Late rapper MF DOOM receives honorary street sign in New York
The rapper, who died at the end of last year, grew up in the coastal town of Long Beach
Music News MF Doom
The announcement of masked rapper MF DOOM’s death late last year rocked the rap world. MF DOOM, real name Daniel Dumile, led an inspiring life and career, and his hometown of Long Beach, New York, would like to honor him. Recent community efforts culminated in a street being named after the legendary rapper.
Dr. Patrick C. Graham, who went Long Beach High School with Dumile, created the petition for the street naming. He writes, “Hip-hop leaders credit Mr. Dumile as one of the most prolific rap artists of all time. His life served as an example of inclusive community building and growth through individual struggle. Long Beach profoundly influenced his adolescents [sic].”
Dumile’s career started in Long Beach on Long Island, where he formed the the group KMD with his brother DJ Subroc. Graham originally wanted the street name to encompass the two different stages of his career, by calling it “KMD-MF DOOM Way, however this will most likely not be the final name selection.
“Right now, there’s discussion instead of just ‘KMD-MF DOOM WAY,’ there’s going to be some indication of his actual government name,” Graham tells HipHopDX. “That’s all I knew him as was Dumile [laughs]. They were trying to do it before his birthday, but I feel we shouldn’t rush.”
The group spearheading the effort calls themselves the KMD-MF DOOM Way Committee and has received support from the local city council.
“Daniel Dumile, or MF DOOM, left an indelible mark on the music industry and on the lives of people across the globe,” Long Beach City Manager Donna M. Gayden says. “Long Beach is proud to bestow this honor in his memory and proud that he called our City home.”
Despite growing up in Long Beach, the Dumile was technically born in London. His parents moved his family to New York one month after his birth. The rapper spent decades of his life fighting for legal immigration status in the U.S., and after repeated denials, he returned to the U.K. in 2012 and never came back to the States.
“I’m just happy this is happening because it’s not only a victory for Dumile’s legacy, but it’s also about showing that community our generation,” Graham adds. “It is a way for people to see a symbol of our generation and our impact, particularly in a community that’s gentrifying pretty fast.”
13 Comments
Whatever they call it, ALL CAPS
Also change the name of the street every other month or so
Tell whatever nerd wrote your headline to get their shit together. Shameful.
lol I promise I did not write that copy!!!
Good on you Gabrielle for adhering to the one rule, but to the person handling the headline, I just wanna say ALL CAPS WHEN YOU SPELL THE MAN NAME
Man, I was just talking about how much I miss DOOM with a co-worker before reading this. Glad to see him being remembered and celebrated.
didn’t the american government deny him re-entry after a tour and that’s why he died in england?‘hey sorry about all that, here’s a street’
It’s almost like DHS and the Brooklyn municipal government are separate entities.
Not that I need a reason, but this is why I’m listening to Madvillain at my desk at work right now.
Not that I need a reason, but this is why I’m listening to Madvillain at my desk at work right now.
“KMD-MF DOOM WAY” is whack. This comes from a very white dude, in his late 30’s, who has been obsessed with Dumile’s career and was bamboozled by DOOM imposters at live shows, thrice. So I definitely don’t have a say in this, but “DOOM DRIVE” just has a better ring to it.
“bamboozled by DOOM imposters at live shows, thrice.”Amazing! I need to hear all of the details.
No time for love, Dr. Jones. However, I’ll give you this tidbit from the show I attended at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago in the early oughts. “DOOM” came on stage and looked a tad leaner than he appeared but the tracks played and the audience went wild. Then the track dub glitched and dude got busted lip synching. No way to officially prove it wasn’t the real DOOM, but it almost certainly wasn’t him.