MF DOOM : The Most Underrated Rapper in Hip Hop

nasarjee
Jul 5, 2018
2 min read

Daniel Dumile aka the super-villian aka Viktor Vaughn aka King Geedorah. The mysterious enigma of the rap game goes by many aliases and has an array of complex personas through which he portrays his music. The London born rapper has had a massive ripple influence in modern hip hop .

Although his roots in underground rap and independent releases mean that he is largely underrated and underappreciated when it comes to how he has influenced a generation of rappers. Whether that is up and comers such as Joey Bada$$ and Earl sweatshirt or seasoned veterans like Mos Def .

Now lets review why MF DOOM is the most underrated rapper in the history of Hip Hop and why he will remain underappreciated but his cult like fanbase and Hip Hop enthusiasts will always have a place for him in the pantheon of raps greats .

1. He wears a Mask

In an age where image, look and the size of your chain was everything in rap, the supervillian decided he wasn't going to partake in that as he believed it was all a sham. Fashion, rings and chains were to him things rappers covered themselves up with to hide what he believes is the quality that matters most in rap which is your Lyrical ability. ''He wears a mask just to cover the raw flesh , a rather ugly brother with flows that's gorgeous '' this quote perfectly defines MF DOOMS mentality when it comes to staying anonymous. The one thing that matters to him is that his flows remain 'Gorgeous' all else is just showmanship. This unique mentality has endeared him to his loyal fan base but no doubt kept him from blowing up in the mainstream which is why he remains underrated.

2. Abstract subject matter and references .

How many rappers do you know can make a whole album based upon references and song titles based purely on food ?. How many rappers can reference anime , adult swim cartoons and classic jJapanese monster flicks all on the same track ? well thought of one yet. I am guessing not because there is only one and that is the notorious Supervillian. His abstract flows and references is what make him truly unique and one of a kind but also put up a barrier to entry to potential new listeners.

3 . Staying out of public eye.

MF Doom prefers to keep to himself. But keeping out of the public eye also means lack of promotion and lack of relevancy and that heavily contributes to his underrated status .He rarely agrees to interviews or any sort of public speaking. This is a departure from modern rappers who are plastered all over the internet whether that's videos, interviews or magazines. Mf Doom's low profile increases his mysterious persona but also takes away from the ability to actually promote himself and be seen by the masses. which is a trade-off he happily accepts.

In conclusion There's an abundance of reasons why MF Doom remains the most underrated artist in hip hop. But all the reasons that make him underrated are the same reasons why his cult like fan base are in love with him, and hey that means he is doing something right .