Born in London, Dumile moved with his family to Long Island, New York at a young age. He began his musical career in 1988 as a member of the East Coast hip-hop trio KMD, at which time he performed under the name Zev Love X. KMD disbanded in 1993 following the death of Dumile's brother, DJ Subroc. After taking a hiatus from the music scene, Dumile reemerged in 1998, when he began performing at open mic events while wearing a mask. He adopted the MF DOOM persona and rarely made unmasked public appearances from that time onward. His metal mask resembles that of Marvel Comics supervillain Doctor Doom, who is depicted rapping on the cover of his 1999 debut solo album Operation: Doomsday. In the early 2000s, Dumile also released solo albums under the pseudonyms King Geedorah and Viktor Vaughn.
MF DOOM appeared in several collaborative projects such as Madvillain (with Madlib), DANGERDOOM (with Danger Mouse), DOOMSTARKS (with Ghostface Killah), JJ DOOM (with Jneiro Jarel), NEHRUVIANDOOM (with Bishop Nehru), and Czarface Meets Metal Face (with CZARFACE).
Dumile was born on 9 January 1971 in London, England, the son of a Trinidadian mother and a Zimbabwean father. His family moved to Long Island, New York, when he was a child; Dumile remained a British citizen. Dumile grew up in Freeport, New York, and first started DJ'ing during the summer after third grade. Dumile had lived in London since 2009. Dumile was a follower of the Nuwaubian Nation.
Dumile created the MF DOOM character as an alter ego with a backstory he could reference in his music. The character combines elements from the Marvel Comics supervillain Doctor Doom, Destro, and the Phantom of the Opera; like Doctor Doom and Phantom, Dumile referred to himself in the third person while in character. His signature mask was similar to that of Doctor Doom, who is depicted rapping on the cover of Dumile's 1999 debut album Operation: Doomsday.
Dumile wore the mask while performing, and would not be photographed without it, except for short glimpses in videos and in earlier photos with KMD. Later versions of the mask were based on a prop from the 2000 film Gladiator. Academic Hershini Bhana Young argued that, by appropriating the Doctor Doom mask, Dumile "positions himself as enemy, not only of the music industry but also of dominant constructions of identity that relegate him as a black man to second-class citizenship".
Dumile's rap persona MF DOOM was known for his unique free-association rap style, challenging the conventional style of rhyming and flow. His interest in cartoons, comics and other pop culture realms as well as his distinct sampling/production inspired many contemporary artists today.
On December 31, 2020 it was announced on Dumile's Instagram and Facebook by his wife Jasmine, that the rapper had passed away on October 31 of that year at the age of 49.
After his death, Variety described him as one of the scene's "most celebrated, unpredictable and enigmatic figures". Dumile is considered one of the most celebrated and influential musicians in hip-hop. The English musician Thom Yorke, who collaborated with Dumile on two occasions, wrote: "He was a massive inspiration to so many of us, changed things... For me the way he put words was often shocking in its genius, using stream of consciousness in a way I'd never heard before." Stereogum, reviewing Operation: Doomsday on its 20th anniversary, noted Dumile's "formative" influence on younger rappers. El-P of Run the Jewels described him as a "writer's writer", while Q-Tip called him "your favorite rapper's favorite rapper".
Rock Co. Flow
MF DOOM Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Be them average MC's of the times
Unlike them, we craft gems
So systematically inclined to pen lines
Without sayin a producer's name, all over the track
Yeah I said it! What you need to do is get back
To reading credits, we them medics
Alphabetically stuck on that English
That sure shot more rock co.kane flow
From the top of the key, the 3 Villain
Been on in the game as long as you can wheelie your Schwinn
Turn the corner spinnin', bust that ass and get up
Dust off the mask, whoever laugh give him a head up
He got jumped, it pumped his adrenaline
He said it made him tougher than a bump of raw medicine
To write all night long, the hourglass is still slow
Flow from Hellborn to Free Power like Wilco
And still owe bills, pay dues forever
Slay huge when it comes to who's more cleverer
Use to wore a leather goose ski with a fur collar
Hand charged a fee for loose leaf words for dollar
Ya heard? Holla, broad or dude, we leave food
Eat your team for sure, the streets sure seem rude
For fam like the Partridges, pardon me for the mix-up
Battle for your Atari cartridges or put your kicks up
It's a stick up
Now put your blix up, these Riddick Bowe cuts
Is swole like penile flicks, give 'em 20
The danger in his eyes'll let you know he's a brawler
Bring your tallest champs like that much taller
Ten pounds heavier, one step ahead of it
Vocab, stamina, style's all irrelevant
Camps and cliques, units, squad crews and clans
Even your tongues'll fuck around and leave your mouth
Doom brung that bum, there goes that news van again
Act like you knew like Toucan Sam and 'em
He eat rappers like part of a complete breakfast
Your rhymes ain't worth the weight of they cheap necklace
String 'em up, bring 'em up under whack junk snack
And get that out your hand, punk, jump and get your dunk smacked
Foul, we all know the rules bro
You slow, you blow the soup on your fools, his Impulse like Yugo
You go lights, camera, action with no makeup
We De La to the death, or at least until we break up
Here's a couple of nice guys who finished first
So nice try, but the prize is ours dispersed
They say the good die young, so I added some
Bad-ass to my flavor to prolong my life over the drum
Everyone cools off from bein' hot
It's about if you can handle bein cold or not!
And we was told to hop for no one, it's what I dig bout Prince Paul
We stayed original ever since y'all
First to do a lot of things in the game, but the last to say it
No need to place it on a scale to weigh it
And don't do it for the plays or to raise the bar
Yet it's raised anyway, it's so amazing, are
The three L.I. brothers from a other way of thinkin'
Hey your lady's winkin', I think you need to control that aura
Or I can hold her
The elements are airborne, I smell the success
(Yo let's cookie cut the shit and get the gingerbread, man)
Sacrifice mics and push drugs to these rappers
Puff ponies 'til I turn blue in the lips
Sippin broads like 7-Up (ah) so refreshing
I think I'll pop these verse like first dates to birthdates
September 2-1, 1-9, 6-8
Too old, should I? Too bad, too late
In "Rock Co. Flow", MF DOOM (aka Daniel Dumile) takes aim at average MCs and producers who rely on their names to sell their music. He contrasts these uninspired artists with his own craft, which he describes as "gem" like and "systematically inclined to pen lines". Rather than following the trend of constantly mentioning the producer on the track, MF DOOM advocates for a return to reading credits to understand who is behind the beat.
Throughout the song, MF DOOM demonstrates his own lyrical prowess, playfully boasting about his longevity in the game as "the 3 Villain" and challenging other MCs to come up against him in battles. His rhymes are filled with clever wordplay and references to other artists, such as Riddick Bowe and De La Soul. He also touches on deeper themes such as the struggle to pay bills and stay afloat in the music industry.
Overall, "Rock Co. Flow" serves as an example of MF DOOM's highly skilled lyricism and his willingness to break from convention in his music.
Line by Line Meaning
Up in them five star tellies and two mic rhymes
We've got expensive equipment and great rhymes
Be them average MC's of the times
Most rappers today are mediocre
Unlike them, we craft gems
We make exceptional music
So systematically inclined to pen lines
We're methodical in our writing process
Without sayin' a producer's name all over the track
Our music stands on its own without relying on producers' names
Yeah, I said it, what you need to do is get back
I'm telling you to rediscover talented musicians
To reading credits, we them medics
Look at the credits to see who made the music
Alphabetically stuck on that English shit
We're fans of English rap
Knock it, knock it before we pour that
Don't criticize us before you hear our music
Sure shot more Rock Co. Kane flow
We've got a dope flow like Rock Co. Kane
From the top of the key, the 3 Villain
We're the greatest, like basketball's top scorers
Been on in the game as long as you can wheelie Schwinn
We've been in the music business for a very long time
Turn the corner spinnin', bust that ass and get up
We don't give up when things get tough
Dust off the mask, whoever laugh give him a head up
We ignore haters and keep working
He got jumped, it pumped his adrenaline
Adversity can make you stronger
He said it made him tougher than a bump of raw medicine
Adversity makes you stronger than drugs
To write all night long, the hourglass is still slow
We work hard and time moves slowly
Flow from Hellborn to Free Power like Wilco
Our flow is versatile and adaptable
And still owe the bills, pay dues forever
We still have to work hard and pay our bills
Slay huge when it comes to who's more cleverer
We're the best at being clever
Use to wore a leather goose ski with a fur collar
We used to wear fancy clothes
Hand charged a fee for loose leaf words for dollar, ya heard? Holla
We used to charge for our music
Broad or dude, we need food
We need to make a living
Eat your teams for sure, the streets sure seem rude
We're unstoppable and the streets are tough
For fam like the partridges, pardon him for the mix-up
We apologize for the confusion
Battle for your Atari cartridges or put your kicks up, it's a stick up
We're in this to win, so give us your best shot
Now put your blix up
Get ready for a fight
These Riddick Bowe cuts, is swoll like penile flicks, give 'em 20
Our music is powerful like Riddick Bowe's punches
The danger in his eyes'll let you know he's a brawler
We're not afraid to fight
Bring your tallest champs like that much taller
We can handle any challenge
Ten pounds heavier, one step ahead of it
We're stronger and more talented than our competition
Vocab, stamina, style's all irrelevant
Our skills are so great that we don't need to try
Camps and cliques, units, squad crews and clans
There are different groups in the music industry
Even your tongues'll fuck around and leave your mouth
Our music is so good that it will shock you
Doom brung that bum, there goes that news van again
Our music is always newsworthy
Act like you knew like, Toucan Sam an' 'em
We're popular and everyone knows who we are
He eat rappers like part of a complete breakfast
We're so good that we could eat our competition for breakfast
Your rhymes ain't worth the weight of they cheap necklace
Our competition's rhymes are worthless
String 'em up, bring 'em up under whack junk snack
We'll expose the competition's lack of talent
And get that out your hand, punk, jump and get your dunk smacked
Stop wasting time and get to work
Foul, we all know the rules, bro
We play by the rules
You slow, you blow the soup on your fools, his Impulse like Yugo
You'll fail if you're slow and sloppy
You go lights, camera, action with no makeup
We don't need to fake anything for the camera
We, De La to the death, or at least until we break up
We're committed to music until the end
Here's a couple of nice guys who finished first
We're good people and we've succeeded in music
So nice try, but the prize is ours dispersed
We're not going to let anyone beat us
They say the good die young, so I added some
We're good people, but we're not going to die young
Bad ass to my flavor to prolong my life over the drum
Our music will keep us alive
Everyone cools off from bein' hot
Everyone eventually loses their popularity
It's about if you can handle bein' cold or not
But we can handle it and stay successful
And we was told to hop on no one's dick by Prince Paul
We were taught to be independent by Prince Paul
We stayed original ever since y'all
We've always been true to ourselves
First to do a lot of things in the game, but the last to say it
We've been pioneers in music, but we don't brag about it
No need to place it on a scale to weigh it
Our music is so good that we don't need to prove it to anyone
And don't do it for the plays or to raise the bar
We don't make music for popularity or competition
Yet it's raised anyway, so amazin' are
Our success is inevitable
The three L.I. brothers from a other way of thinkin'
We're brothers from Long Island with a unique perspective
Hey, your lady's winkin', I think you need to control that
Your woman is interested in us, so you need to be careful
Or I have to hold that
Or we're going to take her
The elements are airborne, I smell the success
Our music is spreading and success is imminent
Yo, let's cookie cut the shit and get the gingerbread man
Let's get to the point and succeed
Sacrifice mics and push drugs to these rappers
We're so good that we can sell drugs to our competition
Puff ponies 'til I turn blue in the lips
We're so good that we can smoke anything and still kill it
Sippin' broads like 7 Up, so refreshing
We enjoy women like a refreshing drink
I think I'll pop these verses like first dates to birthdates
Our rhymes flow naturally and effortlessly
September 2 1, 1 9, 6 8
MF DOOM's birthdate
Too old to rhyme, too bad, too late
But we're still making great music
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CTM Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Daniel Thompson, David Jolicoeur, Didier Marouani, Kelvin Mercer, Paul Greedus, Roland Romanelli, Vincent Mason
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind