MF DOOM, the rapper known for intricate rhymes and his signature mask, has died at the age of 49. The news was first posted by his wife, Jasmine, on the rapper’s Instagram page. Richie Abbott, MF DOOM’s rep, confirmed the rapper’s death to Rolling Stone. A cause of death was not immediately disclosed. Abbott confirmed that the rapper, whose real name was Daniel Dumile, died on October 31st of this year, but his family did not disclose news of his death until Thursday evening.
“The greatest husband, father, teacher, student, business partner, lover and friend I could ever ask for, Dumile’s wife, Jasmine, wrote. “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.”
MF DOOM’s career started when he was just a teenager performing under the name Zev Love as part of the hip-hop group KMD. Following the death of his younger brother DJ Subroc in 1993, Doom disappeared from public life, re-emerging in the late ’90s at the Nuyorican Poet Cafe in Manhattan where he performed, unannounced, wearing a stocking over his face.
Following his public resurgence, MF DOOM would go on to record six studio albums under various monikers (alongside numerous other tracks and beat compilations) and leave a trail of collaborations and inspirations in his wake. In 2017, he announced the death of his son Malachi; yet another personal tragedy the rapper endured, all while maintaining a prolific, and genuinely exciting output.
“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, his wife’s statement continues. “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.”
