Personnel: Paloma Faith, Raekwon (vocals); G Koop (guitar, keyboards).
Audio Mixers: Terrence Cash; Morgan Garcia; Daniel Dumile Thompson.
Recording information: Ape Studios, England.
For someone who released what seemed like an album a week for a while, mercurial legend Doom (aka MF Doom, Viktor Vaughn, etc.) has been uncharacteristically silent as of late. Numerous delays and rumors that he's sending out imposters to perform in his stead aside, he's finally gotten down to the business of a new album. BORN LIKE THIS features Doom's agile, smoky voice, ably abetted by producers like Madlib and J Dilla, among others, in a series of mind bending, sample-heavy compositions. Fragments abound, some of which seem like the half-finished thoughts of a disturbed genius, but that's part of the charm.
Professional Reviews
Spin (p.96) - "[W]hile the album is more a series of word puzzles than a memoir, it does occasionally illuminate the man behind the mask."
Q (Magazine) (p.132) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[B]eyond the hypnotic fascination offered by his staccato, rapid-fire rhymes, there's a wider resonance....It's exhilarating to discover someone out there is still willing to test the limits."
Pitchfork (Website) - "[T]here's a stronger undercurrent of bitterness and a downturn in comedy, some of which feels tied in to a renewed malevolence in his villainous guise and some of which speaks toward something more personal."
Record Collector (magazine) (p.81) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "If DOOM's right, we're under constant threat, not least from DOOM himself when he unleashes his machine gun flow."
XXL (Magazine Publisher) (p.104) - "Whether he's differentiating himself from the herd on the post apocalyptic 'Cellz' or making fun of snuggly dressed rap rivals on 'Batty Boys', Doom keeps his character intact."
Clash (Magazine) (p.107) - "Boasting a J Dilla production on 'Lightworks', a GhostFace Killah track, 'Angelz', with Raekwon guesting, and DOOM's inimitable lyrical skills throughout."
