interview by lama j-skï

How do you take it when people consider you a comeback artist?

If people see it like that I’m flattered. But to me though if the Doom project is a success, that’s all good. I just do it. I did it with intentions of it (MF Doom album) doing well. I predicted it would bring me back on the map. I don’t consider it a comeback, more like a continuation.

Why not come back as KMD which would have been a more recognizable name? What’s the distinction between KMD and MF Doom?

Two reasons. One reason being I always wanted to do solo project and have it stand on its own. So, in order to differentiate it, I wanted to throw a different title. Make it as different as possible from the KMD stuff. You wouldn’t think it would have anything to do with KMD on purpose to get a good even response from the audience so that the response is to this project and people not buying it because it was KMD . But also, people, my friends and everything called me Doom before KMD existed.

I spoke with Kurious a few weeks back, and I asked him what he thought of those house music producers who are going by your old crew name The Constipated Monkeys. Until he cleared it up, I wasn’t sure if it was you guys or not.

For real? That’s bugged out I, didn’ t know nothing about that. Constipated Monkeys was around before we dong music. It was a crew from uptown. But, its widespread graf artists, emcees, entrepreneurs, everything. Everyone grew up with a strong will to complete what they set out to do . There’s people who play ball, people who rhyme, people on the other side, the business of hip-hop like my man D.J. Fisher who’s strictly on the business. We took a little hiatus.

Is there any plan to revive the crew? Any plan for a new KMD record?

No question. There is another KMD project in the works. Any time I work with Jorge, it’s a CM (Constipated Monkeys) thing. I produced the new single he got coming out on Rawkus.

What about your relationship with 3rd Bass? Word is they are reuniting.

It’s as good a time. Good for fans to get another chance to hear their music. For me its like whatever’s clever, I’ll work with them again.

So what’s up with Day by Day Entertainment?

Day by Day was started by MF Grimm, more of a management company. They take care of a lot of the technical stuff.

So it seems like you guys have everything on point. The underground already agrees that the MF Doom album is a classic. Fans finally saw KMD’s "Black Bastard" see release six years after it was supposed to come out, and its still a classic. Why did you guys wait so long to make your re-entry?

I would have did it whether I had a deal or not. Really, after the whole KMD thing, after we left Elektra, I was trying to keep a balance between my personal life, and keep a high quality standard. And, working with the budgets I was working with, that’s just how long it took. We didn’ t have the financial backing, so it took more time. If I tried to rush it, it wouldn’t be as good as it was I’m happy with the way the Doom said . Bob really believed in the project he really liked it and asked if he could put it out. He loved it.

What’s your take on hip-hop today? Things have changed dramatically since the first KMD album, and already people are classifying eras in hip-hop, and some may even consider you old school.

The way I see it with labeling those eras, I think it’s a bit too early for that. I listen to some jazz shit now from the 60s and its still just jazz. It’s the same thing with hip-hop. I hear a lot of shit being categorized as hip-hop and the mainstream labeling it as hip-hop, but its not really. Hip hop is a way of life and a frame of mind. Once money got into the game all this corporate shit, and how you can make a million dollars real quick, clones of hip-hop started coming out. I call that rap music. There is a definite difference between hip-hop and rap now. They got a lot of shit out that you can tell the difference by the feeling. So it doesn’t make sense to draw the line between old and new school, but between hip-hop and rap.

As one of the first crews to really inject spirituality into hip-hop, at a time when various forms of Islam were prevalent in hip-hop culture, the focus in your music seems to have shifted. What’s your take on that?

As far as influence of Islam in music or period, we were growing up like in ’92 when everything was ill. It started back in the 60s when people educated us to let us know the strengths that we had as the original men. I can’t see it any other way. It's part of our history, so of course it's going to influence us, and during the time we were doing that album (KMD’s "Mr. Hood") is when we were absorbing all of that. As far as "Black Bastards" we said, you touch on one topic and the next album is another topic. I wouldn’t want to bore the public with the same shit. Every human being has different aspects, different sides. We tried to show the growing.
There’s a lot of bullshit going on. It definitely does help when you know how much your worth. All that other shit is crazy. Why we blasting each other we need to know the value of each other as people and knowledge of self brings that out. Especially with young brothers they have to realize they have potential. And see how the world sees them. Music was getting that out. Now it’s not happening because companies don’t think they can sell records with that message.
If you’re looking for knowledge of self you can still find it. You got Common, Scienz of Life, Dead Prez. But, we could use more of it. I speak for myself. I closed my chapter I did my set already with that. I probably get it across in another way but to incorporate it in music, but as far as I see it there’s a lot of ways it can be counterproductive. Because the media can twist your shit around its like your walking on eggshells. So, I like to separate my music from my personal stand on anything that has to do with religion or anything like that. KMD is more of a forum for that. The Doom shit is more like to rock the house.

I know you’ve blessed us twice this year, but when can we expect more?

I’m gonna keep it coming. I got a single coming out in early August off the next Doom album called “Impostor” on Brick Records. And another Monsta Island single is coming out.