18 Facts About MF Doom

MF Doom began performing at open mic events while wearing a metal mask resembling that of the Marvel Comics supervillain Doctor Doom, who is depicted on the cover of his 1999 debut solo album Operation: Doomsday.

MF Doom adopted the MF Doom persona and rarely made unmasked public appearances thereafter.

MF Doom moved to London before settling in Leeds and worked mostly in collaboration with other artists during his final years, releasing albums with Jneiro Jarel, Bishop Nehru, and Czarface.

MF Doom later said that he was conceived in the United States, where his parents lived, and happened to be born in London because his mother was visiting family there.

MF Doom had four younger siblings, including fellow rapper DJ Subroc, with whom he formed the rap group KMD until Subroc was struck and killed by a car at the age of 19.

MF Doom said he had no memory of his London childhood and defined himself as a "New York nigga", but remained a British citizen his entire life and never gained American citizenship.

MF Doom began DJing during the summer after third grade.

MF Doom turned this into a new identity, MF Doom, with a mask similar to that of Marvel Comics supervillain Doctor Doom.

MF Doom later adopted a mask based on the one worn by Maximus, the protagonist of the 2000 film Gladiator.

MF Doom highlighted the overtly homophobic "Batty Boyz", a diss track against unnamed rappers.

On March 5,2010, Lex and Sonar presented the first MF Doom show in London, at the Roundhouse in Camden.

Key to the Kuffs, an album Dumile made in collaboration with the producer Jneiro Jarel as JJ MF Doom, was released on August 20,2012, and included guest features from Damon Albarn, Beth Gibbons of Portishead, Khujo Goodie of Goodie Mob and Dungeon Family, and Boston Fielder.

Dumile produced all the tracks on NehruvianMF Doom, often using beats developed in the Special Herbs series; vocals are primarily Nehru's, with some contributions from Dumile.

MF Doom's parents raised him and his brother as Muslims in the Five-Percent Nation, a religious black nationalist movement influenced by Islam.

MF Doom acquired a British passport prior to his 2010 European tour, and was refused re-entry to the United States after completing the tour later that year.

MF Doom spent years living in Yorkshire, and was living in Leeds at the time of his death.

MF Doom had suffered from high blood pressure and kidney disease.

MF Doom's death was unknown to the public for two months until Jasmine announced it on December 31, and the cause of death was not revealed until July 2023.