Atlanta rapper DARKMONK is an enigmatic villian (or an anti-superhero, depending on how you look at it) from another world, put on earth to save us all from evil global leaders. At least that’s his persona on his debut LP, the raw and gritty True Underlord, which was released this month on Metalface Records and features Madlib, DOOM, and Jake One among others. One of DOOM’s dedicated students, DARKMONK is also a member of the the MetalFaceAkademy, an organization of producers including DOOM, MOBONIX and others. Sparse production, brooding beats, and far-out concepts, DARKMONK sat down with fellow MC –and villian–MOBONIX (who has his own LP coming out this June called Reset Button) in the studio last week and was asked a few choice questions. Always short on words, but never on conspriracy theories, here DARKMONK expounds on what’s going on in his raps and in his mind. From one villian to the other: …MORE
Make a list of rappers you’d most likely find stepping up to the decks, and DOOM isn’t even close to the top of the list. Heck, dude allegedly doesn’t even show up to his own live shows half the time. But leave it to Boiler Room to get the masked villain to deliver an hour of like-minded hip-hop as part of the Lex Records BR showcase celebrating the upcoming JJ DOOM collaboration with DOOM and Jneiro Jarel. The nightalso featured Jarel, Boom Bip and Buddy Peace, whose DJ sets we are seriously looking forward to. No video of DOOM as of yet, but you can at least enjoy the audio of Tuesday night’s special session.
We try play it cool and not to gawk to hard at corporate-sponsored music marketing, even when that marketing comes from Red Bull, possibly the only product in the last 15 years to have actually revolutionized nightlife culture (Red Bull and vodka anyone?). But damn if the energy drink giant’s most recent Music Academy didn’t deliver the goods like no other brand on earth.
First there was the extended interview with DOOM, something URB has been trying to hustle out of the mysterious MC for over half a decade. Now comes this mix by DJ Lo Down Loretta Brown (aka Erykah Badu), recorded live at the afterparty to her recent Madrid concert. And while Ms. Badu might not be a technical wizard behind the decks, her tune …
In hip-hop history, there’s never been an artist more enigmatic than Daniel Dumile. He began his career as Zev Love X before disappearing for years to mourn a brother, gain weight and smoke enough White Owl blunts to significantly change his voice. As if that wasn’t enough to shroud his past, he put on a metal mask and began to call himself MF Doom. More nicknames came after, but if the number of microphone personalities was the lone criteria than Kool Keith would be more of an enigma than DOOM. It’s more than that with DOOM, the mask never comes off.
Just as Andy Kauffman never let the joke end and drew no line between reality and performance art, DOOM challenges fans as “rap’s supervillain.” Whether he has actually sent impostors to perform his songs has never been proven, but it’s an indisputable fact that he’s pissed off a lot of cash-paying, concert-going fans. It’s a testament to his verbal linguistics and an odd ear for music with superhuman powers (like turning the most insane production into borderline pop music). In DOOM’s case, the artist exists solely as the art. He rarely does interviews and has released very little new material over the past few years, but was incredibly prolific before that.
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of Doomsday, his classic debut as MF Doom, the supervillain is releasing a massive box set with alternate versions, b-sides and instrumentals on his own Metalface Records (you can order it via Stones Throw)…and URB.com had to count down Daniel Dumile’s 10 best dizzying videos.



























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