

As a child, he was a fan and collector of comic books and earned the nickname "Doom" (a phonetic play on the name Dumile) among friends and family. ĭumile began DJing during the summer after third grade. However, he remained a British citizen, never gaining American citizenship. He said he had no memory of his London childhood and his parents had no affiliation with British culture. As a child, Dumile moved with his family to Long Island, New York he grew up in Long Beach, New York. According to Dumile, he was conceived in the United States, and happened to be born in London because his mother was visiting family. 2.5 2010–2021: Move to London and later collaborationsĭumile was born in Hounslow, London, on July 13, 1971, the son of a Trinidadian mother and Zimbabwean father.2.4 2005–2009: Danger Doom, Born Like This, and Ghostface collaboration.2.3 2002–2004: King Geedorah, Viktor Vaughn, and Madvillainy.2.2 1997–2001: Operation: Doomsday and production work.He relocated to London and, in his final years, worked mostly in collaboration with other artists, releasing albums with Jneiro Jarel (as JJ Doom), Bishop Nehru ( NehruvianDoom), and Czarface ( Czarface Meets Metal Face and the posthumous Super What?).


In 2010, he was denied reentry after returning from an international tour for his sixth and final solo album, Born Like This (2009). Though he lived the majority of his life in the United States, Dumile never gained American citizenship. In 2005, Dumile released The Mouse and the Mask with producer Danger Mouse as Danger Doom. Madvillainy (2004), recorded with producer Madlib under the name Madvillain, is often cited as Dumile's magnum opus and is regarded as a landmark album in hip hop. In addition to the critically acclaimed Mm.Food (2004) under the MF Doom moniker, he released solo albums including one under the pseudonym King Geedorah and two as Viktor Vaughn. He adopted the MF Doom persona and rarely made unmasked public appearances thereafter.īetween 20, Dumile released four solo albums and three collaborative albums. He began performing at open mic events while wearing a metal mask resembling that of Marvel Comics supervillain Doctor Doom, who is depicted on the cover of his 1999 debut solo album Operation: Doomsday. After a hiatus, Dumile reemerged in the late 1990s. The group disbanded in 1993 upon the death of member DJ Subroc, Dumile's brother. He began his career in 1988 as a member of KMD, performing as Zev Love X. īorn in London, Dumile moved to Long Island, New York, at a young age.

After his death, Variety described him as one of the scene's "most celebrated, unpredictable and enigmatic figures". Noted for his intricate wordplay, signature metal mask, and " supervillain" stage persona, Dumile became a major figure of underground hip hop and alternative hip hop in the 2000s. Daniel Dumile ( / ˈ d uː m ə l eɪ/ DOO-muh-lay J – October 31, 2020), best known by his stage name MF Doom or simply Doom (both stylized in all caps), was a British-American rapper and record producer.
