Back in 1999 when MF Doom’s debut Operation: Doomsday came out I was blown away.

I dug it all. The comic book/graffiti cover art, Doom’s strange rhyme style filled with vintage pop-culture phrases, funny word sounds and drunken lyrical narratives (many times told in the third person), but most of all I loved his lo-fi loops. A stew of samples taken from Sade, Steely Dan, “Scooby Doo” and cheesy 80s R&B, mixed in with some golden era hip-hop and clips from the film Wildstyle - the beats sounded out of this world, yet distinctly straight outta the basement.

“Doomsday”

“Rhymes like Dimes”

“Red and Gold”

Doomsday just worked on so many levels. It was a concept disc that told the story of this bugged-out, masked super villain; like my own rap version of one of those old radio shows my dad used to listen to before they had TVs. And no matter how many times you heard it, you caught something new.

Anyway, bottom line, Doom is definitely one rapper that I don’t wanna see retire. According to his MySpace page he’s plotting a comeback, and judging from the last four joints he dropped (“The Unexpected," “Trap Door,” "Get Er Done” and “Ballskin," he’s still got that unique brand of witty, headphone music, unfazed by latest hip-hop trends. Hope it’s worth the wait….

Remember MF Doom? - J-Giss

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