In her post, Doom’s wife says that he actually died on October 31, which means word of the artist’s death was kept under wraps for two full months.
“The greatest husband, father, teacher, student, business partner, lover and friend I could ever ask for. Thank you for all the things you have shown, taught and given to me, our children and our family. Thank you for teaching me how to forgive beings and give another chance, not to be so quick to judge and write off. Thank you for showing how not to be afraid to love and be the best person I could ever be. My world will never be the same without you. Words will never express what you and Malachi mean to me, I love both and adore you always. May THE ALL continue to bless you, our family and the planet,” her Instagram post reads.
MF Doom’s team followed up Jasmine’s statement with a message of their own, shared via XXL. “With heavy hearts, we share these words from MF DOOM’s family. It is our wish to continue to respect their privacy at this difficult time,” their statement reads.
MF Doom’s cause of death has yet to be revealed.
Born in London and raised on Long Island, New York, MF Doom was known for his elusive demeanor and dramatic skull masks. He first entered the music scene in 1988, when he formed the rap group KDM with his brother, DJ Subroc, and friend, Rodan, the latter of whom was eventually replaced by Onyx the Birthstone Kid. At that time, Dumile was going by the moniker Zev Love X.
After his brother was hit by a car and killed in 1993, Dumile took a break from rap, before eventually re-emerging under the MF Doom guise. It was a name and persona very much inspired by the Marvel Comics character Doctor Doom. He released his first album under the Doom name, dubbed Operation: Doomsday, in 1999. Several more full-length albums followed in the ensuing years, including 2004’s Mm.. Food.
The same year of Food’s release, though, MF Doom reached another level of success via a collaboration with American producer Madlib. In 2004, the duo put out the psychedelic hip-hop album Madvillainy, under their shared name of Madvillain. While Doom had previously earned praise from critics and followers of the underground rap scene, Madvillainy cemented his legacy; the album remains an art-rap classic to this day. A proper sequel album was always rumored and speculated about, but it has yet to materialize.
Following news of his death on Thursday, fans took to social media to pay tribute to MF Doom.
“Like his music or not, there’s no denying how much of a legend MF DOOM was in the eyes of many members of the rap community & how significant his impact was on the lives of his fans & those who’ve gained inspiration from him in the industry,” one fan tweeted.
“In a shrinking world, MF DOOM was one of that last artists with true mystique. One minute he’s transmitting messages from a remote island, the next he’s deploying his army of imposters, the next he’s officiating weddings. Not even his collaborators could quite get a lock on him,” another tweet read.
