Since the 2005 release of Dangerdoom: The Mouse and the Mask, DOOM (currently sans MF) has had a rough few years, between being completely off the radar just as he was poised to take over hip-hop and being rumored of sending an imposter to his shows. However, 2009 has brought a new name and a new album, Born Like This. It is an imperfect but well done album from everybody’s favorite supervillain.
The Songs of Born Like This
DOOM manages to open the album with the one-two punch of “Gazzillion Ear” (which was remixed by Thom Yorke) and “Ballskin.” Both tracks are strong lyrically and beat-wise, with spacey effects and an odd Egyptian sounding melody in the case of the former. “Ballskin” begins with an awesome hungry-sounding throat clear. They’re a great reintroduction to DOOM’s (intentionally) sloppy, bordering-on-freestyle flow and his ability to simultaneously amuse and face melt with his rhymes.
The trilogy (lyrically and sample-wise, but more on this later) formed by “Absolutely” (Madlib produced), “Rap Ambush,” and “Lightworks” (J Dilla produced) is also a very strong song set. “Rap Ambush” features a beat reminiscent of most awful modern hip-hop but for some reason it works with DOOM. “Lightworks” is trippy and futuristic, which meshes perfectly with its 50s intro. And of course, the subject of all 3 is a DOOM favorite: taking out sucker MCs.
In “Batty Boyz” DOOM rips on the homoeroticism perceived in superheroes (think SNL’s Ambiguously Gay Duo), focusing his assault on Batman and Robin. Unfortunately, this track has some of DOOM’s best rhymes, sure to be ignored because it also features some of most juvenile. However, insulting the gay community is not the villain’s intention. Rather, it is a commentary on the flamboyance and falsity of modern hip-hop. Plus, it is a fun track.
“Cellz” lays a sample of Bukowski reading Dinosauria, We over an old-school monster movie soundtrack. DOOM picks up where he leaves off with post-apocalyptic rhymes; a great example of the album’s overall dark atmosphere. That doesn’t mean that there’s no fun to be had, as “Microwave Mayo” sounds like it would fit in perfectly with MM...Food. “That’s That” has him at his most vulnerable, responding to imposter accusations and wondering if we missed his rhymes while he was gone.
Collaborations of Born Like This
DOOM to have cut back on them the amount of collaborations. Raekwon kills his guest spot on “Yessir!” so well that DOOM doesn’t even bother rapping! He holds his own, offering tongue twisters on street life. The same cannot be said for his other Wu Tang Clan mate. Ghostface wastes “Angelz,” reimagining Charlie’s Angels. It’s the worst track on the album, and it’s also around 2 years old to boot.
Empress Stahhr delivers us from the apocalypse of “Cellz” over top of a lighthearted sample in “Still Dope.” She stands up there with Raekwon in terms of collaborations. DOOM, Slug (of Atmosphere), Kurious, and Mobonix take turns on “Supervillainz,” a fun and sometimes hilarious track (What rhymes with chillin? Villain!) that provides a nice closer to the album, not counting the last two skits.
The Masked Supervillain
Unfortunately because of the massive hype surrounding Born Like This, it probably won’t live up to expectations. What it does deliver is what DOOM does best. It is funny, impressive, and once favorite tracks are established, they’ll be in the stereo again and again. While DOOM doesn’t stray too far from his familiar territory, he still delivers a villainous good time.
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