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".
True Thug MC
MF Doom Lyrics
Jump to: Line by Line Meaning ↴
Might have to do some fancy punching
But we can do it
I wanna be loved not for who you think I am
But who you want me to be a true thuggin' MC
True thugs with no strings attached
Wanna give you my slugs
I wanna be loved not for who you think I am
But who you want me to be a true thuggin' MC
True thugs with no strings attached
Wanna give you my slugs
And don't wanna take 'em back
Some M-er F-ers don't like how Sally walk
I'll tell y'all fools it's hella cool
How ladies from Cali talk
Never let her interfere with
The Yeti ghetto slang
Nickname for nibble and tibble
Nibble metal fang
Known amongst hoes for the bang bang
Known amongst foes for flow
Without no talking orangutans
Only gin and Tang
Guzzled out a rusty tin can
Me and this mic like yin and yang
Clang! Crime don't pay, listen youth
It's like me holdin' up the
Line at the kissing booth
I took her back to the truck she was uncouth
Spittin' all out the sun roof
Through her missing tooth
She has a sexy voice, sound like Jazzy Joyce
I turned it up faster than a speeding knife
Strong enough to please a wife
Able to drop todays math in
The 48 keys of life cut the crap far as rap
Touch the mic and get the same thing a
Arab will do to you for stealin'
What the devil? He on another level
It's a word! No, a name! MF
The Supervillain!
He cleans his mask with gasoline
They after him
Last seen pulling a chick like a
Fiend pull a fast one
Can't put shit past him
Got niggas on his own team
Mad enough to blast him
Retarted in real life, on the mic Rain Man
Stand close to his main man
Like a a chain gang
Who give a fuck about who or they weak crew
That's no mystery like Hardy Boys
Would do with Nancy Drew
Sorta wear her drawers down quarter
The extorter bring slaughter like
"Well I oughta"
Suggest you hand over the formula doula
A villan in your land, in his land a ruler
Hard hitting like puffing a
Woola with Lieutenant Uhura
Every day feel like it's a
Off day for Ferris Bueller
Niggas pull heat to prove they not sweet
No matter how you spell it
You still got beats to catch the
I wanna be loved not for who you think I am
But who you want me to be a true thuggin' MC
True thugs with no strings attached
Wanna give you my slugs
And don't wanna take 'em back
I wanna be loved not for who you think I am
But who you want me to be a true thuggin' MC
True thugs with no strings attached
Wanna give you my slugs
And don't wanna take 'em back
Might have to do some fancy punching
I might have to use clever tactics in order to succeed
But we can do it
But we are capable of achieving it
I wanna be loved not for who you think I am
I desire to be loved for my true self, not for the false perception you have of me
But who you want me to be a true thuggin' MC
But as a true thuggin' MC, I want to be the person you desire me to be
True thugs with no strings attached
Genuine thugs who have no hidden motives or obligations
Wanna give you my slugs
I want to share my raw and honest expression with you
And don't wanna take 'em back
And I don't want to retract or deny those expressions
Some M-er F-ers don't like how Sally walk
There are individuals who dislike Sally's distinctive way of walking
I'll tell y'all fools it's hella cool
I will inform those ignorant ones that it is exceptionally cool
How ladies from Cali talk
The way women from California speak is unique and appealing
Never let her interfere with
Don't allow her to disrupt or influence
The Yeti ghetto slang
The distinctive street language of the Yeti
Nickname for nibble and tibble
Also known as nibble and tibble
Nibble metal fang
Gently biting with a metallic fang
Known amongst hoes for the bang bang
Famous among promiscuous women for his sexual prowess
Known amongst foes for flow
Respected by his enemies for his rapping skills
Without no talking orangutans
Without any unnecessary chatter or distractions
Only gin and Tang
Only consuming alcoholic beverages and a popular powdered drink mix
Guzzled out a rusty tin can
Drank from a worn-out metal container quickly and greedily
Me and this mic like yin and yang
My relationship with this microphone is harmonious and balanced
Clang! Crime don't pay, listen youth
The sound of a metallic hit! Crime doesn't bring rewards, listen, young ones
It's like me holdin' up the
It's comparable to me causing a delay or interruption at the
Line at the kissing booth
Queue of people waiting for kisses at a booth
I took her back to the truck she was uncouth
I brought her to the car, and she was impolite and rude
Spittin' all out the sun roof
Ejecting saliva upward through the car's open roof
Through her missing tooth
Passing through the gap in her teeth
She has a sexy voice, sound like Jazzy Joyce
She possesses an attractive tone of voice, reminiscent of Jazzy Joyce
I turned it up faster than a speeding knife
I increased the volume abruptly, faster than a knife moves through the air
Strong enough to please a wife
Powerful and satisfying enough to please a spouse
Able to drop todays math in
Capable of delivering contemporary wisdom in
The 48 keys of life cut the crap far as rap
The numerous aspects of life condensed into 48 key concepts, eliminating superficiality in regards to rap
Touch the mic and get the same thing a
When I touch the microphone, I deliver the same result that
Arab will do to you for stealin'
An Arab would do to you if you were caught stealing
What the devil? He on another level
Expressing surprise at someone's exceptional skills or abilities
It's a word! No, a name! MF
It's an exclamation! No, it's a name! MF
The Supervillain!
The powerful antagonist!
He cleans his mask with gasoline
He cleans his mask using gasoline
They after him
They are pursuing him
Last seen pulling a chick like a
Last observed attracting a woman like a
Fiend pull a fast one
Addicted individual manipulating a situation quickly
Can't put shit past him
Unable to deceive or trick him
Got niggas on his own team
Has individuals on his side
Mad enough to blast him
Angry enough to attack him
Retarted in real life, on the mic Rain Man
Not intellectually sharp in real life, but a genius on the microphone like Rain Man
Stand close to his main man
Staying in proximity to his trusted companion
Like a a chain gang
Similar to a group of prisoners chained together
Who give a fuck about who or they weak crew
Who cares about them or their incompetent group
That's no mystery like Hardy Boys
That's not a puzzling situation, comparable to the Hardy Boys' adventures
Would do with Nancy Drew
What they would solve alongside Nancy Drew
Sorta wear her drawers down quarter
Kind of seduce her slowly and gradually
The extorter bring slaughter like
The individual who practices extortion brings destruction similar to
"Well I oughta"
"Well, I should"
Suggest you hand over the formula doula
I advise you to surrender the secret recipe, my friend
A villan in your land, in his land a ruler
Considered a villain in your territory, but a ruler in his own domain
Hard hitting like puffing a
Forceful impact, akin to taking a drag from a
Woola with Lieutenant Uhura
Cigar called Woola with Lieutenant Uhura from Star Trek
Every day feel like it's a
Each day feels like it is
Off day for Ferris Bueller
An uneventful day, similar to Ferris Bueller's occasional absences
Niggas pull heat to prove they not sweet
Individuals exhibit aggression to demonstrate they are not weak or feeble
No matter how you spell it
Regardless of how you express it
You still got beats to catch
You will still experience the consequences or repercussions
I wanna be loved not for who you think I am
I desire to be loved for my true self, not for the false perception you have of me
But who you want me to be a true thuggin' MC
But as a true thuggin' MC, I want to be the person you desire me to be
True thugs with no strings attached
Genuine thugs who have no hidden motives or obligations
Wanna give you my slugs
I want to share my raw and honest expression with you
And don't wanna take 'em back
And I don't want to retract or deny those expressions
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Stevie Wonder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gerson Mejia
I HAVENT HEARD THIS SINCE I WAS 15 I HAD IT ON A MIXTAPE IVE WAITED 19 YEARS FOR THIS
Jimba
My favourite version of this doom verse, the whole arrangement is wonderful
Jamiextreme
My favourite song growing up, you will be missed MF DOOM :(
Blick Da Drilla
🙏
itz icy
😞
Gerson Mejia
I’ve waited my whole life for this
Jorge Lopez
Rip to this legend!!
Ritchie Oviedo
I need this instrumental !!
samoan steve
need this instrumental on the asap !
Monty Simms
Just found this song....my brain exploded from the illness