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MF DOOM’s Son Daniel Dumile Jr. Speaks On His Art Tribute To His Father

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Since 2021, the untimely death of Hip Hop icon MF DOOM, the cult following that he created before his passing continues to keep his legacy alive and current. However, his artistic passion has been inherited by his firstborn son, Daniel Dumile Jr.  As an artist, Daniel Jr. has become an established force in his own right, but as the successor of the DOOM legacy and the Metal Face brand, the depth and meaning behind the mask can only be explained by the first descendant of DOOM.

Daniel Jr. sat down with The Source Magazine to discuss his most recent art exhibit dedicated to his father and his tribute piece for Hip Hop’s most unrecognizable villain.

Daniel teased an exhibit dedicated to his father earlier this year, but felt that the presentation wouldn’t be complete without his signature tribute piece. When asked why he waited until now to release his tribute piece, Dumile Jr. replied, “It took a minute to get settled after I left the uk. I had the idea to
produce a series of paintings in 2015. For around three years since then I would spend a chunk of my time in the states and rest abroad. Between going to work with my pops, traveling to visit elders, family
losses and the pandemic, I had no time to dedicate towards what I needed to do.”

The tribute is the cornerstone of Dumile’s exhibition dedicated to DOOM; however, his explanation of the mask and the man behind its creation seems a bit deeper than how its been explained in his father’s music. The Metal Face heir’s explanation is elaborate yet practical, saying, “The piece focuses on the idea of the villain. The ellipsis after the word villain serves as an indicator of something more or something being left out.” Daniel further expounds on the villain character, saying, “Villain then ellipsis means villain, then, unexpected/unapparent. The villain character in stories shows the other side of the hero or the side that everyone may not “like”. The tribute piece consists of four main layers that build on a central idea. They all need to be recognized  to get the full picture.”

Fans and critics will always look for the similarities between the father and the son to see the remnants of the art they once revered. Dumile’s demeanor, voice, and even creative process almost mirrors his dad’s. He admits that his value system of “knowledge of self” was instilled in him during the making of Operation Doomsday, adding, “The DOOM style is an off the beaten path style. I watched/listened to my father apply these ideas to his career. I try to apply them visually. The recording of Operation: Doomsday spanned from the early mid nineties to the late nineties. I was given knowledge of self from my grandmother and old dad during that period. At the same time I was being exposed to the “hood”.  My dad showed me how to transfer the feeling of that situation and our ghetto life experiences, into artwork.”

Daniel Dumile Jr.’s artwork is available HERE

The date of the tribute piece’s release has yet to be confirmed.

The post MF DOOM’s Son Daniel Dumile Jr. Speaks On His Art Tribute To His Father first appeared on The Source.

The post MF DOOM’s Son Daniel Dumile Jr. Speaks On His Art Tribute To His Father appeared first on The Source.

Is MF DOOM’s Eldest Son The True Heir To The Metalface Legacy?

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After a recent social media post by the son of the late MF DOOM, the question has been raised as to who inherits the legacy of the infamous Metalface mask?

Daniel Dumile Jr., who holds the namesake of his father who is best known as the Madvillian MF DOOM, posted a picture of a handwritten letter that is allegedly penned by the late rapper/artist that states that his son shall inherit all of his “possessions, assets and interests” when he passes away. Unfortunately, DOOM died on Halloween 2020, but his death wasn’t announced until exactly two months later on New Year’s Eve, with his wife and record label making the delayed announcement.

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With the fact that DOOM did not have a will and this letter was never officially notarized, it leaves room for doubt in the court of public opinion to the validity of the letter as well as possible misappropriation of the assets of one of Hip Hop’s most intriguing figures. Graff artist KEO XMEN was the unofficial point person for the continuum of the popular DDOM throwie, but Dumile Jr. contends that KEO’s rendition of the DOOM is merely a carbon copy of the original.

Daniel, a visual artist, is slated to create a memorial project in the name of his father this upcoming year, but the decision as to who will ultimately be left to inherit and control the legacy of the world famous metal mask.

The post Is MF DOOM’s Eldest Son The True Heir To The Metalface Legacy? appeared first on The Source.

MF Doom’s Metalface Records Is Planning A Reissue Of KMD’s ‘Black Bastards’

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MF DOOM
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This year marks 30 years since KMD‘s iconic album Black Bastards was born. The duo consisted of MF Doom — then called Zev Love X — and his brother DJ Subroc.

The Instagram of the late MF Doom, who died in 2020 at 49, confirmed this week that Black Bastards is getting a special reissue, teasing “Red Vinyl Gatefold Edition,” “Standard Black Vinyl,” and apparel.

The 30-year reissue will come via Doom’s Metalface Records (as noted by various outlets such as Consequence and HipHopDX) on March 31.

KMD released Black Bastards in 2000, but the official website listing the product contextualized the record’s true origin and lasting significance:

“Sadly, Subroc would face a sudden and untimely death in 1993, just as the duo were finishing the album. Grief-stricken, his brother Zev Love X – now the sole remaining member of the group – was determined to carry the legacy of KMD onward, but Elektra Records unceremoniously shelved the project in the eleventh hour, due to controversy surrounding the album’s provocative cover art. Following the fallout with Elektra, Zev tried for years to release the album on other labels, but he was continually met with dead ends. Struggling through the pain of losing his brother, coupled with the inability to release their final project together, a discouraged Zev Love X quietly withdrew from the scene and began quietly plotting his revenge on an industry that had broken him spiritually. Thus, in order to understand the true origin story of the super-villain, MF Doom, one must recognize and appreciate the evolution of his former group, KMD, and the backstory of their pivotal album, Black Bastards.”

News of MF Doom’s surprising death broke in December 2020. His wife, Jasmine, issued a statement confirming that Doom had “transitioned” on October 31, 2020.

In 2021, the City Council of Long Beach paid tribute to the late legend’s legacy by naming a street after him: MF Doom Way.

“His hip-hop lyricism represents some of the culture’s best linguistic metaphors, garnering intergenerational and interracial admiration,” Dr. Patrick Graham, a former schoolmate of MF Doom, said in a statement around the petition for MF Doom Way (as relayed by Stereogum at the time). “His life and art symbolize the resilience we need in our present context.”