Easton Connell

MF DOOM is notorious as one of the most reclusive figures in hip-hop. The previously prolific producer has slowed down the frequency of his releases in the last several years and now DOOM fanatics find their fixes few and far in between. We’ve been waiting for a rumored Ghostface Killah x DOOM collaboration for years now. In 2014 DOOM partnered with young emcee Bishop Nehru to release an excellent and refreshing record, yet all we’ve seen from DOOM since then has been the occasional guest spot on someone else’s record. In the interim there have been many fan-created DOOM mashup mixtapes released on the internet and largely disavowed by the metal-masked man himself. So when Rhymesayers announced an official collaboration between MF DOOM and up and coming Minneapolis emcee deM atlaS I was excited, even knowing that it would only include beats previously released by DOOM.

I first heard about deM atlaS from a friend of mine who had just seen him perform in Arcata. He said it was one of the best shows he had been to in a long time, and the energy reminded him more of going to small punk shows than the lazy crowds that stand around and bob their heads at hip-hop shows in Humboldt County. I was intrigued and filed away the name to check out later, then promptly forgot all about it. About a month later I was listening to my friend’s radio show and heard an unfamiliar but captivating track. I texted him to ask what it was and there was that name again: deM atlaS. A quick search online named the song as “Watabout” off of deM’s first release on Rhymesayers, DWNR. I spent the next week devouring everything I could find from deM atlaS and spreading the word among my friends about this young emcee out of Minneapolis with intricate yet straightforward lyrics, relateable content, and a unique sound.

And that brings us to mF deM, released last Friday as a free download and limited edition CD or picture disc LP. The first track “Grbge Trsh” takes its backbone from the instrumental sample collage opening to KMD’s Bl_ck B_st_rds. From the first self-deprecating line deM’s bars feel very much at home over DOOM’s production. The following track “Sum-Mo” features another DOOM beat originally released as an instrumental sample-laden interlude, this time from Mm…Food. I appreciate that deM didn’t take the easy and obvious route of rapping over tracks that the Supervillain himself rapped over, but branched out to include beats that have seen a little less rotation. That being said, deM certainly isn’t the first person to rap over the DOOM instrumental in question, entitled “Datura Stramonium” on MF’s Special Herbs & Spices volumes. Joey Bada$$, Masta Ace, and Vast Aire (of Cannibal Ox fame) have already taken their turn at this particular beat. deM doesn’t ride on coattails here, on the contrary his anthemic style of rhyming, especially his sung rather than rapped chorus, make “Sum-Mo” stand out from its counterparts. Check out the cool animated music video for it here.

My favorite track on the album, and what I think might very well be its strongest offering, is deM’s breathy and lounging singing over DOOM’s “Pennyroyal.” “Flawless” lives up to its name with a catchy and cloying chorus over DOOM’s hypnotic beat and engaging verses delivered with passion and precision. What stands out about this song, as with all of deM’s music to date, is its unembarrassed honesty. Hip-hop has long been known for hyperbole and hypermasculinity, and deM counters this beautifully by presenting himself genuinely with his imperfections intact.

The rest of the album keeps to the high standard set by deM’s previous releases. On “Lack the Lad” he gives Ghostface a serious run for his money over DOOM’s “Fenugreek” (see GFK’s “9 Milli Bros” on Fishscale.) “Its Over, Im Dead” makes great use of one of my favorite, often overlooked DOOM beats (“Agrimony”). “Nervosa” is an interesting and well done counter to King Geedorah’s “Anti-Matter.” “Perfect Day” is a better song than the original Doobie Brothers sample source. The mixtape ends with deM over one of my favorite DOOM instrumentals, “Vinca Rosea.” While my love for this instrumental is such that any vocals over it border on blasphemy, deM’s verses are really good and his voice, again, feels very much at home over DOOM’s production. deM’s tendency to blend rapping and singing in his songs is one of the hallmarks of his style that first drew my ear to his music and I think they find excellent expression backed by DOOM’s soulful and staccato style of sampling.

In short, mF deM is an excellent and necessary addition to the long list of releases featuring different emcees over the Special Herbs & Spices instrumentals. I’ve been bumping it around the house since it was released on July 15th and imagine I will be for a long time to come. Yet I must admit, as much as I loved deM’s fresh take on canonical DOOM beats, it renewed my hunger for something new from the Supervillain with the metal face.

Listen to the complete project below and purchase a physical copy here.

photo cred: rhymesayers.com