The elusive DOOM recently agreed to an interview with SPIN to discuss the 15th anniversary of Madvillainy, which was released on March 23, 2004.
During the conversation, the veteran MC confessed he only writes rhymes for the financial benefits. While discussing his son Malachi, he mentioned he didn’t really make music at home. ‘
“I would go to work and do the work,” he said. “I don’t really do music at home. We listened to music, but I do that shit just to get money. I write rhymes and shit to get money. Other than that, I don’t listen to Hip Hop music. I listen to jazz music and instrumentals and shit like that. I only do this for the simple fact of points-per-rhyme, the point game.
“It seems to be a profitable thing these days, and nobody else is really paying attention to it. You can be about your points, and if nobody else can do it, you can get some change off that joint, because you’re the only one doing it like that. That’s what I get out of the rhyming.”
As DOOM continued, he admitted he didn’t anticipate Hip Hop becoming such a worldwide phenomenon. He did express gratitude for being a part of the movement.
“I didn’t know it was gonna be such a popular thing,” he explained. “It’s something we used to do for a side hobby, to keep your mind fresh. Word games. You might be walking down the street, playing with words in your mind, so you throw them back and forth, and words that rhyme just come to you. It’s something we did as a hobby, like practicing thoughts, brain exercises. Word searches and things like that, studying different languages, where words come from.
“A practice to keep your mind sharp, is how we used to see it. But then it turned out to be something — if you put it to music, in a rhythmic way, and you know how to bring the point across, then you can turn it to something that’s real profitable. I’m blessed to be part of this whole thing, from this Hip Hop experience.”
Elsewhere in the interview, he spoke about his DOOM persona and other aliases he’s adopted over the years, the making of Madvillainy and his collaborative relationship with Madlib.
Read the full interview here.
he said that 15 years ago.
You can tell with his music since madvilliany that he’s not passionate about it
Bullshit. He’s Czarface collab album is fire
It shows. Wack ass Doom.
I told you to stop commenting on here. No one cares what u have to say
and I’ll lay you the fcuk out soy boy
You ain’t shit
Says the idiot too fucking stupid to comprehend anything DOOM has to say.
The reason you find him wack is because you’re too fucking simple to get it….
When was his last good project? Truth hurts f-aggot
gotta cash in on those backpackers. they actually buy albums and merch
& damn near all of the underground segment hails this dweeb. Most rappers do it for $ but cmon now. Thts yall king.
What the actual fuck are you talking about?
And for the record – there’s a reason DOOM is revered as much as he is; he’s a legendary artist.
Go listen to whatever hip pop you think is cool, DOOM is obviously too complex for simpletons like you…
Ghostface/Pac/Jay/Rakim/Lupe..my top 5 herb.
You put Lupe in a top 5 and have the nerve to call someone a herb and talk shit about DOOM. Hahaha. Hilarious troll shit.
Doom been shittin on his fans for years. Keep sticking up for him. Lupe slay’s dim wit.
Lupe needs to shit on his fans. They suck. If you’re a DOOM fan and are stupid enough to go to one of his shows, you get what you deserve. Ghost stays shitting on his fans too. GFk sucks as well, and can’t hang with Loopis? Hahahaha. You’re delusional. Probably a Drake fan. Are you Canadian?
Sends imposters to shows tht dumb fans like urself pay for. Stood everyone up with the doomstarks album but has time for czarface & other collab albums. Do You Want More?…lupe would slay tht fake villain. Foh groupie
Luke is a fake ass, B team Common wannabe. Husband beats are garbage, and he has some fake Muslim 5% BLM bullshit behind him. I guarantee you LUPE himself would admit that DOOM is better. We al know what Mos Def, KRS, and countless others would say. They’ve said it. Never once did they bring up Lupe’s name. Lupe SHOULD shit on his fans. They are idiots who think he actually doesn’t suck. He’s basically a Lid Cudi who doesn’t produce. Nowhere NEAR the legendary level of DOOM, who did it 100% Indy from the jump. Go listen to Drake buddy. He’s probably more your speed. This nerd said Loopis Fiasco. Hahahahaha. Hilarious.
Lord save us. He just admitted hip hop isn’t his cup of tea. One can like several other genres but a legendary underground artist such as his self doesn’t bump rap?..Mean to tell me he doesn’t throw on some krs one or mos def? Nobody from the 80’s golden era?..& I’m the troll? I’m going to refrain from name calling. BTW Lupe issued a challenge to anyone years ago on a battle tip. Theres video of mos def saying he wouldn’t want any parts of tht. Lupe respects the greats but ain’t scared & could more than hold his own. Dude stood up for his art & fought the shit outta Atlantic. In the words of the roots. Do you want more. Foh simpleton
Wow. Só you’re token Toby stood up to the label he signed a deal with? Hahahahaha. Not independent I see. MOs said he would take that battle and donate the money to charity. They’re friends, which is funny considering how hard Lupe wants to be Mos. Hahaha. And that tool Twaweeb Kwaweee. Go listen to that coffeeshop, fake Muslim bullshit bro. We’re talking about real legends here. Nas authorized DOOM to do Nadtrodoomis. That isn’t a legend to you. Of course not, you’ve got Lupe in your top 5. Hahahaha. If you knew anything about Hip-Hop, KMD’s mister hood came out in 1991. KRS has said NUMEROUS times that DOOM is the greatest underground rapper alive. You know more than he does, and he isn’t a legend, right? Go jerk off to your Loopis FreeAsshole music buddy. Think of ways to blame the white man for the world’s wrongs, and drink alcohol on the low while you condemn it in half of your shit, like your Dindu hero. Hahahaha
Completely glossed over the fact tht doom bumps Zero hip hop.Zero. let tht sink in. Btw krs one supports tht pedophile from the Zulu nation. I have Zero respect for krs & anything he has to say. Clown the fake Muslim but hold dear to the words of mr contradictory. Like tht song from blastmaster & marly marl. Get Tht Weak Shit Outta Here.lol
Who tf is this dude?
He is only saying what these wack young dumb and full of cum current rap stars arent saying. Go roast them instead.
And? does that justify him using hip hop? if ud go and shit on any modern day rapper for saying this same shit shit on doom to. ugly mf
How is he USING hip hop? He puts out records and gets paid. If I make paintings that sell for millions, and don’t care for art or visit museums etc, I’m using art? Your rhetoric is retarded.
When you only use rap for money and don’t listen to it or care for it wouldn’t that make you a vulture??
Um, who?
Where’s the new solo album?..been 10 years groupies. Where’s doomstarks? GFK said many moons ago it was on him. Could go on & on bout tht fake a** villain. He wouldn’t be as revered if it werent for the Mask & him being m.i.a all the time. FACTS. 35 year old student of da game. Miss me with the stupid blind fanboy rhetoric.
Yo I’ve been hip hop fan for 25 years. I didn’t get the DOOM hype till my friend said listen mm food a couple times then madvilliany. I did and I get why all the hype dude’s one the best to ever do it
I’m kind of disappointed by his comments but not many of us have a job we love so I kinda get it
PEOPLE either love DOOM, or they haven’t given him a chance/don’t get it. We’ve got some nerd here saying he’s 35 years int rap, but doesn’t mention KMD, 3rd Bass etc while bringing up DOOM. GTFOH with your bullshit. Doom is, and always will be, one of the true innovators of Underground Hip-Hop. He produces, writes his own rhymes. Your favorite rapper doesn’t. Hands down. Hisbtging is being a VILLAIN! He shits on his fans AND the music industry in general. Since Subrock Died and KMD’s Black Bastard got shelved, he turned his back on this word. Get it thru your thick skulls.
Doom himself is a nerd. Lmfao…The human race is close to dying off.smh
Top 5 overrated rappers out there. And he doesn’t respect his fans either.
DOOM is my favorite rapper of all time but you can’t deny that his new stuff isn’t as punchy, witty, funny, or lyrically inspired as his old material. It’s understandable, he has been through a lot (Music is stressful + family trauma) and has been doing it for so long but it’s sad that at one point he was (imo) the best rapper to ever rap, and is now a husk of what he once was. He will always be a legend but I just wish his heart was still in it.
So rapping only for the money is a heart thing or what? Smh he’s a culture vulture! Wtf I dont listen to Hip Hop, but making records to get money smdh!
he listened to hip hop when it was on the radio and in parks in the early 80’s, and was in the game since 1989, grow up bozo
Can we go back to calling them Singles, EPs and LPs/Albums? I hate the way ‘project’ is thrown around these days…
Operation Doomsday, Take me to your Leader, Vaudeville Villain > Venomous Villain, MM. Food, Born like This
DOOM is trolling and people see eating it up
Dooms music is either great or terrible. No in-between. He hasn’t dropped anything in a while apart from the Czarface Collab which was nice but solo wise he’s had nothing in ten years now.