MF DOOM Essentials

Editors' Notes Few rappers sound as distinct as MF DOOM, whose idiosyncratic approach to flow, production, and lyricism defined him as hip-hop's most celebrated outsider. "Doomsday" samples Sade to create a wistful, melancholic effect through a sleek sonic backdrop. The Madlib-produced "Accordion" has an eerie, uneven quality that suits DOOM's unpredictable, unorthodox rap style. The early cut "Rhymes Like Dimes" finds DOOM staking his claim to the playfulness that would become his calling card, even as his art became more macabre.