Daniel Dumile (born Dumile Daniel Thompson; July 13, 1971 – October 31, 2020), known professionally as MF Doom or simply Doom, was a British-American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He was known for his complex lyrical style, extensive use of internal rhyme, and a stage persona centered on a masked supervillain character. Dumile became a prominent figure in underground and alternative hip hop during the 2000s.
Dumile was born in London and raised in Long Beach, New York. He began his music career in 1988 as a member of the group KMD, performing under the name Zev Love X. The group disbanded in 1993 following the death of DJ Subroc, Dumile’s brother and bandmate. After several years away from the music industry, Dumile reemerged in the late 1990s, performing at open mic events while wearing a metal mask inspired by the Marvel Comics character Doctor Doom. This imagery became central to his MF Doom persona, which he maintained for the remainder of his career.
His debut solo album, "Operation: Doomsday", was released in 1999 and established the MF Doom character. During the early to mid-2000s, Dumile released a series of influential recordings, including "Mm..Food" under the MF Doom name, as well as albums released under the aliases King Geedorah and Viktor Vaughn. In 2004, he collaborated with producer Madlib under the name Madvillain to release "Madvillainy", which is widely regarded as one of the most significant hip hop albums of its era. This was followed by another collaborative project, "The Mouse and the Mask", released in 2005 with producer Danger Mouse under the name Danger Doom.
Although Dumile spent most of his life in the United States, he never obtained American citizenship. In 2010, he was denied reentry to the country after returning from an international tour supporting his album "Born Like This". He subsequently relocated to the United Kingdom, living in London before settling in Leeds. In his later years, he focused primarily on collaborative projects, releasing albums with Jneiro Jarel as JJ Doom, Bishop Nehru as NehruvianDoom, and Czarface, including "Czarface Meets Metal Face" and the posthumously released "Super What?".
Dumile died on October 31, 2020, in a hospital in Leeds. His death was later attributed to angioedema caused by a reaction to blood pressure medication. Following his death, he was widely recognized for his lasting influence on hip hop and for his distinctive artistic identity.
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