Doom

Overview

You know he's doing it for the hardcore when his re-issues come packed in a lunchbox. Songsman first, wordsmith second, the tracks stand as complete works sans lyrics, voila Special Herbs ala MF.

For me, DOOM (in ALL CAPS or otherwise) has always been tinged with the Wu from the onset. If it's not the "paint a picture with words" or the "know I got soul" sample miscellany it's the hijacking of Marvel egos that leave an abstract impression. After a six-year interval and a rise to cult following in the early zero zeros, sporting nothing more than a backpack and a mask, DOOM has at least touched bases with the cream of the underground on a plethora of collabs. He used to pump one out every other month, but having said that his last studio album is almost two years old and I'm still trying to get my head around it.

Narrowly saving face, DOOM caught bad press for allegedly sending to shows the onstage equivalent of a ghostwriter. The irony was lost on those who never read a comic when The Fantastic Four would finally foil Dr. Doom only to discover it was a Doombot all along.

Undecided on whether I'd rather see him on stage as opposed to back in the lair crafting the next Madvillain release (pray to the gods, not Madvillianry 3), that Ghostface we've been promised or the newly confirmed Thom Yorke duet, I'm calling this rap show of the year.