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Here's a thread about the legacy of MF DOOM, one of the greatest rhymesmiths to ever walk the earth. His self-styled mythos (and the internet-era snowballing legacy of Madvillain) really overshadow some of his brilliant accomplishments, going way beyond the mask 1/
First off, he was brilliant from DAY ONE. His verse on this, recorded as a teenager, was probably the most technically rich thing you could find on Yo! MTV Raps in 1989 outside of the already-giants in the Kane/Rakim/G Rap/Slick Rick sphere. 2/
His group KMD was as politically charged as Intelligent Hoodlum but still as playful as ATCQ. They made a record so incendiary that Elektra snuffed it. To this day it's still probably the most celebrated "lost"/"unreleased"/"shelved" rap album of all time 3/
His total rebirth in 1997 was unprecedented in a genre where "fall off" implies "never climb up again." On Bobbito Garcia's Fondle 'Em records, he was in the absolute first wave of "underground rap" alongside Company Flow, Godfather Don, Cage, Kool Keith, Juggaknots, et al 4/
Operation Doomsday (1999) is his best album and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. In 2003, Aesop Rock told me Doom was his favorite MC. I didn't get it then, but now you can see an entire generation owing to his insanely layered internal rhymes and unexpected word choices 5/
You can hear Doom in modern rappers like Roc Marciano, Ka, Your Old Droog, Griselda, Earl Sweatshirt, Jay Electronica, Vic Spencer. I think this Sean Price track before he passed was meant as a tribute to Doom's rhyme style 6/
And his beatwork was absolutely one of a kind. Showing seams of samples, recontextualizing '80s R&B waaaay before its critical reappreciation or vaporwave. The entire genre of "lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to" owes him a debt of gratitude 7/
Finally, he was remarkably consistent. His last album, Born Like This (2009) was slightly underrated, but his rhymes were still dazzling as they were 20 years earlier. He's in my Top 5, an absolute pioneer. #RIP /end
The first verse of “Gas Face” includes the line “Three blind mice on sight/
Zev Lover, gave it the first light,” —which means Zev Love X, bka DOOM *invented the very term* “gas face” ultimately used in verses by Eminem, Lloyd Banks, Rick Ross, etc 9/
Zev Lover, gave it the first light,” —which means Zev Love X, bka DOOM *invented the very term* “gas face” ultimately used in verses by Eminem, Lloyd Banks, Rick Ross, etc 9/
