MF DOOM

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

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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.”

MF DOOM’s Metal Face Records Celebrates 30 Years Of KMD’s ‘Black Bastards’

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Today, Metalface Records and Rhymesayers Entertainment present KMD’s sophomore album, Black Bastards, reintroduced on red vinyl LP with expanded gatefold packaging in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the album’s initial recording. The album will be available in stores March 31. 

Following KMD’s debut, the early 90’s Hip-Hop group consisted of two partners – Subroc and his brother Zev Love X (better known today as MF DOOM). Recorded in 1993, their sophomore album Black Bastards was initially shelved before its release due to controversy around the album’s cover art, and the group was subsequently dropped from their label, Elektra Records. In the fallout, Zev Love X would disappear before re-emerging years later as the masked supervillain MF DOOM. Although he would eventually secure an official release for Black Bastards in 2000, Ego Trip’s Book of Rap Lists (1999) had already named it the most notable rap album of all time that was never commercially released. The album featured production from both members and included guest appearances from MF Grimm, Kurious, Lord Sear and more. With a sales history of over 75K+ units and over 40M+ streams, Black Bastards is a prominent and venerated project from DOOM’s discography.

Along with the red vinyl gatefold, Metalface Records and Rhymesayers are also redistributing Black Bastards on standard black vinyl, as well as MF DOOM’s debut, Operation: Doomsday, also hitting stores March 31. Both titles are indisputable classics that put Daniel Dumile on the path to becoming one of the greatest MC/producers of all time.

Additionally, the DOOM estate is offering exclusive KMD apparel to commemorate the anniversary. A limited release of beanies, hats, tee-shirts, long sleeve shirts, and hooded sweatshirts are available for pre-order at gasdrawls.com.  

Purchase KMD’s Black Bastards & MF DOOM’s Operation: Doomsday HERE.

The post MF DOOM’s Metal Face Records Celebrates 30 Years Of KMD’s ‘Black Bastards’ appeared first on The Source.

Happy Heavenly 52nd Birthday To The Legendary MF DOOM!

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On this date in 1971, rapper Daniel Dumile also known as MF DOOM (Metal Face Doom), was born in London, England to his Trinidadian mother and Zimbabwean father. His family relocated to New York when Dumile was a teenager, which was where he developed a love for the Hip-Hop culture.

In 1988, Dumile, under the moniker Zev Love X, created the rap collective KMD (Kausing Much Damage) along with his brother and DJ of the group, the late Subroc. From here DOOM gained fame from the timeless “Peachfuzz” single, which catapulted Dumile to the status of being able to deliver an anticipated solo album.

With over 30 album releases under his belt and an international cult following unmatched by virtually any other solo emcee or group, MF DOOM will continue to leave his graffiti-style mark in the game, even though in another four years, we’ll be calling him Curtis Jackson.

Supreme salute to the GOD MF DOOM, wishing him a safe and enjoyable born day today and many more hereafter.

The post Happy Heavenly 52nd Birthday To The Legendary MF DOOM! appeared first on The Source.

MF DOOM’s Widow Says His Former Business Partner Stole His Rhyme Book

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Since his passing late last year, MF DOOM’s legacy has been about his lyrical contributions to the hip-hop canon through his whimsical, one-of-a-kind rhymes, but recent events have made those rhymes the center of an ugly power struggle between some of those who were closest to him in his life. More specifically, his rhyme book is the focal point of a dispute between DOOM’s widow, Jasmine Dumile, and his former business partner Eothen “Egon” Alapatt, the founder and president of Now-Again Records. Egon was general manager of Stones Throw Records, which put out DOOM and Madlib’s collaborative album Madvillainy under the duo name Madvillain.

Now, though, Jasmine Dumile tells TMZ that Egon is holding onto DOOM’s rhyme book and refuses to relinquish it, even after numerous attempts to get it back. In a statement, she says, We had hoped after DOOM transitioned Egon would do the right thing and return the books to the family but he has continued to ignore these requests. Unfortunately, Egon is not the only former associate abusing the likeness, art, and life’s work of DOOM.”

While she didn’t want to elaborate on which other former associates might be taking advantage of their proximity to DOOM, she did say she will reveal more when it’s “appropriate.”

Meanwhile, in more upbeat DOOM news, he’s received some positive attention lately thanks to a posthumous collaboration with Black Thought and Danger Mouse (the latter of whom he released The Mouse And The Mask with as Danger Doom in 2005), while the rappers he’s inspired paid cute homage to his memory on Instagram. A biography about him is due in 2024, and his name lives on as a cheeky pun in Richmond, Virginia, where a street sweeper was dubbed MF BROOM.

Denzel Curry Drew Doja Cat As Some Fan Favorite Cartoon Characters And MF Doom

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Not only is Denzel Curry’s a great rapper; he can also convey deep emotion and tell vivid stories, which places him among the most talented acts of his generation. However, that isn’t all the Florida rapper can do. This week, he pulled out his virtual easel and made digital paintings of his new muse, Doja Cat, reimagining her as fan favorite cartoon characters from the late 90s and early 2000s, as well as turning her into the the late MF Doom.

In a Wednesday Instagram post, the Melt My Eyez See Your Future artist shared multiple photos of a Doja Cat selfie with artwork portraying her as Helga from Hey Arnold, Cosmo and Crimson Chin from The Fairly Odd Parents, Superman, Johnny Bravo, Jimmy Neutron, and many more.

The Planet Her artist apparently enjoyed the artistic exploration, as she shared the photos to her own Instagram page as well, including a drawing of MF Doom’s legendary mask over her face.

Whether this was simply some fun between friends or a sign of a potential musical collaboration to come, it was definitely a funny thing to come across as one peruses one’s Instagram timeline.

Check out Denzel Curry’s drawings of Doja Cat above.

Dangerdoom Reunites Thanks To MF Doom’s Posthumous Verse On Danger Mouse & Black Thought’s ‘Belize’

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In 2005, MF Doom and Danger Mouse dropped the legendary cult hip-cop classic collaboration project Dangerdoom. Their lone album, The Mouse & The Mask, saw the producer’s whimsical Adult Swim cartoon-inspired production paired with Doom’s never-ending flow and it’s a touchstone for Doom fans of when his style was at an innovative peak. Doom (neé Daniel Dumile) died in late 2020, leaving a hole in the hearts of hip-hop heads. But on Danger Mouse and Black Thought’s newly released Cheat Codes album, MF Doom delivers a verse from beyond on “Belize” and it has a heavy Dangerdoom vibe.

“Fat rat, the mask made him batty as a mad hatter / Known for his absurd word choices / And will ignore you if you ask him if he heard voices,” Doom raps over Danger Mouses’s cinematic beat. It’s a saucy flow and quite frankly, emotional for anyone who connected with Doom’s music at any point during his storied rap career. It’s a respectful stroke of genius from Danger Mouse, who presumably unearthed this flow from the Dangerdoom sessions. Black Thought tips a cap himself on his verse, spitting, “This something for the shooters and back-and-forth commuters / Who never knew the difference in laws and jurisprudence. I feel as though it’s safe to assume that to the students. And I can prove it to the way me and DOOM do this.”

Listen to “Belize” above.

Cheat Codes is out now via BMG. Hear it here.

MF DOOM Will Be Honored With A Street Sweeper Named ‘MF BROOM’ In Richmond, Virginia

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Some much-needed wholesome news: The lovely city of Richmond, Virginia is introducing a new bike lane street sweeper and residents have voted that it be named MF BROOM, after the late rapper MF DOOM who tragically passed in 2020.

In a bracket not unlike that of March Madness, the options consisted of MF BROOM, Kate Brush, Meryl Sweep, Sweep Carolina, Dirt Reynolds, Bike Dyson, LeBroom James, The Bus Duster, The Legion of Broom, Wall-E, The Grim Sweeper, and more creative names. MF BROOM and The Grim Sweeper made it to the final round, and the former won with a 59%-41% vote.

“The people have spoken!” Venture Richmond tweeted in the announcement. “We crowdsourced name ideas, you voted, and the name of the new @DPW_RichmondVAbike lane sweeper is… MF BROOM. Until then, enjoy your clean bike lanes!”

“Just remember all caps when you spell the mans name,” one user replied.

The beloved hip-hop legend is being memorialized in many ways. For instance, it was announced in May of this year that a biography of MF DOOM is in the works. It will be titled The Chronicles Of Doom: Unraveling Rap’s Masked Iconoclast, written by veteran journalist S.H. Fernando Jr. and arriving via Astra House.

An Expansive MF DOOM Biography Is Coming In 2024

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Despite being an underground staple for the majority of his career, MF DOOM’s recent passing shed light on just how widespread his influence really was. As such an impactful figure in hip-hop, he also has one of the most intriguing — and occasionally even mysterious — stories in the culture, thanks to his reluctance to enter the spotlight and his tendency to disappear for years at a time. Also, he wore a freaking Gladiator mask for public appearances, allowing him to be in multiple places at once via body doubles and shirk off things like interviews.

All these elements make for a fascinating biography, which is what we’ll get in 2024 with The Chronicles Of Doom: Unraveling Rap’s Masked Iconoclast by veteran journalist S.H. Fernando Jr. via Astra House. Fernando Jr. has also written extensively about hip-hop, including in the 1994 book The New Beats: Exploring The Music, Culture And Attitudes Of Hip Hop, and the 2021 Wu-Tang Clan biography, From The Streets Of Shaolin: The Wu-Tang Saga.

After MF DOOM’s death was announced on New Year’s Eve (in typical DOOM fashion, this was two months after he actually died on Halloween), a street in Long Beach, New York, his hometown, was named after him. Meanwhile, rappers from Yasiin Bey to Playboi Carti shared their memories of his outsized impact.

Jay-Z’s Latest Tidal Playlist Highlights Mach-Hommy, MF DOOM, And Vince Staples

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Jay-Z’s playlists on Tidal have become a tradition of sorts, not just allowing him to stay in touch with fans — something he obviously cares very much about, judging from his recent drop-in on Twitter Spaces — but also to show off his musical knowledge, which he also seems to care about a lot.

His latest list has arrived to commemorate the renaming of financial services tech company Square to Block, as soon-to-be-former Twitter CEO and Square co-founder Jack Dorsey announced on Wednesday this week (after roasting Facebook’s re-brand, no less). Square also recently purchased Tidal, which helped Jay-Z secure a seat on Square’s board of directors. Therefore, the new playlist, “Block Vibes,” is a celebration of the change, of sorts, as well as an interesting marketing ploy, introducing the new name and demonstrating synergy across the new brand, which also encircles Cash App.

The list once again showcases Jay’s expansive tastes, including up-and-coming rappers like Mach-Hommy and Vince Staples, backpack rap stalwarts Madlib and MF DOOM, eclectic bands Haitus Kaiyote and Khruangbin, and rising Afrobeats stars Tems and Wizkid.

In addition to being folded into Block’s overall corporate structure, Tidal also recently revamped its artist payment system and added a free tier to allow for ads and better payouts to the artists that make the business all its money.

Listen to Jay-Z’s new “Block Vibes” playlist below.