On 31 December 2020, the world was shocked to learn of the death of hiphop legend MF DOOM. Born in London, raised in the suburban enclave of Long Beach, New York, and inspired by his love of cartoons and comic books, in his lifetime, Daniel Dumile Jr. had become one of hip-hop's most enigmatic, prolific and influential figures. Worth adding here for local Doom heads, that Dumile's life ended in St James University Hospital in Leeds in October 2020. This book doesn't elucidate the rapper's Leeds days, but is an essential read for anyone interested in this iconoclastic musician, or anyone interested in the rap genre.
The Chronicles of DOOM: Unravelling Rap's Masked lconoclast recounts the rise, fall, redemption and untimely demise of MF DOOM. Broken down into five sections - The Man, The Myth, The Mask, The Music and The Legend - journalist S. H. Fernando Jr. documents the life of Daniel Dumile Jr., beginning in the house where he grew up, through to his rise as the mysterious, masked iconic rapper and producer. Centring the music, Fernando deftly layys out DOOM's life story against the history of East Coast rap, and dissects the personas, projects, tracks and lyrics that led to his immortality.
Including exclusive interviews with his closest collaborators, the book provides an intimate, behind-the-scenes examination of the life of MF DOOM, a supervillain on stage and hero to those in the know.
Size: 163 x 240mm (hardback with dust jacket)
Pages: 352
Publisher: Faber & Faber
