Legendary underground British-American rapper, songwriter and producer MF Doom (né Daniel Dumile) has died at age 49. A cause of death has not been revealed.
In a statement posted to Instagram on Thursday, the rapper’s family said he passed away on Oct. 31.
“The greatest husband, father, teacher, student, business partner, lover and friend I could ever ask for,” DOOM’s wife Jasmine wrote in the post’s caption. “Thank you for all the things you have shown, taught and given to me, our children and our family. Thank you for teaching me how to forgive beings and give another chance, not to be so quick to judge and write off. Thank you for showing how not to be afraid to love and be the best person I could ever be. My world will never be the same without you. Words will never express what you and Malachi mean to me, I love both and adore you always.”
Born in London but raised in Long Island, New York, MF Doom was known for his elaborate lyrical style, genre-bending collaborations and his iconic “supervillain” mask and persona based off Marvel Comics villain Doctor Doom. MF Doom first displayed the mask on the cover of his 1999 album “Operation: Doomsday.”
MF Doom was responsible for some of the most beloved hip-hop albums of all time, including “Mm..Food” and “Madvillainy,” for which he teamed up with producer Madlib. His last solo album was 2009’s “Born Like This,” though he remained active over the past decade and released three collaborative projects.