Not only is Adult Swim responsible for hooking us up with Rick And Morty, but it's also coming through with a relentless barrage of new MF Doom joints. And even if you aren't necessarily a Doom fan per se, there's really no possible way to spin this as anything other than dope as hell. The series is called The Missing Notebook Rhymes, and the fourth installment is quite possibly the strongest inclusion yet. After last week's criminally slept on banger "Doomsayer" comes "Notebook 03," a three minute excursion into glitch-laden campfire rock.
The super-villain continues to blend literary poetry with Ghostface-esque slang, culminating in his trademark, oft-analyzed brand of lyrics. "Known for his absurd word choices, I will ignore you if you ask him if he heard voices," raps Doom, giving listeners the power to interpret his imagery as they see fit. It's a similar technique employed by another abstract yet conceptually dense rapper by the name of Aesop Rock. I imagine many Doom fans are well familiar with Rock. Suffice it to say, it's a refreshing style of lyricism separate from the prevalence of lean and I-fucked-your-bitch in much of today's mainstream hip-hop.
Ultimately, Doom remains an old soul, destined to stay true to himself, and by extension, his core audience. On "Notebook 03," Doom's lyrics are the star here, and there are plenty of tidbits to decipher for the die-hards. With eleven tracks left in the series, The Missing Notebook Rhymes is shaping up to be a respectable Doom project in its own right. Even with the scattered track release, there is a clear unity throughout the four tracks which bodes well for album purists. In the mean time, sit back, get your notepads out, hotbox your favorite mask, and get deciphering.
Quotable Lyrics
Your attention please,
Freeze, he came to seize the free cheese
Before he flees to Belize,
In case he forgot to mention - "squeeze these"