Operation Doomsday

MF DoomOperation: Doomsday (Reissue)Just as emcee Daniel “MF Doom” Dumile’s solo career was about to really grow legs the record label, Fondle ‘Em Records, who released his classic debut, Operation: Doomsday, turned the recording over to Sub Verse Records, who then let the album almost immediately go out of print. So Sure, you could illegally download the record at will (many have), but Doom is the kind of artist who appeals to audiophiles. Not only do his fans want the real copy of the record, but they learn all the words, buy the reissues, quote Doom on their Facebook page, etc. So weeks before announcing details about his newest record, 2009’s Made This Way (already considered by many to be some of his best work yet), Doom dug into his own pocket to fund the reissue of Doomsday, an album that had previously been nabbing over $200 per copy on eBay.

Prior to Doomsday the famously masked emcee was part of KMD, a short lived (though classic) 90s group with a Native Tongues vibe. This record, considered a classic the day is hit shelves, saw a different side of Dumile. Weird. Unbelievably weird. Work that demands, as mentioned above, a cult following. Doom’s rhymes at first feel strange - even awkward - on this record. His voice noticeably deeper and thicker than before, Doomsday felt so self assured in its strangeness upon its release that labels, producers and promoters everywhere jumped onboard. No one had written quite like this before, though many have tried since. Funny, timely, pop-culture drenched rhymes that always feel uncanny; better than anything (save for the great *Madvillain album), Doomsday captures Doom’s brilliance as a unique, creative writer.

Like the vocals, the production on Doomsday also shot for the stars. Held together with skits and something of a comic book theme, the overall feel here is that of an early 90s NYC sound. Handling the production and scratches himself, Doom sounds a bit like an amateur at times, rarely stacking up to the many hotshot producer peers he’s since worked with. That said, Doom’s backdrops here - a mix of drum breaks, late 80s R&B and awful (read: smooth) modern jazz - are like no other. It’s cut-and-paste and heavy - often there almost solely for the sake of the vocals. The eerie, mysterious and awkward sound suites Doom well, even if he’s since gone on to work with much better producers like Danger Mouse and the great Madlib.

No bonus tracks, additional liner notes or even remastering are to be found here. What you get is a budget-minded version of the Fondle ‘Em release - no more. The sound is still lo-fi, the liner notes incomplete and, most importantly, the songs still come off as unique and memorable. Once you’re done with this underground gem, be sure to check out one of the best hip-hop records of 2009, Doom’s Born this Way.   8.5/10

Written by G. William Locke