In November of 2004, British-American rapper MF DOOM released his fifth studio album “MM.. FOOD.”, 20 years later, it ranks as one of the rapper’s top albums, and even among the best rap albums of all time.
During his time, MF DOOM was considered to be an underground hip-hop artist, whose iconic metal mask and supervillain persona were staples of his unique musical career. MM.. FOOD is no exception, as its unique uses of skits and interludes set the album apart from its contemporaries at the time.
As the name implies, MM.. FOOD features songs centered around food themes, all of which relate to rap culture at the time in clever ways. “Beef Rapp” — the opening track — looks at the emergence of “beef” (rivalries) in rap culture at the time, and how it can be dangerous.
“I suggest you change your diet
It can lead to high blood pressure if you fry it
Or even a stroke, heart attack, heart disease”
MF DOOM also heavily leans into his supervillain persona in this album, sampling and inserting clips from classic-era Marvel cartoons, centered around the villain Dr. Doom, and his conquest of the world. For example, the entire last 2 minutes of the track “One Beer” features spliced audio clips from the 1981 Spider-man episode “Dr. Doom, Master of the World,” in which Dr. Doom plans to take control of the United Nations.
Another unique trait of MF DOOM’s music is his use of multi-syllable and multi-bar rhyming, which he utilizes heavily in “MM.. FOOD.” Multisyllabic rhyming (or compound rhyming) is a form of rhyming in which a verse’s rhymes take up multiple syllables.
An example of MF DOOM’s complex rhyming schemes, from his track “Figaro” from the Madvillainy album. (Photo courtesy of Reddit user u/_youngmoney)
The album MM.. FOOD is a timeless classic and is a must-listen for any rap or hip-hop fan. The album can be streamed on all major streaming platforms, like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and Youtube Music.
