Operation: Doomsday is the debut studio album by British-American rapper MF DOOM, released through Fondle 'Em Records on 19 October 1999[2][3][4][5] and reissued by Sub Verse Records in 2001 with a slightly altered track listing.[6] It was his first solo release under the MF DOOM moniker after previously performing as Zev Love X in the group KMD. Operation: Doomsday is regarded as one of the most influential albums in independent hip-hop history.[7] A deluxe remastered version of the album was released by DOOM's own Metal Face Records on 24 October 2011.[8][9]
Background
Following his debut in the late-1980s, Daniel Dumile, then known as Zev Love X, suffered a series of unfortunate setbacks, including the death of his brother and fellow KMD member DJ Subroc and the subsequent abandonment of the group's second studio album Black Bastards by Elektra Records due to its political message and cover art.[10][11][12] After the untimely death of his brother and the disbanding of KMD in 1993, Zev Love X left the hip-hop community and would suffer years of homelessness and despair. In 1997 he would re-emerge as MF DOOM, covering his face at shows and releasing singles on Bobbito Garcia's label Fondle 'Em Records.[10] The three singles released generated enough buzz for Garcia to agree to sign DOOM for an album.
Recording and production
Operation: Doomsday was produced by Dumile, mostly over a three-week period in which he stayed at Garcia's apartment and borrowed his AkaiMPC2000 workstation.[13] His eccentric record production maintains a left-field finish, often invoking mid-1980s quiet storm.[12][11] He incorporated a variety of musical styles onto the album, featuring an at times abstract mixture of 1980s soul and smooth jazzloops with vintage drum breaks.[14][11][15] DOOM's usage of smooth jazz loops served to alleviate muffled recording sounds while integrating cartoon samples and snippets.[15][12] For the most part, MF DOOM included minimal percussion to complement his musical selections, often rapping over their original musical backdrops.[12]
The backstory of Operation: Doomsday is similar to that of Marvel Comics supervillain Dr. DOOM, with a series of terrible setbacks and tragedy culminating in the birth of a villainous persona.[11][17] After suffering the devastating death of his brother and the dropping of his group from their record label, MF DOOM, formerly known as Zev Love X, was left emotionally scarred. His lingering pain manifested in the form of a masked hip-hop supervillain who wishes to rule the world for its own good on Operation: Doomsday.[11][17] In addition, the debut album features thematic skits and interludes which continue the comic book narrative beginning in the opening track all through to a spoken word monologue by E. Mason alongside guest appearances from MF DOOM's Monsta Island Czars collective.[18][19]
With an erratic thought process, MF DOOM delivers sharp-witted stream-of-consciousness rhymes in a deteriorating yet steadfastly murky flow.[12][10][20] At the center of Operation: Doomsday lies a bent towards free-form lyricism and pop-culture references.[20] DOOM uses a raw and lyrically dexterous delivery to recite palatable, off-kilter rhymes containing obscure references.[11] His abstract rapping is laced with disparate word association grounded by tongue-in-cheek humor.[20] Much of the album's lyrical content displays MF DOOM in emotional disorder. The solo debut album acts as a lengthy exercise in musical therapy, with death hanging over throughout, both musically and lyrically.[12] Drawing from the weight of his past, Operation: Doomsday is compact with frank, sincere lyrics and hard, piercing rhymes.[11]
It was announced on 16 December 2010 that Operation: Doomsday was being reissued in 2011. The reissue cover was designed by Jason Jagel, who did the art for Mm..Food.[22] It was reported that there were licensing issues with the original artwork, which was designed by the famed graffiti writer Keo X-Men,[citation needed] that caused problems with reissuing. Stones Throw Records stated that DOOM was working on a track-listing for the reissue.[23]
Upon its release, Operation: Doomsday garnered praise from contemporary music journalists, and has since achieved status as a cult classic.[18]Alternative Press said the debut, "Places an insightful spin on DOOM's history on the rap game ... the mish-mashed musical styles that MF incorporates lend a bit of variety, and the generally lo-fi production values give the album character. Refreshing..."[14] Writing for The Village Voice, rock critic Robert Christgau remarked, "As concept, this could get tedious fast, but as a few skits it's one more scenic sonic on an album that reaches its high point when it samples not just the Scooby-Doo theme but Scoob himself, thus acknowledging that, as Scoob knows so well, some villains are just plain evil."[17] He concluded, "Right, the album never comes into full focus. But it does flow, as music and as signifying. Message: this smart guy had some horrible setbacks and came out on the other side. A role model, you might say."[17]AllMusic's Cyril Cordor stated, "For the hardcore DOOM fans, the recorded-in-the-basement quality is appealing and representative of his persona as the underdog who 'came to destroy rap.' ... Even though this album is certainly not for everyone, you can easily respect from where the man is coming."[11] Jason Draper of Record Collector opined, "DOOM may have become more accomplished – not least recording with Madlib and Danger Mouse – but this outside attack launched the bomb, and made MF DOOM the leftfield hero that he remains today."[15]
Pitchfork's Ian Cohen described the album as DOOM's "warmest and most benevolent work, almost entirely bled of the angrier material that would mark future releases." Their review of the 2011 reissue also called the album "a must-hear in just about any format."[18] In his review of the 2011 reissue, Nathan Rabin from The A.V. Club argued that since its initial release Operation: Doomsday has "attained mythic status; its legend has grown in proportion to its relative unavailability, and to DOOM’s ascent to cult godhood."[24] On the album's 20th anniversary, Stereogum described it as "an immediately engaging display of [DOOM's] raw talent as both a rapper and producer, as well as an engrossing origin story for the most popular of his many alter-egos."[28] In a less enthusiastic review, Spin writer Jon Caramanica claimed, "Sewn together with snippets from the Fantastic Four and Wildstyle, the album is a rambling exercise in musical therapy."[12] He concluded, "But DOOM ain't no joker: he’s merely fulfilling KMD's mythology ... six years too late."[12]
Operation: Doomsday has been heralded as an underground classic that established MF DOOM's rank within the underground hip-hop scene during the early to mid-2000s.[11] The album has had a vast, long-lasting influence on contemporary underground rap and independent hip-hop artists.[18][20] Writing for streaming service Tidal, Dylan Green and Donna-Claire Chesman called the album, "a blueprint for all of independent rap."[20] They cite the "dusty cartoon samples" of its lo-fi production, MF DOOM's preference for keeping anonymous, his "stream-of-consciousness flows" and the self-sustainance ethos that led to self-producing the entire studio album himself as essential elements both driving Operation: Doomsday as well as serving a source of inspiration for countless artists worldwide.[20]
^Operation: Doomsday (liner notes). MF DOOM. Kennesaw, Georgia: Metal Face Records. 2011. MF1107.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ abcOperation: Doomsday (liner notes). MF DOOM. New York, New York: Sub Verse Music. 2001. SVM13.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ abOperation: Doomsday (liner notes). MF DOOM. New York, New York: Fondle 'Em Records. 1999. FE-86.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Operation: Doomsday (liner notes). MF DOOM. Kennesaw, Georgia: Metal Face Records. 2008. MF86.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
