As fans mourn the death of Daniel Dumile, better known as MF DOOM, I decided to review his most popular and influential album, “Madvillainy.” DOOM passed away on Oct. 31, of last year.

DOOM was one of, if not the most, influential rappers of the modern day, with verses that would make your grandma say “what?”

With albums such as “Operation Doomsday,” “Mm…Food,” and “Madvillainy,” DOOM’s legacy is one that will be talked about forever. His untouchable rhyme schemes and his mastery of the English language shot him past the rhyming elite and into a category of his own.

DOOM’s resume for the status of “legend” goes on and on. I chose “Madvillainy” to write about because it is one of his most popular albums and considered as one of the best Hip Hop albums in the 21st century, according to Metacritic.com, and one of the best hip hop albums ever in my opinion.

 “Madvillainy” debuted on March 3, 2004, and Madlib, a well-known producer from Oxnard, California produced all of its 22 tracks.

With slick and ponderous lines such as “Living on borrowed time, the clock ticks faster,” from “Accordion ”, DOOM continued to push the boundaries of his creative limits. Lyrics such as, “known as the grimy limey, slimy — try me, Blimey! Simply smashing in a fashion that’s timely, Madvillain dashing in a beat-rhyme crime spree, we rock the house like rock ‘n roll, got more soul than a sock with a hole,” from “Rhinestone Cowboy ” show that DOOM’s style of rhyming was unlike any other.

“Accordion” is my favorite track off the album for a number of reasons. The blend of something that sounds beautiful with something gritty and raw is known as “the beautiful ugly” to the hip hop community and is something that DOOM utilized often.

“Accordion” is responsible for some of my fondest musical memories, which include blasting the track out my car speakers when rolling up to school for everyone to hear and enjoy and playing the track at full volume while walking down the Breezeway.

Add a unique rhyming style and technique and you have the makings of a perfect track. The way DOOM would rhyme, was as if someone was dumping a million puzzle pieces on a table, and it was the listener’s duty to put the pieces together. It was as if every track he made was a new game that everyone was excited to play. 

“Madvillainy” is on almost every list of the most influential hip hop albums from the previous decade, and now 17 years later. It’s even number 10 on Rolling Stone’s  “40 Greatest One-Album Wonders.” 

DOOM’s lyrical skill and complexity of his rhymes are nothing short of a masterpiece. His word choices, similes, and the unique way he drifted off the beat in certain parts of the track so that it sounded off and imperfect was a stroke of genius. Even his peers recognize it as such.

An example of DOOM’s influence in the rap community is present in a Youtube video of Yasiin Bey, better known as Mos Def, breaking down DOOM’s lyrics and being captivated by his style. “He rhymes as weird as I feel,” he said.

I remember DOOM, not just for his fans that will yearn to see his trademark mask or to hear his mind boggling rhymes just one more time, but also for his family and to everyone who was close to him.

Rest in power DOOM, you will be greatly missed.

Elliot Rodriguez is the Entertainment Editor for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories email him at [email protected]  or Instagram @elliotyaknow. 

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