resonates with most who watch it.
“'You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
The coincidental and profound thing about this quote is that Dent is the villain “Two-Face” who dons halves that make up a singular look — one being normal and the other a bit grotesque, similar to a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. While the other, Wayne, is the iconic Batman.
Either way you look at it, both wear a mask to make up who they are — whether because it’s natural like Dent after a tragic accident, or it’s by moral choice, similar to Wayne..
This Halloween commemorates someone who carried out what Dent and Wayne did in regard to masks. They chose to wear one that after time passed, it became natural for them.
That person is MF DOOM.
To answer the question one may have after seeing that name (and photo): Yes, he was a real person, not someone who was from a comic book, although he did look like quite the character. More specifically, he adopted elements from Marvel’s Doctor Doom.
Daniel Dumile (DOOMee- lay) died five years ago at age 49 due to an allergic reaction from medication — while in hospital care — that caused him to develop angiodema (BBC News). The condition causes severe swelling underneath the skin.
At the time, multiple outlets reported that a trust from St. James’s Hospital in Leeds (the UK) apologized for the “substandard care” for the man. A death that could have been prevented, hip-hop heads turn to Halloween, the day that the masked rapper died, to remember him.
A bit ironic, huh? The holiday that everyone wears a mask or pretends to be someone else, MF DOOM dies on that particular day, which is something that adds to the ongoing mystique surrounding him. More so, in 2020, the pandemic had people wearing masks for protection from COVID-19.
Unorthodox and unconventional, MF DOOM broke traditional practices in music to become who he is. In a genre/industry that glorified — then and now — those who look like they live a lavish lifestyle with songs that may promote braggadocious means, MF DOOM was far from that.
Besides the metal mask, MF DOOM, well to put it lightly, looks like a normal person.
He would almost never shave — his beard could be seen through the uncovered parts of the mask. For those who like to keep a clean look, know that if you have facial hair, one should brush and line it up with some clippers. But no, not MF DOOM.
For his clothing, he would wear a traditional T-shirt and a jacket — something that has some urban-styled element to it. He’d also rock polos unbuttoned with a fitted baseball cap that looked like it could be knocked off his head with the smallest utter. Even more comically, he would sometimes wear rectangular glasses that are presumed to be prescribed over the metallic mask he would never take off.
Most importantly, the man had a pot belly that could be seen from his shirt — quite contrary to artists who usually show off skin to gain some fandom.
The lyrics of MF DOOM are like a melting pot or cauldron filled with different ingredients. Unpredictability is one of the traits that helped define the style that he wanted to convey. Sometimes, he would rhyme fast, or he would rhyme slow. Other times, one could hear his lyrics from the heart like a stethoscope. Then there are lines where one has to playback the track to understand what he’s even referring to, having listeners saying, “Well, who knows?”
When someone dies, it’s easy to tell stories of them as if it were a highlight reel — with their tragic tales or traits being brushed to the side like dust off an old vinyl record. He wasn’t perfect, but none of us are.
From the musician’s standpoint, the industry is argued to not have liked him so much because of how he carried himself — he didn’t look anything like what artists at the time looked like, even now. MF DOOM wasn’t always one with a mask, prior to his transformation, he was Zen Love X — a younger adult whose rap style was quicker, wittier and had comedic undertones to it. This vendetta that Dumile had against the music industry was because of a harsh history with them — he was dropped from his label and at the same time, his brother tragically died in a car accident.
This caused him to go into hiding for years and return with this adopted villainous personality.
It’s also reported that he had health problems, such as kidney disease and hypertensive heart disease (BBC News). More so, in his music, he makes more than a bottle-filled amount of references to alcohol. Although not confirmed, it is speculated he had a problem with alcohol abuse. In addition, true to the comic book character, there are media posts on Reddit, YouTube and more where he allegedly sent “DOOMbots” to carry out his shows/performances for him.
Imagine that: You pay to see your favorite artist, only for it to be a doppleganger.
In his defense, Doctor Doom from the Marvel comics did have Doombots to help in his endeavors. So, one can argue that MF DOOM was really true to the character/persona he was portraying.
Media platforms have recently shown tributes to MF DOOM. Whether you’re watching TV or on the internet, you’ll probably see a commercial for the AI assistant Claude. The superhero/villain-esque song that plays in the background is “ALL CAPS” — which is one of the artist’s songs.
The show “Atlanta” — which was written by Donald Glover aka “Childish Gambino” — even has an episode where it’s a heartfelt love letter to MF DOOM and his death. In addition, MF DOOM’s bandcamp seems to be busy as of late and repressings of his work, as well as merchandise can be seen for sale.
Although his music may not be for everyone or his life choices, he’s an artist’s artist whose legacy is still remembered today. More so, he was someone who didn’t allow grief or the past determine his future. Ultimately, the mask wasn’t something that Dumile hid behind. In fact, it helped propel him to the forefront and to lead by example by going against the grain of expectations, as well as stereotypes.
It’s still up to debate whether hip-hop’s supervillain is actually a hero. No matter what, there’s one thing to never forget when it comes to the masked rapper.
“Just remember, ALL CAPS when you spell the man name.”