mf doom
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MF DOOM, one of Hip-Hop’s most beloved wordsmiths, left behind a towering legacy of lyricism and influenced countless numbers of bar-heavy rappers in the game today. The estate of MF DOOM, long embroiled in a legal back and forth over a series of rhyme notebooks, won the items back and dropped a merchandise line that garnered mixed reactions from fans.
As spotted in HipHopDX, MF DOOM’s estate dropped an exclusive merchandise line that features an image of a page from one of the notebooks that DOOM’s widow, Jasmine Thompson, sought to gain back from former Stones Throw Records manager Eothen “Egon” Alapatt.
During his time at Stones Throw, Alapatt served as a manager for DOOM collaborator Madlib, and the pair released the acclaimed album, Madvillainy, in 2004. That project just saw a release of previously leaked demos that were referenced on the album.
The Note Books Collection is the latest drop from the DOOM estate and features clothing adorned with a photo of the Metal Face mask and images of the aforementioned notebooks on the front and on the back, handwritten lyrics from the song “Deep Fried Frenz” from the DOOM’s Mm..Food album released also in 2004.
As the outlet notes, an Instagram post highlighting the new collection drop was not received warmly as probably expected. That said, some respondents believed that the estate reaping the benefits of DOOM’s legacy financially is a win for the family despite detractors attempting to frame it as a money grab.
Please view the Instagram post in question below and invite readers to peruse the comments to see the reactions both positive and negative from fans.
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Source: MF DOOM Estate / MF DOOM Estate
MF DOOM’s estate can finally bring some of his personal belongings back home. They have settled the dispute with Egon Alapatt over the late MC’s notebooks.
As spotted on Hype Beast the issue regarding some of MF DOOM’s items have finally resolved. Last week the estate of the late rapper confirmed they have come to an agreement with Egon Alapatt—a former executive at Stone’s Throw Records. Jasmine Thompson, widow of DOOM, released a formal statement announcing the good news. “We are relieved to bring this chapter to a close. Over the years, there have been many public narratives concerning this matter, some of which have been misrepresented or unfairly magnified” she said.
Thompson went on to confirm that the two parties did not always see eye to eye throughout the process. “While differences did arise along the way, we acknowledge that Egon preserved DOOM’s invaluable notebooks and are grateful to now have them returned as part of this resolution” she added. “As a family, our focus remains steadfast on celebrating DOOM’s extraordinary legacy—his unparalleled artistry and his lasting impact on music and culture. We hope that this resolution serves as a step forward in continuing to honor his memory.”
Egon also commented cleared up his intentions for holding onto the notebooks. “DOOM was a dear friend to me and one of the most important artists I’ve ever known. I bought DOOM’s notebooks and kept them safe for years to ensure his powerful musical legacy could be preserved. My only goal has always been to showcase DOOM’s lasting musical genius, and the resolution Jasmine and I have reached regarding DOOM’s notebooks represents a significant triumph in protecting the genesis of a once-in-a-lifetime talent” he explained. “I am proud to have played a role in saving some precious markers of DOOM’s life in music and trust Jasmine to determine the next steps for his notebooks.”
According to the original lawsuit the 25+ notebooks contained the original lyrics to MF DOOM’s most celebrated works including Doomsday, MM…FOOD, Madvillainy and “other creative ideations.”
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Source: Super7 / Super7
Months after Super7 debuted their Salt-N-Pepa action figures, the pop culture collectibles company is once again giving Hip-Hoppers something to cop as they’ve announced the next rapper they plan on immortalizing is none other than MF DOOM.
According to Variety, Super7 will be releasing an action figure of the “Doomsday” rapper to help commemorate the 20th anniversary of his classic album Madvillain. And we can’t even front, the figure looks hella dope. While there have been other action figures created depicting the legendary Hip-Hop MC, Super7’s iteration of DOOM stands out as he’ll be quite huge and take up a lot of space on whatever mantle or display case he’s placed in.
Per Variety:
Inspired by the group’s comic-book-come-to-life music video for “All Caps,” Super7 created a poseable, 16” tall vinyl collectible of Doom in his signature fedora, trench coat and metal mask.
While this isn’t Super7’s first MF Doom action figure produced, it definitely stands taller than what they previously released not too long ago.
Though Super7 previously released (now sold out) 4” figures of Doom inspired by the cover for his 1999 debut “Operation: Doomsday” and a companion piece of collaborator Czarface, this release is the marquee collectible in their series, and could not come at a better time: just weeks after Marvel Studios announced that Robert Downey Jr. was cast as his namesake, Doctor Doom, in two upcoming “Avengers” films.
We can’t wait to cop this joint.
Along with the release of the action figure, Super7 will be also be releasing an exclusive capsule collection featuring merchandise and attire including shirts, sweaters, stickers and even a skate deck for them skateboarders who bump MF DOOM religiously. We might have to copp a few things off this collection.
The Super7 x MF DOOM collection will be dropping at 11:00 am EST on August 5th and will only available through 11:59 pm EST on August 7th.
Are you going to cop the new MF DOOM figure from Super7? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Madlib has been a part of several projects as both a rapper and producer that Hip-Hop aficionados praise heavily but few have reached the critical heights of Madvillainy. On the 20th anniversary of the collaborative project featuring Madlib and the late MF DOOM, the Beat Konducta gave a strong salute to the masked supervillain.
Taking to Instagram, Madlib shared a clip of a video for Madvillainy standout cut “All Caps” and captioned the post with, “20 years. RIP to the Villain.”
It was remarkable considering the Oxnard, Calif. native isn’t on social media much at all. As it stands, Madvillainy is considered a modern-era classic and influenced several rappers such as many members of the Pro Era collective (Joey BadA$$, Chuck Strangers, Kirk Knight, etc.) and Yasiin Bey among others.
Peanut Butter Wolf, the founder of Stones Throw Records which put out the album, also chimed in on Complex Music’s post about Madvillainy and shared that it is the only album on the label to achieve gold status.
From IG:
Here’s some more facts. This was an album where Madlib chose to record the beats in my basement that we called The Bomb Shelter (it was a literally a concrete bomb shelter). DOOM recorded his vocals in my bedroom down the hall where we also had @ecoleye do a photo shoot that became the album cover. The LA release party was at The Fonda (a modest sized venue) and we stacked the bill w/ me, J Rocc, Madlib, Dilla, and Common, besides (the headliner) DOOM because we were afraid it wouldn’t sell out. We did a few more shows that month with the same lineup in a few major markets to small but very excited crowds. That was it in terms of promotion, besides doing 3 LOW BUDGET music videos (2 in the same day) that I convinced DOOM into reluctantly doing. It’s the first (and only) album on my 28 year old label to go gold.
The dense poetics of Madvillainy have never been replicated as MF DOOM had a style so unique to his vocal tone that it wouldn’t sound right coming from another artist. Adding to the lore, the production from The Bad Kid was performed on what some might consider simple equipment.
The bulk of the beats were made on a Boss Dr. Sample Sp-303 sampler, a tape deck, and a portable turntable with records discovered in Brazil and other travels. The mixing and mastering were overseen by Dave Cooley, who previously worked on records with J Dilla, Adrian Younge, and remastering projects from the late Isaac Hayes and more.
Check out Madvillainy below along with Madlib’s tribute to DOOM.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: MF DOOM Estate / MF DOOM Estate
We lost MF DOOM aka Zev Love X aka Daniel Dumile way too soon. The late, great MC’s estate is teaming with Rhymesayers Entertainment to celebrate the third annual DOOMSDAY with plenty of merchandise and music for fans of the Supervillian.
The collection includes hoodies and sweats, tees, slides, skatedecks and even socks. The hoodies run for $100 while the the tees are $45. The entire apparel line is available right now at gasdrawls.com, where DOOM’s catalog of music is also available for sale.
DOOM passed away in 2020, but fans weren’t made aware of his passing (reportedly on October 31), until his wife, Jasmin Thompson, revealed news of his death (he was 49) at the end of the year. Despite the renown he had gathered via his critically acclaimed, game-changing projects like Madvillainy, MM…Food and Operation: Doomsday, as well as his early work with KMD, DOOM was living in the UK and unable to return to the United States due to immigration issues.
Controversy has continued after his death with his wife calling out the suspect care he received before his untimely death (the facility actually apologized) and his one-time business partner allegedly stealing his rhymebooks. In regards to the latter, the estate has filed a lawsuit against Eothen “Egon” Alapatt, the former Stones Throw Records who is accused of possessing 31 of MF DOOM’s former notebooks. Madvillainy, the collab between between DOOM and Madlib, was released via Stones Thrown.
Rest in powerful piece MF DOOM.
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MF DOOM created a lyrical masterwork with producer Madlib on their joint project, Madvillainy, on the famed Stones Throw label, catapulting them both to revered status within Hip-Hop. The estate of MF DOOM filed a lawsuit earlier this week, accusing the former manager of the label of possessing over two dozen notebooks containing lyrics that found their way into the rapper’s classic works.
Billboard reports that Jasmine Dumile Thompson, the widow of MF DOOM, real name Dumile Daniel Thompson, filed a lawsuit against former Stones Throw manager Eothen “Egon” Alapatt, alleging that he stole a stack of rhyme books.
The suit was filed in California federal court this past Tuesday (October 24) and is part of an ongoing battle enacted by the estate to have the rhyme books returned to the family. Earlier this year, Mrs. Thompson shared an image on DOOM’s Instagram account displaying email exchanges she had with Alapatt with the caption reading “Egon Give the Notebooks Back.”
Alapatt once served as the general manager and A&R for Stones Throw Records, one of the leading independent music labels. Alapatt was also a former manager for Madlib and now heads the Now Again Records company.
In the lawsuit, the estate alleges that Alapatt wants the notebooks to be “donated to a university or government archive” or another such place that keeps historical records of his choosing despite that plan going against what the estate has asked.
How the notebooks came into Alapatt’s possession, according to the suit, came after DOOM traveled to the United Kingdom for a show in 2010 but was barred from leaving the country due to immigration issues. At the time, DOOM worked out of a Los Angeles, Calif. studio that housed his rhyme books and Alapatt obtained them in his absence.
“Alapatt never consulted with DOOM about his acquisition of the notebooks and took advantage of DOOM’s being out of the country to obtain them,” reads another portion of the lawsuit.
Alapatt’s lawyer Kenneth Freundlich issued a statement on his client’s behalf to Billboard.
“Mr. Alapatt looks forward to his day in court to dismiss these frivolous and untrue allegations. Mr. Alapatt rescued these books from DOOM’s unpaid landlord who had taken possession of all of his belongings. With DOOM’s blessing, Mr. Alapatt intended to donate the books to either the Smithsonian or the Cornell University Hip Hop Archive, where they could be considered and studied by scholars, in the same way that manuscripts by great poets or sheet music by great composers are. Mr. Alapatt will do everything he can to ensure that these historically significant books are archived and protected.”
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MF DOOM passed away inside a Leeds hospital facility in the United Kingdom in 2020, and a recent inquest hearing uncovered shocking details. As a result, the trust for the hospital has issued an apology to the family of MF DOOM.
MF DOOM, real name Daniel Dumile Thompson, was admitted to the St. James hospital after suffering a reaction to ACE inhibitors according to details shared at the inquest. DOOM’s wife, Jasmin Thompson, issued statements about the condition of her husband and stated that he was placed in a room that, in her view, appeared to be an old office converted into a hospital room.
The Guardian has more:
On 23 October 2020, Thompson had breathing problems after taking new medication and went to the A&E department at St James’s hospital where he was given adrenaline, steroids and oxygen.
His condition appeared to improve but then suddenly deteriorated and he collapsed. Thompson, who had six children, was put on a ventilator and died on 31 October.
The assistant coroner Janine Wolstenholme said a care plan drawn up in hospital was not sufficiently detailed and that doctors were given a “false reassurance” about the musician’s condition when his health appeared to improve.
The Leeds teaching hospital National Heath Service (NHS) trust chief medical officer Dr. Hamish McLure said, “I would like to offer our sincere condolences to Daniel’s family, friends and fans at this difficult time. I apologise that the care he received was not to the standard we would expect.”
MF DOOM was 49 at the time of his passing.
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MF DOOM exists in the minds of many as one of Hip-Hop’s greatest writers and currently, a piece of the late rapper’s legacy hangs in limbo. The estate of MF DOOM is once again demanding that Now Again Records exec Egon return the late rapper’s handwritten notebooks.
According to a new social media post from the account of MF DOOM shared on March 1, an email exchange assumably between Jasmine Dumile, the wife of the late Daniel Dumile, and Eothen “Egon” Alapatt listing out demands that handwritten notebooks be returned to the estate.
The emails are dated sometime before the passing of DOOM, who died in 2020. The fight for the missing items is years in the making and the estate has taken great care to protect the image and legacy of the legendary lyricist. This includes the striking down of bootlegged merchandise featuring DOOM’s likeness and brand.
A biography from journalist S.H. Fernando Jr. was announced in 2022 but further details regarding the book have not been revealed. Further, an official endorsement from the estate never materialized. That biography is slated to be released in 2024.
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Photo: Peter Kramer / Getty
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