Daniel Dumile (July 13, 1971 – October 31, 2020) was a British-American rap… Read Full Bio ↴Daniel Dumile (July 13, 1971 – October 31, 2020) was a British-American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He performed and released music under a variety of stage names, most notably MF DOOM, which Dumile preferred to be stylized in all caps. Dumile debuted during hip-hop's golden age of the late 1980s and became a major figure in underground hip-hop of the early 21st century. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest rappers of all-time.

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".

The Mic Sounds Nice
MF Doom Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Forgive them Lord for they know not what they spit
All lucky contestants on the mic sounds nice, but they get
Or we have a beat for one time wonder hit
And a “how to play it off if you make a live blunder kit”
And the winner for the ninth time in a row
Doom, I owe it to a well refined rhyme flow
Now if you don’t mind, dough
Find me where the limes grow

With a fine dime,
fill in the blanks
Still no necklace, mill in the bank
Grill stay blank,
not to be critical but ill they stank
Maybe give them thanks from the steel grade shank
Hold that, put the mic down ya luck’s up
Don’t let it touch the ground and shut the…
Door,
buckle up it’s the law fool
Stay calm like you got pulled over with the raw
If he had thick hair like Ric Flair (checkin?)
Wouldn’t know if hoes really cared for the…
Lyrical skills that’s how they judge it
Trick the deals until they take it out the budget
mother…
Fudge it like the numbers on the number one Billboard hit
And still be bored as…
it could be worse this verse a no rehearse
Doom’ll snatch the mic like “no me first”
They get sloppy seconds after we stop wreckin'
And they had a choppy check in
Then they ripped the beat like a surgery botched
A hurter he murder flows,
Doom off the crotch
I’ll be back in two and two, watch the clock
They thought we had Koch, how ya block got blotch
Another notch on the Glock

His own stock in the strip club
Free scotch on the rocks beoyotchh!

Overall Meaning

The opening line "Forgive them Lord for they know not what they spit" is an allusion to the Christian prayer spoken by Jesus Christ while he was crucified "Forgive them Father for they know not what they do." Here the rapper, MF Doom, is addressing his fellow rappers who may be unaware of the weight of their words. He implies that they may be spitting nonsensical rap lyrics that do not carry any tangible meaning. Later, he raps about his refined rhyming skills which have won him the competition nine times in a row. He also raps about having a "live blunder kit" to cover up any mistakes that may happen during a performance.

In the following lines, MF Doom talks about his ambition to find a beautiful woman in a beautiful place, away from the rap competition. He then raps about the disparity between his wealth and his companion's as he boastfully states that he has a "mill in the bank" while she lacks jewelry, denoted by a "blank grill." The rapper then encourages his peers not to succumb to pressure as they compete on the microphone. He instructs them to hold the microphone and not let it fall since it is a symbol of their destiny. He also alludes to Ric Flair, a legendary wrestler, who had thick blonde hair, implying that even if he had that opportunity, he wouldn't know if the ladies would care for him.

Line by Line Meaning

Forgive them Lord for they know not what they spit
The singer asks for forgiveness for those who may not fully understand the words they say on the mic.

All lucky contestants on the mic sounds nice, but they get
Everyone who gets the opportunity to perform is lucky, but not everyone is successful.

Or we have a beat for one time wonder hit
The singer has a beat that may only work once for a hit song.

And a “how to play it off if you make a live blunder kit”
The artist has a kit for performers to fix a mistake made during a live performance.

And the winner for the ninth time in a row
The artist has been the winner nine times in a row.

Doom, I owe it to a well refined rhyme flow
The singer's win is attributed to their refined and polished rhymes.

Now if you don’t mind, dough
The singer asks to be left alone to make money.

Find me where the limes grow
The artist wants to be in a tropical location where limes grow.

With a fine dime, fill in the blanks
The artist wants to be with a beautiful woman.

Still no necklace, mill in the bank
The artist may not have flash, but they have wealth.

Grill stay blank, not to be critical but ill they stank
The singer opts not to wear jewelry and thinks that it looks bad on others.

Maybe give them thanks from the steel grade shank
The artist suggests using a steel shank as a way to show gratitude to critics.

Hold that, put the mic down ya luck’s up
The singer advises to hold on to success and not risk losing it.

Don’t let it touch the ground and shut the… Door,
The singer advises not to let the microphone hit the ground and to end the performance on a high note.

buckle up it’s the law fool
The singer advises to be prepared for anything that comes your way.

Stay calm like you got pulled over with the raw
The artist advises to stay cool under pressure like being caught with illegal substances.

If he had thick hair like Ric Flair (checkin?)
The artist ponders if having hair like Ric Flair would make a difference with women.

Wouldn’t know if hoes really cared for the… Lyrical skills that’s how they judge it
The singer believes women may only care about one's lyrical skills.

Trick the deals until they take it out the budget mother…
The singer suggests tricking music industry deals to get more money.

Fudge it like the numbers on the number one Billboard hit
The artist advises to manipulate numbers like the music industry does.

And still be bored as… it could be worse
The artist acknowledges that success doesn't always equate to happiness.

this verse a no rehearse
The artist did not rehearse this verse, but it still turned out well.

Doom’ll snatch the mic like “no me first”
The singer is confident in their abilities and always wants to go first.

They get sloppy seconds after we stop wreckin'/ And they had a choppy check in
After the artist performs, others don't live up to expectations and do not receive as much recognition.

Then they ripped the beat like a surgery botched/ A hurter he murder flows, Doom off the crotch
Others may try to copy the singer's style, but they can never replicate it fully.

I’ll be back in two and two, watch the clock
The singer will be back shortly and advises to wait patiently.

They thought we had Koch, how ya block got blotch
Others thought that the singer had success like Koch Industries, but they are actually struggling.

Another notch on the Glock
The artist is adding another achievement to their list.

His own stock in the strip club
The artist owns stock in a strip club.

Free scotch on the rocks beoyotchh!
The singer is offering free drinks to a woman.

Contributed by Ava Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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