New, Improved DOOM

For a guy that’s released a relatively small amount of work as a solo artist – that means we’re not considering all the Danger Doom/Madvillain collaborations – DOOM get’s talked about a great deal. Maybe it’s because he’s pulled a Prince and changed his name to DOOM (all caps, no MF prefix). But really, the level of talent that he exudes when he actually releases discs is beyond anyone one the Billboard rap charts.

And as we push through the second month of 2009, that also means that we’re closer to seeing the release of Born Like This. It’s due out March 24^th, but of course it may be delayed regardless of what Lex Records has to say. DOOM has in the past not proved to follow through on release dates after all.

Anyway, with that date ever approaching, it’s more than likely that a steady stream of leaked tracks and the like are going to begin circulating the interwebs. Earlier, DOOM gave us the Jake One produced “Ballskin.” And even with the track clocking in under the three minute mark, it sparked a great deal of comment around the blogosphere.

Jake One, though, is only one of two producers other than DOOM that have put in work for this new disc. The other producer, Dilla, obviously isn’t around any longer, but apparently his work has been slated to be included on “Gazzillion Ear” as well as the already released “Lightworks.”

But the masked villain seems to be working in the same mold as he has on previous albums. The tracks with his production that he’s turned in so far sport the same slow, slinky funk that fans have grown accustomed to. And predicated solely on “Ballskin,” lyrically, DOOM is still at the top of his game.

There is one sample in particular that stands out from the others thus far. “Cellz,” which is also the lengthiest track to be sent out to fans, sports a two minute vocal sample from everyone’s favorite drunken poet Charles Bukowski. The poem, “Born into This,” that Bukowski recites during the track also serves as the title to the recent documentary focusing upon the writers life. Oddly enough, though, only one media outlet has seen fit to make mention of the origins of the sample. And in an even more bizarre twist, the DOOM album is alternately listed as Born Like This or Born Into This depending upon what you’re reading. Amazon, for what it’s worth, has listed the album title to reflect the Bukowski sample.

I suppose that it really doesn’t matter what the title of the disc actually is as long as Buk get’s his due deference. It is an odd scenario to imagine though: DOOM sitting around reading Love is a Dog From Hell. Stylistically, the two don’t share all that much in common, accept, perhaps for the general perception of life as being a bit less than what people make it out to be. DOOM has never been referred to as utterly happy and Bukowski – well, he was about a step and a half away from being a violent bum. But we’ll wait to pass judgment until the album is leaked released.

Tracklisting:
01. Supervillain Intro
02. Gazillion Ear
03. Ballskin
04. Yessir (ft. Raekwon)
05. Absolutely
06. Rap Ambush
07. Lightworks
08. Batty-Boys
09. Angelz (ft. Tony Starks)
09. Cellz
10. Still Dope (ft. Empress Sharhh)
11. Microwave Mayo
12. More Rhymin' (ft. Kurious)
13. That's That
14. Suppervillainz
15. Bump's Message
16. Thank Ya