How did MF Doom die? The circumstances surrounding the rapper’s secret death explained
Famed rapper MF Doom, real name Dumile Daniel Thompson, was a London-born artist who grew up in Long Island, New York. Rolling Stone named him the “Elusive bard of hip-hop” for his lyricism that combined complex rhyming schemes with elaborate wordplay.
In his words, the mask allowed his rapper persona Doom to stand out and “switch it up”. Despite living in the United States for most of his life, Doom was not a naturalized citizen and was infamously denied entry into the country after his world tour in 2010. Since then, he moved back to London and settled there with his family until he died in 2020.
MF Doom’s death was kept secret by his family for two months – He died at 49 years old
MF Doom had been laying low for a few years, only appearing once in a while to feature on other artists’ tracks, before he passed away on October 31, 2020. However, the news about his death was only made publicly known on December 31, precisely two months after his death.
His wife, Jasmine Dumile, first announced the death on his official Instagram account in a note addressed to “the greatest husband, father, teacher, student, business partner, lover, and friend I could ever ask for”. She wrote:
“Thank you for all the things you have shown, taught, and given to me, our children, and our family. Thank you for teaching me how to forgive beings and give [them] another chance, not to be so quick to judge and write [them] off. Thank you for showing how not to be afraid to love and be the best person I could ever be.”
Jasmine did not disclose the cause of Doom’s death but said that that her world would “never be the same” without him. In the note, she also mentioned their late son, Malachi Ezekiel Dumil, who had passed away in 2017 at only 14 years old. It read:
“Words will never express what you and Malachi mean to me, I love both and adore you always. May THE ALL continue to bless you, our family, and the planet.”
Doom’s representative, Richie Abbott, confirmed his death to various media outlets but shied away from detailing it. An alleged source close to the family claimed that his death was caused by pulmonary embolism and complications arising from COVID-19. Nonetheless, it remains unconfirmed to this day.