On the last day of the year 2020, the world was rocked by the news that hip-hop supervillain MF DOOM passed away two months before October 31.
Shock, disbelief and sadness spread throughout the fan community, family and loved ones.
My story with DOOM began in 2004, I was working on “The Beautiful Struggle” tour for Talib Kweli and DOOM was the starting point. I was rushing backstage when I saw him and Benn Grimm waiting to take the stage.
“I asked him, as I passed Benn, who seemed to want to block him. “No, I don’t,” he replied with an 18-carat gold smile. At that moment, Kweli came running up and said, “Oh, you’ve met DOOM, this is my assistant Courtney Brown-Court, did you know DOOM is from KMD?
BB Kings Show in New York
It was the beginning of a friendship that would influence my life forever. Shortly
after our first meeting, we became friends on the street and
I met the
writer Daniel Dumile. After seeing me solve my problems on the road to Kweli, he asked me to work for him and his wife Jasmine once the tour was over. They both taught me how to navigate the business world and also helped me grow personally.
DOOM was a teacher, and to be in his circle, you had to learn. He sent me numerous 4-hour lectures and signings that he felt were relevant to my growth.
On stage with Moses, who loved DUM.
Once his mask was off, he showed that he was reflective… …full of curiosity, kindness and uncommon talent. He treated me like a queen in an industry that uses women. He didn’t act like a rapper because, as he said, he didn’t agree. He ran errands, helped me achieve my goals and always knew how to do things right. He calmly took the train from New York City to the Jersey shore in a snowstorm to help us pack up my grandmother’s 7-room house for sale. Even though he had just released his classic album MM….GOOD, he walked the train through the snow to our house in Neptune, NJ, because there were no cars there. We stayed up all night talking about everything, and he meticulously packed up the family heirlooms and asked about each one.
I moved to Los Angeles to help him while he worked on “Danger.” During that time, we spent a lot of time finding inspiration for the album and hung out with my then best friend, Kelis, and her husband, rapper Nas. One day, after dinner at Boogie LA, I convinced her to come up to my hotel room where DOOM put on some beats and Nas started freestyling. It lasted almost an hour. DOOM had his special spice CD with him and it was a historic moment that was not filmed or recorded.
Eventually my work grew as I became part of his “entourage,” but DOOM was a thug and there was always something else to explore. When I started writing, he supported this all too popular idea, and I wrote many of his covers, including the one for FRANK 151.
written by K. Boogie Braun
One day he gave me what he called “the robot” for a whole day, and later I found out it had to be Benn Grimm. (
He was full of surprises.)
He told me not to let anyone in the room except journalists for interviews and photographers for pictures. I was terrified. We shot the cover with a fake DUM. I had the best set of gear, and I gave a lot of no’s that day. We held out until a woman who knew him and wanted to talk to him kept pestering him to come into the room.
It’s ruined. We spent the night in Atlanta with Jas and in New York with him, writing the perfect editorial for Elemental magazine, which was very exciting.
One of my first concerts in the press room.
He and I found the perfect words to explain his tactics. And Jas, always loving and honest, paid me well for my work. They both respected my pen. We went back to Los Angeles to work on MADVILLAIN 2, and it is the best album anyone has ever heard. He took a lot of real life experiences and crazy situations and turned them into songs in this album. Even though he didn’t finish it, he felt that masterpieces shouldn’t be rushed. One song we spent weeks thinking about came from a strange article in New York that I told him about. We laughed about it for almost two hours before the intensive research began. We called it “Monkey’s Song.” At the time, he recorded a few songs with Ghostface, and he was one of the few rappers who could change the lyrics, so there are 2 versions of Angels.
I asked him, “Why did GOST say 3 white b****?
I could go on endlessly with the stories, memories and lessons I got from the supervillain.
He was very strategic and put things and people where he wanted them. He knew what he was doing.
Many may wonder why I discovered so much. The DUM often talked about my absence and of course I wanted to get rid of him. He insisted, “If I’m out, you better tell the story.” I’d rather it be you than someone else.” Villain!”
Maybe one day I’ll tell it.
Silence in the engine room.
DUM and Boogie Brown
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Frequently asked questions
Is MF Doom a legend?
MF Doom, the legendary rapper known for his emblematic stage persona and thoughtful lyrical style, has died at the age of 49, his wife Jasmine confirmed in a statement. “The best husband, father, teacher, student, business partner, lover and friend I could wish for,” she wrote on Instagram.
MF Doom is based on Dr. Doom?
MF Doom, the mysterious rapper who wore a Dr. Doom-like mask, has died at the age of 49. British-born rapper Daniel Doom, aka MF Doom, died on October 31. His album “Madvillainy,” released in 2004, was hailed as his most famous release.
What does MF Doom mean?
The word MF actually means “metalface.” The word DOOM comes from the cartoon character Doctor DOOM.
