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The Chronicles of DOOM: Unravelling Rap's Masked Iconoclast
On December 31, 2020, the world was shocked to learn about the death of hip-hop legend MF DOOM. Born in London and raised in the suburban enclave of Long Beach, New York, Daniel Dumile Jr.'s love of cartoons and comic books would soon turn him into one of hip-hop's most enigmatic, prolific, and influential figures.
The Chronicles of Unraveling Rap's Masked Iconoclast recounts the rise, fall, redemption, and untimely demise of MF DOOM. Broken down into five The Man, The Myth, The Mask, The Music, and The Legend, journalist S. H. Fernando chronicles the life of Daniel Dumile Jr., beginning in the house he grew up in in Long Beach, NY, through to the mysterious, masked icon that he was to become. Centring the music, Fernando deftly lays out the history of east-coast rap against DOOM's life story and dissects the personas, projects, tracks, and lyrics that led to his immortality.
Including exclusive interviews with those who worked closely with him, the book provides an unknown, intimate, behind the scenes look into the life of MF DOOM, a supervillain on stage and hero to those who paid attention.
The Chronicles of Unraveling Rap's Masked Iconoclast recounts the rise, fall, redemption, and untimely demise of MF DOOM. Broken down into five The Man, The Myth, The Mask, The Music, and The Legend, journalist S. H. Fernando chronicles the life of Daniel Dumile Jr., beginning in the house he grew up in in Long Beach, NY, through to the mysterious, masked icon that he was to become. Centring the music, Fernando deftly lays out the history of east-coast rap against DOOM's life story and dissects the personas, projects, tracks, and lyrics that led to his immortality.
Including exclusive interviews with those who worked closely with him, the book provides an unknown, intimate, behind the scenes look into the life of MF DOOM, a supervillain on stage and hero to those who paid attention.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 29, 2024
225 people are currently reading
1886 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
October 26, 2024
(received an ARC)
This biography runs into multiple issues: for one, DOOM was so fiercely private we actually know very few facts about his life, for the other, a lot of this book is stretching previously existing material instead of using the author's interview material more intensely. Some choices like the inclusion of Robert Greene quotes and the positive view of NFTs also just confuse me personally. That being said, Fernando writes with passion about a great and interesting artist.
This biography runs into multiple issues: for one, DOOM was so fiercely private we actually know very few facts about his life, for the other, a lot of this book is stretching previously existing material instead of using the author's interview material more intensely. Some choices like the inclusion of Robert Greene quotes and the positive view of NFTs also just confuse me personally. That being said, Fernando writes with passion about a great and interesting artist.
November 7, 2024
The villain is greatly missed. It’s a shame I’ll never see DOOM live but we are fortunate he left behind so many dope rhymes to dissect.
October 12, 2024
Big props to Astra House and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of S.H. Fernando Jr.’s new biography and cultural analysis of MF DOOM, the masked rapper and beat maker whose career in hip-hop spanned several eras and was influential in pushing the borders and possibilities of hip-hop. I was so excited to find this book available since I was a fan of DOOM’s first incarnation and appearance on 3rd Bass’s “The Gas Face” as Zev Love X and his band KMD, who made fun and conscious hip hop that fit right into the Native Tongue Collective (although they weren’t really a part of that). I had a 12” of a few 3rd Bass singles and the Cactus Album, and “Gas Face” was always my favorite. Even years after the song came out, I remember giving the gas face to others, and Zev’s bars at the end of the song provided a nice compliment to Serch and Pete Nice’s varied deliveries. I absolutely loved KMD’s first album. I still have the cassette single for “Who Me” and loved that their album sampled a lot of Sesame Street records that I listened to as a kid. “Peach Fuzz” was also a really great single that made great use of vibraphones, but also dealt with topics like being a teenager, but still not feeling old enough to appeal to girls. KMD had this appealing quality that was both conscious and universal, while also being fun and funky. They seemed like such a fun crew. Needless to say, DOOM’s early work left a mark on me for various reasons.
I also encountered DOOM later in life, sometime around 2004/2005 when I found the Special Herbs CDs in a Borders. I was instantly drawn to the Dr. Doom Marvel covers that offered little more than the track listings, which also seemed to be the names of different herbs and spices. Once I got these CDs home and started listening to them, they became such an important part of my listening. First, these albums were like nothing I really heard before. The samples were different and obscure, but also somewhat familiar—Was that the Electric Company theme song? Is that some music from Star Blazers? What did they do to “Black Cow” or The Doobie Brothers? I couldn’t get enough of this, and wanted to find out more. It was also around the time when iTunes was popular, so I could quickly access some albums, finding the Victor Vaughn and King Ghidora albums. I’m not sure ecqactly when I found out that Zev Love X and DOOM were the same, but it kind of blew my mind. I think Black B*st*rds was also available, and the story of KMD started to come back.
Some recent books, like Dante Ross’s excellent memoir Son of the City, provide some details about what happened to KMD and how they lost their deal mainly due to the artwork for the follow up album. Compounding this tragedy was the death of Zev/DOOM’s brother Subroc, shortly before the 2nd album’s release. Although it is sad on many different levels—a young, promising artist is killed in a tragic accident and a major record label fails to nurture and support their artists, confirming the kind of commodification of hop hop’s artistry as a commercial endeavor for many corporations. However, S. H. Fernando’s book explores not only the details of these events, but also delves in to analyze the impact on DOOM’s artistry and adaptation/development of his villainous persona MF DOOM.
I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. For one, I have strong connections with DOOM’s music at various points in my life. Furthermore, I loved how Fernando’s book is not only a detailed and complex biography that incorporates interviews and sources from the elusive and incredibly private DOOM and those who knew him, but also engages in in depth analysis, examining history, pop culture, literature, films, television and cartoons, as well as celebrity culture and technology to help understand the themes and signifiers that made DOOM such an iconic and influential figure in hip hop and popular music. It is such a great blend and helps readers to understand the varied influences and contexts that shaped DOOM’s perspective, style, lyrics, and performance.
The book starts out with general biographical details, but does not provide much about DOOM’s early life. We learn a little about his home, but most of the early chapters are spent detailing the development of KMD and their work with Serch and Pete Nice. 3rd Bass was a fun group, and I totally remember this time, watching Yo MTV Raps and Rap City. However, I also loved how Fernando’s book takes a broader approach and looks at other events happening around this time, especially in the NYC Hip-Hop world. It not only helps us understand the trends and styles, but also what the Dumile brothers were looking to challenge and create their own unique voice. We also learned about the influence of Malachi York, leader of the Nuwaubian Nation, a kind of cult that I read about in Ocker’s excellent book Cult Following. Through these details, we gain a better understanding of some of the factors that influenced DOOM’s eventual outlook and his pursuit of knowledge, learning constantly to reinvent himself.
I really appreciated Fernando’s research and analysis of the kind of criticism of hip-hop from the early 1990s. Although I wasn’t sure how events like the LA Riots, NWA, and Ice-T connected with East Coast hip-hop like KMD, Fernando does a great job weaving the kind of white panic and parental control that led to the creation of advisory stickers. In particular, it was interesting to read more about Body Count’s infamous Cop Killer song (as well as the reference to Paris’s “Bush Killa”), and the fallout that resulted from these first amendment cases. I couldn’t help but think about which first amendment warriors would come to the defense of these albums and artists today. Fernando’s research helps to contextualize the scene that eventually led to KMD’s loss of a deal. It was also interesting that much of the criticism came not from parents or white politicians, but rather from Black journalists who, as Fernando and Dante Ross have speculated, probably didn’t pay attention to the meaning and content of the album. Even looking back now, it’s hard to understand how the image of killing a stereotype could be misconstrued, but Fernando’s analysis helps to also frame the challenges that artists like DOOM faced in maintaining their artistry while also battling the commercial demands of working for a major corporation. It also probably helps to explain why DOOM frequently worked with independent labels throughout the remainder of his career.
This kind of deep level analysis and examination of the various factors at play in DOOM’s career are what make this book such an excellent and interesting read. Other sections look to DOOM’s artistic predecessors, whether it is examining the comic artists, super heroes and villains, or other musicians who most likely influenced his art and style. I also loved learning about the other visual artists and promotional people that DOOM worked with—including learning more about Blake Lethem, who helped to design DOOM’s mask and created his tag logo. Interestingly, Blake is also the brother of author Jonathan Lethem, and reading a little about his experiences with hip-hop, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was partly the basis for Mingus from Lethem’s Fortress of Solitude, a book that focuses on the early days of hip-hop as well as super heroes.
As someone who loved the Special Herbs albums, as well as Mad Villain, and MMM…FOOD, I really enjoyed reading about the creation of these albums, especially since DOOM’s samples are all so unique and his production style, as Fernando reminds us, is idiosyncratic, maybe a little sloppy, but also endearing, kind of like a punk rock, DIY hip hop production and beat making. For me, I loved the sonic density of his records, and how there’s so much layering. Not quite like the Bomb Squad, but just lots of different references and touch points that were appealing to me and familiar to my own interactions with music from childhood and beyond. Fernando’s analysis and exploration of these samples was helpful and enlightening. I really loved learning where the samples came from as well as their significance to DOOM and how they represented his own interests and style. Since DOOM was a kind of mysterious figure, Fernando does an admirable job unveiling the mask as much as possible to help us learn more about who Daniel Dumile really was. We are reminded that he was a loving father, an artist, and a student—not only of rap, but later on, of esoteric knowledge. The later chapters that detail DOOM’s exile in England (after being denied re-entry to the US due to his British passport and non-citizen status) were really interesting. On the one hand, it seems crazy that he couldn’t return to the US where he lived for most of his life. However, it was also fortuitous that he found people to help him get settled and spend time on Youtube learning about various theories and ideas that largely informed his artistry. These interviews with those who worked with DOOM were amazing—they were interesting in providing more perspective into this mysterious artist, but also insightful in helping us understand his influences and mindset, how he may have been gradually developing and evolving his own artistry and persona. Fernando and some of his interview subjects make some great points about artists and reinvention, and how many times fans, especially zealous fans, can often reject when artists try to evolve and grow, especially in hip hop, which despite being a groundbreaking and revolutionary art form, has also been coopted and commodified, relying on formulaic albums and styles and algorithmic topics and themes to sell. Fernando reminds us, through interviews with others, that while DOOM’s albums became more challenging and experimental, the sales dropped off. People were more interested in hearing the same songs, which also might have been why he reverted to DOOM bots, people dressed like DOOM sent to performance spaces. I loved that Fernando and others called this out, but also acknowledged that DOOM was giving people what they wanted, and using the mask to his advantage. This kind of depersonalization and hidden identity provided Dumile/DOOM with his anonymity, but also with an out, allowing others to fill in when he wasn’t feeling it. Fernando raises these interesting questions about art, identity, and commerce, and what the artists’ responsibilities are to their audience—as well as the ways we consume art and what we, as an audience, expect of artists.
Finally, the book ends detailing DOOM’s legacy and strangely focuses on the commercialization of DOOM’s legacy, looking at the different collabtive ways DOOM sought to possibly monetize his image. Although Fernando didn’t take a critical stance, it seemed like DOOM pursued products he was interested in or used, not just those that paid him the most. In fact, it looked like these companies (Clarks, Nike, Puma) sought out DOOM due to his popularity. It was a little odd to end the book this way, but it also helps to show DOOM’s enduring legacy and impact on music and especially hip hop. I appreciated the analysis and examination of DOOM’s last days. I, like just about everyone else, was shocked to learn about DOOM’s passing on New Year’s Eve 2020, and even more surprised to learn that it happened 2 months prior. Fernando provides some other key details about DOOM’s death, which was helpful but also frustrating that he experienced some medical racism. Regardless, I really appreciated that Fernando, through research and interviews, helps to flesh out DOOM’s final years in exile, showing us how his health and his own interests may have slowed his art and contributed to his death.
I can’t recommend this book enough. It is an amazing tribute to one of the most important artists in music and especially hip hop. Furthermore, it situates DOOM’s contributions by connecting his art to many other art forms that are considered more low brow (cartoons, comics, monster movies/Godzilla, quiet storm r-n-b), but also shows how an artist not only can make use of these disparate forms to create something wholly new, but also remind us of how this is the spirit of hip-hop—reinvention and recreation, and it is also representative of DOOM’s life, reinventing himself from Daniel Dumile, to Zev Love X, to MF DOOM, and eventually DOOM (all caps). Highly recommended book, and I can’t wait to read Fernando’s book on Wu-Tang Clan.
I also encountered DOOM later in life, sometime around 2004/2005 when I found the Special Herbs CDs in a Borders. I was instantly drawn to the Dr. Doom Marvel covers that offered little more than the track listings, which also seemed to be the names of different herbs and spices. Once I got these CDs home and started listening to them, they became such an important part of my listening. First, these albums were like nothing I really heard before. The samples were different and obscure, but also somewhat familiar—Was that the Electric Company theme song? Is that some music from Star Blazers? What did they do to “Black Cow” or The Doobie Brothers? I couldn’t get enough of this, and wanted to find out more. It was also around the time when iTunes was popular, so I could quickly access some albums, finding the Victor Vaughn and King Ghidora albums. I’m not sure ecqactly when I found out that Zev Love X and DOOM were the same, but it kind of blew my mind. I think Black B*st*rds was also available, and the story of KMD started to come back.
Some recent books, like Dante Ross’s excellent memoir Son of the City, provide some details about what happened to KMD and how they lost their deal mainly due to the artwork for the follow up album. Compounding this tragedy was the death of Zev/DOOM’s brother Subroc, shortly before the 2nd album’s release. Although it is sad on many different levels—a young, promising artist is killed in a tragic accident and a major record label fails to nurture and support their artists, confirming the kind of commodification of hop hop’s artistry as a commercial endeavor for many corporations. However, S. H. Fernando’s book explores not only the details of these events, but also delves in to analyze the impact on DOOM’s artistry and adaptation/development of his villainous persona MF DOOM.
I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. For one, I have strong connections with DOOM’s music at various points in my life. Furthermore, I loved how Fernando’s book is not only a detailed and complex biography that incorporates interviews and sources from the elusive and incredibly private DOOM and those who knew him, but also engages in in depth analysis, examining history, pop culture, literature, films, television and cartoons, as well as celebrity culture and technology to help understand the themes and signifiers that made DOOM such an iconic and influential figure in hip hop and popular music. It is such a great blend and helps readers to understand the varied influences and contexts that shaped DOOM’s perspective, style, lyrics, and performance.
The book starts out with general biographical details, but does not provide much about DOOM’s early life. We learn a little about his home, but most of the early chapters are spent detailing the development of KMD and their work with Serch and Pete Nice. 3rd Bass was a fun group, and I totally remember this time, watching Yo MTV Raps and Rap City. However, I also loved how Fernando’s book takes a broader approach and looks at other events happening around this time, especially in the NYC Hip-Hop world. It not only helps us understand the trends and styles, but also what the Dumile brothers were looking to challenge and create their own unique voice. We also learned about the influence of Malachi York, leader of the Nuwaubian Nation, a kind of cult that I read about in Ocker’s excellent book Cult Following. Through these details, we gain a better understanding of some of the factors that influenced DOOM’s eventual outlook and his pursuit of knowledge, learning constantly to reinvent himself.
I really appreciated Fernando’s research and analysis of the kind of criticism of hip-hop from the early 1990s. Although I wasn’t sure how events like the LA Riots, NWA, and Ice-T connected with East Coast hip-hop like KMD, Fernando does a great job weaving the kind of white panic and parental control that led to the creation of advisory stickers. In particular, it was interesting to read more about Body Count’s infamous Cop Killer song (as well as the reference to Paris’s “Bush Killa”), and the fallout that resulted from these first amendment cases. I couldn’t help but think about which first amendment warriors would come to the defense of these albums and artists today. Fernando’s research helps to contextualize the scene that eventually led to KMD’s loss of a deal. It was also interesting that much of the criticism came not from parents or white politicians, but rather from Black journalists who, as Fernando and Dante Ross have speculated, probably didn’t pay attention to the meaning and content of the album. Even looking back now, it’s hard to understand how the image of killing a stereotype could be misconstrued, but Fernando’s analysis helps to also frame the challenges that artists like DOOM faced in maintaining their artistry while also battling the commercial demands of working for a major corporation. It also probably helps to explain why DOOM frequently worked with independent labels throughout the remainder of his career.
This kind of deep level analysis and examination of the various factors at play in DOOM’s career are what make this book such an excellent and interesting read. Other sections look to DOOM’s artistic predecessors, whether it is examining the comic artists, super heroes and villains, or other musicians who most likely influenced his art and style. I also loved learning about the other visual artists and promotional people that DOOM worked with—including learning more about Blake Lethem, who helped to design DOOM’s mask and created his tag logo. Interestingly, Blake is also the brother of author Jonathan Lethem, and reading a little about his experiences with hip-hop, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was partly the basis for Mingus from Lethem’s Fortress of Solitude, a book that focuses on the early days of hip-hop as well as super heroes.
As someone who loved the Special Herbs albums, as well as Mad Villain, and MMM…FOOD, I really enjoyed reading about the creation of these albums, especially since DOOM’s samples are all so unique and his production style, as Fernando reminds us, is idiosyncratic, maybe a little sloppy, but also endearing, kind of like a punk rock, DIY hip hop production and beat making. For me, I loved the sonic density of his records, and how there’s so much layering. Not quite like the Bomb Squad, but just lots of different references and touch points that were appealing to me and familiar to my own interactions with music from childhood and beyond. Fernando’s analysis and exploration of these samples was helpful and enlightening. I really loved learning where the samples came from as well as their significance to DOOM and how they represented his own interests and style. Since DOOM was a kind of mysterious figure, Fernando does an admirable job unveiling the mask as much as possible to help us learn more about who Daniel Dumile really was. We are reminded that he was a loving father, an artist, and a student—not only of rap, but later on, of esoteric knowledge. The later chapters that detail DOOM’s exile in England (after being denied re-entry to the US due to his British passport and non-citizen status) were really interesting. On the one hand, it seems crazy that he couldn’t return to the US where he lived for most of his life. However, it was also fortuitous that he found people to help him get settled and spend time on Youtube learning about various theories and ideas that largely informed his artistry. These interviews with those who worked with DOOM were amazing—they were interesting in providing more perspective into this mysterious artist, but also insightful in helping us understand his influences and mindset, how he may have been gradually developing and evolving his own artistry and persona. Fernando and some of his interview subjects make some great points about artists and reinvention, and how many times fans, especially zealous fans, can often reject when artists try to evolve and grow, especially in hip hop, which despite being a groundbreaking and revolutionary art form, has also been coopted and commodified, relying on formulaic albums and styles and algorithmic topics and themes to sell. Fernando reminds us, through interviews with others, that while DOOM’s albums became more challenging and experimental, the sales dropped off. People were more interested in hearing the same songs, which also might have been why he reverted to DOOM bots, people dressed like DOOM sent to performance spaces. I loved that Fernando and others called this out, but also acknowledged that DOOM was giving people what they wanted, and using the mask to his advantage. This kind of depersonalization and hidden identity provided Dumile/DOOM with his anonymity, but also with an out, allowing others to fill in when he wasn’t feeling it. Fernando raises these interesting questions about art, identity, and commerce, and what the artists’ responsibilities are to their audience—as well as the ways we consume art and what we, as an audience, expect of artists.
Finally, the book ends detailing DOOM’s legacy and strangely focuses on the commercialization of DOOM’s legacy, looking at the different collabtive ways DOOM sought to possibly monetize his image. Although Fernando didn’t take a critical stance, it seemed like DOOM pursued products he was interested in or used, not just those that paid him the most. In fact, it looked like these companies (Clarks, Nike, Puma) sought out DOOM due to his popularity. It was a little odd to end the book this way, but it also helps to show DOOM’s enduring legacy and impact on music and especially hip hop. I appreciated the analysis and examination of DOOM’s last days. I, like just about everyone else, was shocked to learn about DOOM’s passing on New Year’s Eve 2020, and even more surprised to learn that it happened 2 months prior. Fernando provides some other key details about DOOM’s death, which was helpful but also frustrating that he experienced some medical racism. Regardless, I really appreciated that Fernando, through research and interviews, helps to flesh out DOOM’s final years in exile, showing us how his health and his own interests may have slowed his art and contributed to his death.
I can’t recommend this book enough. It is an amazing tribute to one of the most important artists in music and especially hip hop. Furthermore, it situates DOOM’s contributions by connecting his art to many other art forms that are considered more low brow (cartoons, comics, monster movies/Godzilla, quiet storm r-n-b), but also shows how an artist not only can make use of these disparate forms to create something wholly new, but also remind us of how this is the spirit of hip-hop—reinvention and recreation, and it is also representative of DOOM’s life, reinventing himself from Daniel Dumile, to Zev Love X, to MF DOOM, and eventually DOOM (all caps). Highly recommended book, and I can’t wait to read Fernando’s book on Wu-Tang Clan.
December 13, 2024
Exhaustive and perhaps exhausting biography on DOOM, but not a lot of new interviews done for the book and given how private DOOM was it's perhaps not a surprise and unfair of me to criticize that.
I think this book runs into this catch-22: either you're already a big fan of DOOM and know most of this stuff and don't need to re-read a bunch of lyrics etc or you're not a big fan and therefore will find all the details excessive and exhausting.
Fernando is passionate though - and not afraid to criticize the parts of DOOM's catalogue that were pretty clearly done just for the moolah or that he just does not care for that much (too much disrespect for "MM... Food" though!!)
Go watch that Red Bull Academy interview with DOOM from 2011 and you'll get a lot of the quotes from the man himself that are presented in this book.
I think this book runs into this catch-22: either you're already a big fan of DOOM and know most of this stuff and don't need to re-read a bunch of lyrics etc or you're not a big fan and therefore will find all the details excessive and exhausting.
Fernando is passionate though - and not afraid to criticize the parts of DOOM's catalogue that were pretty clearly done just for the moolah or that he just does not care for that much (too much disrespect for "MM... Food" though!!)
Go watch that Red Bull Academy interview with DOOM from 2011 and you'll get a lot of the quotes from the man himself that are presented in this book.
October 17, 2024
I received an advanced copy of this book prior to the official release and finished it today. It’s a great book for all DOOM heads.
Firstly, it’s well written, the book is easy to read and hard to put down, I finished it in a day. It’s not a chore like some books. Great author.
There’s no good way that I can summarize this book so I’ll just list random tidbits that stuck out to me from memory and they may spark your interest to read it
-Subroc’s personal life and his and DOOM’s heavy psychedelic use
-DOOM’s job hustling during his missing years between KMD and DOOM
-Mr. Fantastik’s identity is not revealed but there’s a good paragraph on him
-DOOM’s health problems
-specific dollar sums are mentioned of what DOOM was paid by record labels, by other artists for features and by Adult Swim. DOOM did some of his people dirty
-my favorite part of the book was the chapter on both Victor Vaughn records. The first VV record has some of the best beats and music in the history of music so it was nice to hear from the people who made those beats and worked really hard on that album to make it happen. It’s impossible to even Google the people behind that record
All important facts have citations, this is not a biased book
If your a biography junkie and like DOOM then you’ll enjoy this book
Firstly, it’s well written, the book is easy to read and hard to put down, I finished it in a day. It’s not a chore like some books. Great author.
There’s no good way that I can summarize this book so I’ll just list random tidbits that stuck out to me from memory and they may spark your interest to read it
-Subroc’s personal life and his and DOOM’s heavy psychedelic use
-DOOM’s job hustling during his missing years between KMD and DOOM
-Mr. Fantastik’s identity is not revealed but there’s a good paragraph on him
-DOOM’s health problems
-specific dollar sums are mentioned of what DOOM was paid by record labels, by other artists for features and by Adult Swim. DOOM did some of his people dirty
-my favorite part of the book was the chapter on both Victor Vaughn records. The first VV record has some of the best beats and music in the history of music so it was nice to hear from the people who made those beats and worked really hard on that album to make it happen. It’s impossible to even Google the people behind that record
All important facts have citations, this is not a biased book
If your a biography junkie and like DOOM then you’ll enjoy this book
December 29, 2024
Spot hot tracks like spot a pair of fat asses
Shots of the scotch from out of square shot glasses
And he won't stop till he got the masses
An' show 'em what they know now through flows of hot molasses
Do it like the robot to headspin to boogaloo
Took a few minutes to convince the average bug a boo
It's ugly, like look at you, it's a damn shame
Just remember all caps when you spell the man name
Shots of the scotch from out of square shot glasses
And he won't stop till he got the masses
An' show 'em what they know now through flows of hot molasses
Do it like the robot to headspin to boogaloo
Took a few minutes to convince the average bug a boo
It's ugly, like look at you, it's a damn shame
Just remember all caps when you spell the man name
November 1, 2024
"The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion." -Albert Camus
The Chronicles of DOOM is one of the most well-written bios I've ever read. It has easily become a favorite rap bio of mine. The author handles the man, the myth, and the legend that is MF DOOM with such admirable care & consideration.
Well-researched, The Chronicles of DOOM gives readers a course study in MF DOOM, complete with insider info from all who came to witness his musical genius. S.H. Fernando meticulously walks us through each project and collaboration of our time's most elusive rapper with such great detail. He shares his influences and inspirations, as well as his quirks and habits. While many of us fans know MF DOOM by his villain-like rap persona, The Chronicles of DOOM humanizes him in such a beautiful and absolute way.
For fans of MF DOOM and fans of the rap genre in general-- The Chronicles of DOOM is a must-read. Please add it to your reading list if you haven't already. Pull out your DOOM albums, queue up your playlists, and enjoy the ride that is this amazing book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Many thanks to Astra House, Netgalley, and the author for my digital + physical copies of The Chronicles of DOOM. Through you all, I was able to get an early glimpse of this GEM that further immortalizes one of my favorite rappers of all time. You are most appreciated 📚❤
The Chronicles of DOOM is one of the most well-written bios I've ever read. It has easily become a favorite rap bio of mine. The author handles the man, the myth, and the legend that is MF DOOM with such admirable care & consideration.
Well-researched, The Chronicles of DOOM gives readers a course study in MF DOOM, complete with insider info from all who came to witness his musical genius. S.H. Fernando meticulously walks us through each project and collaboration of our time's most elusive rapper with such great detail. He shares his influences and inspirations, as well as his quirks and habits. While many of us fans know MF DOOM by his villain-like rap persona, The Chronicles of DOOM humanizes him in such a beautiful and absolute way.
For fans of MF DOOM and fans of the rap genre in general-- The Chronicles of DOOM is a must-read. Please add it to your reading list if you haven't already. Pull out your DOOM albums, queue up your playlists, and enjoy the ride that is this amazing book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Many thanks to Astra House, Netgalley, and the author for my digital + physical copies of The Chronicles of DOOM. Through you all, I was able to get an early glimpse of this GEM that further immortalizes one of my favorite rappers of all time. You are most appreciated 📚❤
December 14, 2024
Kernels of interesting stuff here—people don’t pay enough attention to the actual street aspects of DOOM’s music in favor of the wacky Adult Swim guy etc.—but this is both weirdly overwritten and undercooked. Ending this with a chapter about his business investments, and really ending on some paragraphs praising DOOM’s “ahead of his time” use of NFTs (?!), really left a sour taste in my mouth, too. Just listen to the records instead.
March 20, 2025
I loved this as liner notes, disliked it as a bio. It was really informative, and taught me so much I didn’t know about a recording artist whose music I love, and whose mysterious passing was a sad shock. All that was great. But it’s just a timeline.
My problem was that as a book, it doesn’t seem to have a higher aspiration. Too many cringey fanboy moments sucked the profundity out of the room. I thought some of the language choices were juvenile and pandering and seemed transparently artificial to the rest of the narrative voice. And that’s a shame—because as the timeline spells out—Doom’s is a beautiful human story of how one person can be both hero and villain. Too focused on the music to let his face distract him with the side effects of fame. It’s amazing. It’s all right there—the devout Muslim kid star from gasface grows up to be a pot bellied con artist who just happens to be the best rapper in history? That story deserves to be told with deeper thoughts and observations than this book offers.
They say never meet your heroes, I guess because maybe they turn out to be villains. But this is the story of how both those people were worthy of admiration and thought. It’s just not well enough told.
My problem was that as a book, it doesn’t seem to have a higher aspiration. Too many cringey fanboy moments sucked the profundity out of the room. I thought some of the language choices were juvenile and pandering and seemed transparently artificial to the rest of the narrative voice. And that’s a shame—because as the timeline spells out—Doom’s is a beautiful human story of how one person can be both hero and villain. Too focused on the music to let his face distract him with the side effects of fame. It’s amazing. It’s all right there—the devout Muslim kid star from gasface grows up to be a pot bellied con artist who just happens to be the best rapper in history? That story deserves to be told with deeper thoughts and observations than this book offers.
They say never meet your heroes, I guess because maybe they turn out to be villains. But this is the story of how both those people were worthy of admiration and thought. It’s just not well enough told.
October 4, 2025
3.5 I decided to experience The Chronicles of DOOM in both e-book and audiobook formats, and I’m glad I did. Leon Nixon’s narration does a fantastic job capturing the author’s passion, criticism, and appreciation for MF DOOM, adding an extra layer to the experience. Nixon’s tone reflects the admiration and complexity that DOOM’s fans have come to cherish.
As most DOOM fans know, he was a highly private individual, so I appreciated the insights we received, though some aspects, particularly around his death, felt a bit intrusive. This book is ultimately a tribute to DOOM’s impact—not just in music during his time, but in shaping today’s hip-hop through his creativity and unique presence. It also emphasizes the importance he placed on privacy and his artistic process, with detailed analyses of his production choices and lyrics.
One of the highlights for me was the exploration of DOOM’s connections with other artists, illustrating the crossover between hip-hop and other art forms. It was fascinating to see various interviews, though there were moments where the author’s perspective felt a bit ambiguous. Even so, these recollections from those who worked with DOOM directly provide a deeper look into the kind of artist he was.
A key takeaway from this book is the importance of growth for a musician to have a lasting influence. DOOM took on many personas, continuously pushing his listeners and challenging the boundaries of what hip-hop could look like. The author, though clearly a fan, doesn’t shy away from critiquing DOOM, providing an account of the enigmatic villain he portrayed and the underrated hero he became.
If you’re an MF DOOM fan, this book is a must-read. But even if you’re just a fan of hip-hop or music in general, there’s a wealth of information here that can deepen your appreciation for an artist who defied convention and left an indelible mark on the genre.
Huge thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for this audio galley.
As most DOOM fans know, he was a highly private individual, so I appreciated the insights we received, though some aspects, particularly around his death, felt a bit intrusive. This book is ultimately a tribute to DOOM’s impact—not just in music during his time, but in shaping today’s hip-hop through his creativity and unique presence. It also emphasizes the importance he placed on privacy and his artistic process, with detailed analyses of his production choices and lyrics.
One of the highlights for me was the exploration of DOOM’s connections with other artists, illustrating the crossover between hip-hop and other art forms. It was fascinating to see various interviews, though there were moments where the author’s perspective felt a bit ambiguous. Even so, these recollections from those who worked with DOOM directly provide a deeper look into the kind of artist he was.
A key takeaway from this book is the importance of growth for a musician to have a lasting influence. DOOM took on many personas, continuously pushing his listeners and challenging the boundaries of what hip-hop could look like. The author, though clearly a fan, doesn’t shy away from critiquing DOOM, providing an account of the enigmatic villain he portrayed and the underrated hero he became.
If you’re an MF DOOM fan, this book is a must-read. But even if you’re just a fan of hip-hop or music in general, there’s a wealth of information here that can deepen your appreciation for an artist who defied convention and left an indelible mark on the genre.
Huge thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for this audio galley.
May 15, 2025
one of the best music biographies i've ever read. it's a really well-written, well-researched book that will tell you almost everything about the man, the myth, and the legend.
prepare for a great read and be ready to blast some dope beats afterwards.
♪ ♬ just remember ALL CAPS when you spell the man name ♫ ♩
p.s. the author is a huge fanboy, and it shows. you can definitely say that he loves MF DOOM, but sometimes it shows to the extent that the author becomes annoying.
4.5/5
prepare for a great read and be ready to blast some dope beats afterwards.
♪ ♬ just remember ALL CAPS when you spell the man name ♫ ♩
p.s. the author is a huge fanboy, and it shows. you can definitely say that he loves MF DOOM, but sometimes it shows to the extent that the author becomes annoying.
4.5/5
December 25, 2024
It’s made of fine chrome alloy/
Find him on the grind, he’s the rhinestone cowboy.
Find him on the grind, he’s the rhinestone cowboy.
February 13, 2025
Essential reading for not only DOOM fans, but hip-hop and music fans as well. This biography is by far the most detailed DOOM material that exists, and it also does an amazing job of telling the story of rap and hip-hop culture – which I didn't realize before reading this, but DOOM always seemed to be in close proximity to key moments throughout the genre's history.
The good:
You learn A TON about DOOM. And you learn about not only the great parts of DOOM, but his less commendable sides as well. The book references a lot of existing material (interviews, news stories, etc.), but it also features a good amount of original interview material, which the author uses to piece together big gaps that used to exist in DOOM's life story. Overall, the book does an incredible job of weaving together a biography that touches on all things: the history, the music, the creativity, the business, and the person.
The "meh":
At times, the timeline was difficult to follow. However, this is less a product of poor writing, and more a product of DOOM working on so many projects simultaneously, so I get it. Also, even with learning so much, I still left the book wanting to know more about DOOM's personal life. It would have been great to hear from his wife or children directly, but I understand why they would opt not to be interviewed for a book like this. DOOM, after all, valued nothing more than the privacy of his personal life. Finally, I didn't love the ending of the book. The final chapter really didn't feel like a fitting end to the story (wtf was the NFT stuff?). The second to last chapter would have made much more sense. Or even better, a short chapter on the lost/rumored/incomplete DOOM projects, and speculation as to what could come of them.
Overall, despite a few flaws and starting a little slow, I can't recommend this to fans of DOOM enough. It feels definitive, and I have a hard time believing there will ever be a more comprehensive biography written on DOOM – one of the most influential artists in modern music.
The good:
You learn A TON about DOOM. And you learn about not only the great parts of DOOM, but his less commendable sides as well. The book references a lot of existing material (interviews, news stories, etc.), but it also features a good amount of original interview material, which the author uses to piece together big gaps that used to exist in DOOM's life story. Overall, the book does an incredible job of weaving together a biography that touches on all things: the history, the music, the creativity, the business, and the person.
The "meh":
At times, the timeline was difficult to follow. However, this is less a product of poor writing, and more a product of DOOM working on so many projects simultaneously, so I get it. Also, even with learning so much, I still left the book wanting to know more about DOOM's personal life. It would have been great to hear from his wife or children directly, but I understand why they would opt not to be interviewed for a book like this. DOOM, after all, valued nothing more than the privacy of his personal life. Finally, I didn't love the ending of the book. The final chapter really didn't feel like a fitting end to the story (wtf was the NFT stuff?). The second to last chapter would have made much more sense. Or even better, a short chapter on the lost/rumored/incomplete DOOM projects, and speculation as to what could come of them.
Overall, despite a few flaws and starting a little slow, I can't recommend this to fans of DOOM enough. It feels definitive, and I have a hard time believing there will ever be a more comprehensive biography written on DOOM – one of the most influential artists in modern music.
August 4, 2025
4.5 stars. If you’re a DOOM fan you’re gonna want to read this. No idea how the author found out so much about such a mysterious character, but it’s an excellent account of DOOM’s early life, his musical life, his character and his legacy. Although I did pay £25 for the hard back so if it wasn’t good I’d be kicking off.
January 3, 2025
Super informative about a really mysterious character I’ve been into for a bit but knew not much about. Only knock is that the chapter on Madvillain was a little bit of a glazing session and the writing felt all over the place, but it fit and read nicely because it was DOOM.
March 14, 2025
Author rambled about some religious leader for an entire chapter when I just wanted to learn about cool rhymes
May 31, 2025
definitely some stuff i never knew before, but the problem with a book about someone as private as doom was is that you’re going to run out of that stuff pretty quick and then just talk to people who maybe met him a few times and get them to say stuff like “yeah, he was really private”. but nothing from paul barman in this whole thing?? considering this, maybe it would have been nice if the book instead chose to delve a bit more into the lyrics themselves. also, kind of a bummer to end the thing on NFTs, but hey i guess that’s the world we live in now.
December 29, 2024
If you're a fan of DOOM in any capacity, that being a few songs or his whole discography, I believe you will enjoy this book. Interviews placed throughout contribute to the overall story as well as the making of each project. That combined with love for the music by the author really adheres to a well written cohesive story. Facts that aren't widely known accommodated the well documented to keep it from being a stale retelling of events DOOM heads already know about. The representation of DOOM as a flawed human contributes well, especially in the latter half of the book to show a side of DOOM very few knew and could only assume. Privacy being one of the villains' main attributes, this book really holds true by not deep diving into the private life that was wrapped in a tight circle. We learn things from others that DOOM clearly didn't care where laid out in front of others. Nothing ever felt overstepped or obscenely private. Despite complaits, I feel the ending presents an interesting narrative showing off DOOMs clear understanding of the future before his passing with NFTs, yet not glorifying them. It also transitioned nicely into what his name has become for a lot of new fans. The mask has become the face and brand of many things. Overall, I enjoyed this as (I'm not exaggerating) one of the number one DOOM fans. Personal side note. The people complaining about things such as personal opinions by the author about albums or jokes strooned about are complaining to complain and disagreeing to disagree. Flawed as all things are, this book represented the Metal Face Villain in his fullest and nothing less. If you love DOOM, check it out. Nothing is ever perfect.
November 30, 2024
For such an elusive character this biography is impressively detailed and thorough. The admiration that we all share for DOOM is clearly present in the author’s writing. Not to mention all of the quotes, analogies, and inspirations that were peppered throughout the chapters. This is truly a gem for anyone that wants to know more about the legend behind the mask.
RIP MF DOOM
“Know who's the illest ever like the greatest story told”
- MF DOOM
RIP MF DOOM
“Know who's the illest ever like the greatest story told”
- MF DOOM
April 4, 2025
“Can it be I stayed away too long?/ Did you miss these rhymes when I was gone?/ As you listen to crazy tracks/ check them stats and you’ll know where I’m at./ And that’s that.”
Like many others, I remember first hearing DOOM on [Adult Swim] bumps. The Mouse and the Mask completely changed the trajectory of my music life. The Super Villain opened the door to a rogues gallery of characters and a music universe I wasn’t aware of. This book did an excellent job expanding that universe.
Like many others, I remember first hearing DOOM on [Adult Swim] bumps. The Mouse and the Mask completely changed the trajectory of my music life. The Super Villain opened the door to a rogues gallery of characters and a music universe I wasn’t aware of. This book did an excellent job expanding that universe.
March 10, 2025
A great book. It was very informative and engaging, which is what I was looking for in a biography of DOOM, and I learned a lot. The first section is about DOOM’s childhood and introduction to all the elements of hip hop, his early experience with the industry through KMD, and the other groups and rappers that were part of his orbit. The turning point in his life comes with the tragic death of his brother. DOOM then goes into the wilderness for several years before emerging with some unique concepts, a stack of beats, and a new vocal style. The next little section of the book goes into the cultural origins of the villain/trickster character and provides further details about the Marvel character Doctor Doom and about King Ghidorah the kaiju, as well as detailing the evolution of the iconic mask. All this broader pop-cultural background information is more interesting and important context for DOOM’s approach over the next decade. The next section is about all the recordings that were made between around 1999-2018. DOOM worked with a lot of different people under a lot of different aliases and things were not always released in the same order that they were recorded. This books straightens all of that out, going into detail about the small labels that released his material, the cast of characters involved behind the scenes, his musical collaborators, and what DOOM was responsible for in each release. There is a good amount of detail about some of my favourite releases (the King Geedorah and Viktor Vaughn albums, and MM.. Food), with a deep, track-by-track dive into Madvillany, but only a short section about his very enjoyable collab with Czarface. The final little section is about his final years, death, and legacy. As I mentioned, there was a lot I didn’t know that was probably basic knowledge for DOOM fans (e.g. the DOOMbots, and his exile to the UK) but I’m sure there were revelations here even for the DOOM diehard. That said, the author and the interview subjects were still respectful of DOOM’s privacy, glossing over some of his shadier dealings and those of his colleagues, keeping some of DOOM's myth alive as a mysterious villain with a heart of gold. I can't imagine a better biography being written about this subject and it inspires the reader to go through all of DOOM's extensive back catalogue and marvel at his work as both a lyricist and producer.
November 5, 2024
After celebrating 50 years of hip hop last year, this passionate and thoroughly-researched study of MF DOOM is a timely celebration of the underground/independent hip hop scene. Fernando executes an intimate biography of the Villain with relevant interviews, the good Doctor’s necessary lore and comparison to a real-life Dumile, and deep analyses of DOOM’s prominent works. Kudos to him!
But what Fernando clearly illustrates for the reader (and what DOOM’s cult following already knows well) is how important the masked-face rapper’s privacy was to him. Hell, the protest against celebrity and all the other cliches the rap world glorifies is crucial to his villain narrative. We’re talking about the man who rapped in third-person here. The existence of this biographical work begs the question of whether this is the legacy that DOOM would’ve really wanted for himself and his family, especially posthumously. That being said, as a big DOOM fan myself, I did indulge in every single word of this book and felt justice in knowing that this villain story has been revealed to the world as one that’s rooted in good intentions, as many of them are.
Also, the inclusion of the sneaker collabs and NFT bit at the end did NOT work as a sufficient or appropriate resolution to such a powerful piece of biography LOL
But what Fernando clearly illustrates for the reader (and what DOOM’s cult following already knows well) is how important the masked-face rapper’s privacy was to him. Hell, the protest against celebrity and all the other cliches the rap world glorifies is crucial to his villain narrative. We’re talking about the man who rapped in third-person here. The existence of this biographical work begs the question of whether this is the legacy that DOOM would’ve really wanted for himself and his family, especially posthumously. That being said, as a big DOOM fan myself, I did indulge in every single word of this book and felt justice in knowing that this villain story has been revealed to the world as one that’s rooted in good intentions, as many of them are.
Also, the inclusion of the sneaker collabs and NFT bit at the end did NOT work as a sufficient or appropriate resolution to such a powerful piece of biography LOL
October 28, 2025
ALL CAPS WHEN YOU SPELL THE MAN’s NAME: DOOM! Has there ever been a more enigmatic artist in the last decade than DOOM? If the world is a stage, DOOM-against the odds of the absurd stacked against him- donned what would become a symbol of existential rebellion: the mask!
The writing is fairly accessible and reads as snapshot of the man, the myth, and the legend told through the selective medium in which DOOM chose to share his unique and at times, esoteric offerings: MUSIC! Each chapter involves the author providing a behind the scenes “VH1” style (iykyk) of each album and collaboration within his discography, carefully weaving elements of the “man” behind the “mask” that so many of his fans grew to love- even in his mystique.
While DOOM fully embodied his role as the “super villain” his life reminds us that we are condemned to choose how we will live and that we all have an opportunity to die having been emptied of all of our gifts and talents if we stay true to who we are! RIP THE LATE GREAT MF DOOM! Thank you for your contributions!
The writing is fairly accessible and reads as snapshot of the man, the myth, and the legend told through the selective medium in which DOOM chose to share his unique and at times, esoteric offerings: MUSIC! Each chapter involves the author providing a behind the scenes “VH1” style (iykyk) of each album and collaboration within his discography, carefully weaving elements of the “man” behind the “mask” that so many of his fans grew to love- even in his mystique.
While DOOM fully embodied his role as the “super villain” his life reminds us that we are condemned to choose how we will live and that we all have an opportunity to die having been emptied of all of our gifts and talents if we stay true to who we are! RIP THE LATE GREAT MF DOOM! Thank you for your contributions!
January 28, 2025
The Villain gets away in secret again. You can learn all the facts about Daniel Dumile Jr this book has to offer, but you will still never come close to understanding DOOM.
So many fun stories about MF DOOM’s life are told by some of his close friends and peers throughout this book. It paints as much of a true picture as it can, given the MC’s shadowy reputation. Highlighting his successes while not shying from his shortcomings, fans of the rapper should go out of their way to read this.
I am not the biggest fan of non fiction, but I had a great time reading this. And not just because it mentioned my hometown on a few occasions. The plot, by its own admission, jumps around the timeline a good bit and it’s easy to loose track of where DOOM is in space and time, but I’m sure that’s exactly how he would have wanted it.
So many fun stories about MF DOOM’s life are told by some of his close friends and peers throughout this book. It paints as much of a true picture as it can, given the MC’s shadowy reputation. Highlighting his successes while not shying from his shortcomings, fans of the rapper should go out of their way to read this.
I am not the biggest fan of non fiction, but I had a great time reading this. And not just because it mentioned my hometown on a few occasions. The plot, by its own admission, jumps around the timeline a good bit and it’s easy to loose track of where DOOM is in space and time, but I’m sure that’s exactly how he would have wanted it.
November 29, 2025
"Living off borrowed time, the clock ticks faster
That'd be the hour they knock the slick blaster
Dick Dastardly and Muttley with sick laughter
A gunfight and they come to cut the mixmaster"
"At the gates of heaven, knockin'—no answer
Slow dancer, hopeless romancer, dopest flow stanzas
Yes, no? Villain, Metal Face to Destro
Guess so, still incredible in escrow"
"Spot hot tracks like spot a pair of fat asses
Shots of the scotch from out the square shot glasses
And he won't stop till he got the masses
And show 'em what they know not through flows of hot molasses
Do it like the robot to headspin to boogaloo
Took a few minutes to convince the average bug-a-boo
It's ugly, like look at you, it's a damn shame
Just remember ALL CAPS when you spell the man name"
MF DOOM
RIP LEGEND.
That'd be the hour they knock the slick blaster
Dick Dastardly and Muttley with sick laughter
A gunfight and they come to cut the mixmaster"
"At the gates of heaven, knockin'—no answer
Slow dancer, hopeless romancer, dopest flow stanzas
Yes, no? Villain, Metal Face to Destro
Guess so, still incredible in escrow"
"Spot hot tracks like spot a pair of fat asses
Shots of the scotch from out the square shot glasses
And he won't stop till he got the masses
And show 'em what they know not through flows of hot molasses
Do it like the robot to headspin to boogaloo
Took a few minutes to convince the average bug-a-boo
It's ugly, like look at you, it's a damn shame
Just remember ALL CAPS when you spell the man name"
MF DOOM
RIP LEGEND.
December 19, 2025
Incredibly well researched, but Fernando Jr more often than not finds himself meandering on insignificant details that could be relegated to a single sentence rather than 3 pages. The tedious explanation of Dr Doom’s in universe history almost pushed me to put the book down. It also strikes me just how much the book refuses to hold DOOM accountable to his less favourable behaviours, with Fernando Jr’ often chalking such actions as skipping concerts with no notice, taking the money of peers, and totally fucking over some of his closest collaborators to just being apart of DOOM’s “villainy”. I love the complicated and flawed image of Dumile that the book presents, but the author doesn’t explore it in any meaningful way. Regardless, this was still an incredibly interesting read that definitely improved as it went on.
Read
January 28, 2025It was great to learn more about DOOM, especially how he made some of his albums. Some of this is a bit jarring, ending on NFT's is a questionable choice. Best rapper of all time tho
February 26, 2025
DOOM: the supavillain. This book offers a great view into his life, but left me with a “don’t meet your hero” sort of vibe. He was a kind of a bad dude, but endlessly inspirational. RIP Dumile
October 20, 2024
The Chronicles of DOOM is a thoroughly researched and at times poetically written tome about the life and work of MF DOOM. The large cast of rappers, producers, friends, enemies, label employees and beyond can get overwhelming, but like a Jim Shooter-edited Marvel comic, S.H. Fernando establishes each key player’s personality and “powers” often introducing them in a “day of the life” type vignette. It also shows the collaborative nature of DOOM’s work as he jumped from label to label, producer to producer releasing albums and building a legend. Chronicles of DOOM has something for the old school hip hop heads, the comic reading and cartoon watching nerds, the DIY indie kids, the esoteric stoners, and everyone in between just like DOOM’s music.
Read the rest of my review here: https://t.co/P4wfVRazQO
Read the rest of my review here: https://t.co/P4wfVRazQO
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