Zev Love X: DOOM’s Earlier Times
An epilogue from the villain-masked rapper
It was long ago before Daniel Dumile started his qonquest as a supervillain under the infamous moniker MF DOOM. Before he came to destroy rap by releasing an album “Operation: Doomsday” in 1999, he was Zev Love X in trio hip-hop group KMD.
in 1988, Dumile along with his younger brother Dingilizwe Dumile aka DJ Subroc and Rodan who was later replaced by Onyx the Birthstone Kid, formed KMD (Kauzing Much Damage). This trio group was soon signed to Elektra Record and Dumile (who then rapped as Zev Love X) made a featuring debut in 3rd Bass’ song called “The Gas Face” in 1989.
“It (KMD) was just like a crew. Back then we were just a crew that would listen to music or do anything that was fun and the hip-hop part got more popular that we started to practice more and more until it came to where we making tapes.” The MM..Food artist recalled in Red Bull Music Academy interview.
KMD realesed a debut album titled “Mr. Hood” in 1991 and readying for second album who later known as “Black Bastard.” Dumile recalled that he always come with the lyrics and artwork part while Subroc mastering beats and production. Sadly, Dumile would forever lose his partner as Subroc was tragically hit by a car and died in 1993. Many things left undone and KMD was soon disband.
It took 4 years for Dumile to reemerge in the hip-hop scene after the major grief upon his brother’s death. He began freestyling at open mic events and appeared on his new identity for what we’ve known as MF DOOM, with a mask similar to Marvel Comics supervillain Doctor Doom. He stated that the mask has a huge part for people to only focus on the artist skill than how they look.
The whole mask thing is there was a time in hip-hop when things (from my point of view) started more to “what things look like” then “what it sounds like” and what i did was like i’m gonna come with the angle of it doesn’t matter how i look, it’s more how the artist sounds like. So, the mask really represents ‘rebel attitude’ againts everything corporate tries to sell.
Dumile linked with Bobbito Garcia to reworked any materials from previously unreleased KMD album and in 1999, his debut album as MF DOOM, “Operation: Doomsday” was released.
Just like any other anti-hero, DOOM has origin story — a trauma by tragic loss and turning point. The backstory of how the illest villain was born continues to motivate as he managed to be one of the most influential rapper whose discography under various alter-ego list goes on.
Just remember ALL CAPS when you spell the man name.
