In his celebration 20th anniversary, MF DOOM2004 classic, MM..FOODpraised for its seamless blend of humor, wit and social commentary that introduced listeners to a strange world of food-related metaphors, has been completely repackaged with all new artwork by Sam Rodriguez. THE MM..FOOD (20th Anniversary Edition) Vinyl and digital deluxe editions will be available at November 15 via Rhymesayers Entertainment. Pre-order at gasdrawls.com and rhymesayers.com.
THE digital luxury edition of MM..FOOD will feature the original tracklist as well as rare remixes of “A beer“and”Hoe cakes” from Madlib, Jake One and Antalong with unreleased MF DOOM interview clips. Today, you can listen to one of the remixes featured on the digital deluxe edition of the album, “One Beer” (Madlib Remix). HEAR HERE.
A limited deluxe edition of the anniversary vinyl is also available exclusively through the MF DOOM website, gasdrawls.com. THE MM..FOOD sumptuous 2xLP vinyl picture disc Housed in a 12″ matte jacket wrapped in a slip case, with an anti-scratch lamination treatment and numbered with a foil stamp. Luxury vinyl also includes a gift ,7″ vinyl picture disc with its rare original edition “Cookies” as well as the Just Blaze remixhoused in a custom kraft paper pastry sleeve with a plastic window and a QR code sticker attached to MM..FOOD Diner AR experience.
Plus, the out-of-print classic “Hoe Cakes” 12 inch vinyl will be reissued with its original artwork, now pressed on a colored “bug juice blend” vinyl. The 12-inch single features “Hoe Cakes,” “Potholderz” (feat. Count Bass D) and the Ant-produced “Hoe Cakes Remix,” along with instrumentals for all. Taking its name from the sweet, warm cornmeal patties whose origins can be traced back to pre-colonial America, “Hoe Cakes” is one of DOOM's best and most delightfully weird moments on wax.
Alongside the music, an exclusive Collectible Super7 is also available for pre-order. The new MF DOOM ReAction Figure and Cereal Bowl Set is inspired by the album cover by MM..FOODpackaged in a cereal box-style package that includes a madness maze puzzle that can be cut out and worn as a mask. This figure set includes a 3.75″ scale MF DOOM Reaction figure with microphone attachment, a 33 oz. capacity cereal bowl, and a spoon with MF DOOM mask and logo detailing.
In addition, the DOOM estate is releasing a limited edition apparel line to celebrate the anniversary, including MM..FOOD inspired shirts, hoodies, hats, aprons, tote bags, slippers, mugs and more. All are available for pre-order now via gasdrawls.com.
Throughout its history, rap music has been primarily concerned with the art of recording the world as it is. From the first performances of the genre in the early '70s to Grandmaster Melle Mel's detailed social commentary on “The Message” in 1982, hip-hop's first decade set the tone for rap music moving forward. Since then, the main strength of rap music has been its utility as a tool to shed light on the environment and living conditions of the oppressed and the most vulnerable. Today, legions of artists have continued this tradition regardless of region or arbitrary industry labels such as 'conscious', 'gangsta', 'underground' or 'mainstream'. While there is much that MF DOOM's extensive catalog can say about the world around us, what separates DOOM from many of his artistic peers, predecessors and descendants is the fact that while most rappers tell us about world as it is, DOOM's work occupies a world of its own making.
2004 saw the release of MF DOOM MM..FOODa magnum opus that took us into a strange world of decadence. With the general set of food-related transports, MM..FOOD finds DOOM painting a bitterly comic portrait of a life tainted by evil, sex, violence and jealousy. It's a brilliant and original device that gives DOOM plenty of room to explore the album's themes.
In stark contrast to the dark tone of the lyrics, MM..FOODHis music and sample selections are built around a bright and colorful sonic palette. MM..FOOD opens with a bit of sampled dialogue that hints at DOOM's use of food as the album's key metaphor. The short clip finds the three young graffiti artists planning to grab a quick bite to eat before the main beat for “Beef Rapp” drops. DOOM takes center stage from here, creating a multifaceted metaphor for the beef. The early 2000s were marked by highly publicized rap beefs like Nas vs. Jay-Z, 50 Cent vs. Ja Rule and the Lox/Jadakiss vs. State Property/Beanie Sigel. In a playful yet cautionary tone, DOOM characterizes rap beef as an unhealthy factor in hip-hop's cultural bloodstream. Just like overconsumption of red meat can lead to heart disease, with its truly violent tone, rap beef can threaten the health and well-being of artists and culture at large.
With songs like 'Hoe Cakes', 'Hoe Cakes', 'Potholderz' (feat. Count Bass D) and 'One Beer' produced by Madlib, which is cool, MM..FOOD it is as much a feast of auditory pleasures as it is a serious work of literary art. “Deep Fried Frenz” finds DOOM revealing some paranoid, anti-social shades of his character as he waxes poetic about the darker side of friendship. With some of the best scripting of his career, “Deep Fried Frenz” reveals DOOM's perspective as a humorous cynic as he laments the false friends he coldly deleted claiming they “wouldn't even have made a worthy enemy.”
20 years after its release, it's easy to see that MM..FOOD has become iconic in its own right. Like DOOM himself, this album has taken its rightful place in the pantheon of hip-hop's favorite players. From the influence the album's rough and tumble production style had on modern boom-bap and “lo-fi” to how his artistry and penmanship have opened up bold new creative possibilities for MCs, DOOM's work continues to shapes our music today. For artists and appreciators, the examples that can be drawn from DOOM and this masterful album are many. In his heart, MM..FOOD it shows us that the imagination is not merely an instrument for cataloging the world we have been given. DOOM left us with an example of how art can show the way to what is possible.
One of Hip-Hop's most beloved anti-heroes, the ever-inventive MF DOOM (often referred to simply as DOOM) has received widespread praise for his sharp, honest rhymes, as well as his choppy, sample-heavy production. Originally known as Zev Love X, a member of the short-lived but influential Golden Era rap group KMD, the MC/producer born Daniel Dumile re-emerged in the late '90s with a persona inspired by Marvel Comics supervillain Dr. Destruction. He enhanced his enigmatic presence by wearing an elaborate metal mask in all his public appearances and by creating several alter egos for specific projects and collaborations. MF DOOM's music has been described as “the fine line between insanity and genius”. Unconventional, abstract, unorthodox. These words only scratch the surface of defining his approach musically, conceptually, and even rhythmically.
