On Thursday (Dec. 31), the wife of British-born MC MF DOOM issued a statement on Instagram revealing that he had died on Halloween. DOOM’s former record label Rhymesayers Entertainment also confirmed his death with a tweet of their own. DOOM’s cause of death remains unknown. He was 49.
DOOM’s lyrical dexterity, penchant for comic book references, and collaborative efforts made him a beloved figure in hip-hop. Though his identity remained hidden for most of his 30-plus-year career, the masked-wearing MC shook the genre in 2004 when he released Madvillainy with Madlib — the act’s first entry on the Billboard 200. That same year, he dropped his celebrated album Mm. Food, which peaked at No. 9 on the Heatseekers Albums chart.
A bevy of hip-hop stars, including Jay Electronica, Tyler, The Creator, Q-Tip, Playboi Carti and more paid homage to the revered lyricist in a series of tweets. Check out some of the messages below.