“Arrow Root,” however, seemed achievable. Fantastik,” Roel admits, his interest piqued by a faceless emcee so untethered, there’s hardly a foothold for even the staunchest sleuth. If anything, it seemed more likely the original song was lost to time. It’s hard enough sourcing late-’90s BET footage, let alone material from their lowkey jazz-oriented spin-off, and for years, the information that brought direction to the hunt also tied it down. The ever-ensuing search had come up against a new obstacle: an inability to activate the lead. “Buzz” might be a bit generous, with enthusiasm about the lead muted.
“Madlib says Doom sampled a BET jazz commercial for his newest album, not that long after King Geedorah came out.” It wasn’t until 2015 that buzz started forming around a new lead: “I remember on the old mf doom forum, somebody said he heard the sample for this on a BET jazz promo from the early 2000s,” wrote user wordisband. A few years later, suspicion fell on the work of Ahmad Jamal, but with some 55 records to sift through, the lead went nowhere.
“That shit is hot,” he added, but as undeniable as the instrumental was, it didn’t ring any bells.Ī 2009 guess pegged the sample as a demo of “ Cleo’s Apartment,” a track from Marvin Gaye’s Trouble Man soundtrack, but it doesn’t seem like that early version even exists let alone matches the profile. It’s a question that’s endured since at least 2004 when The-Breaks user BasementProduction asked after the “Arrow Root” sample. “Man… what a beat… just kick back and take it all in, shit’s too precious to waste,” muses another.Īmongst all the praise and pining, one question appears time and time again: “Does anyone know what sample DOOM used?” “I love listening to this instrumental while I’m walking through my suburbs during the autumn season,” writes one listener. The YouTube comments for the video speak to that allure, filled with similar sentiments about the fleeting jazz loop: “This beat is my life in one cold book ” “This beat speaks to me ” “This song touches my soul.” Shades of lives unseen break out, hinting at the commonalities we share. The cult appeal of the instrumental couldn’t be curbed by vocals: even today, “Arrow Root” has out-streamed King Geedorah’s “ Next Levels,” the sample so compelling that no emcee could hope to measure up.
#New mf doom song series#
It’s risen beyond its station, climbing from the start of a 2001 instrumentals compilation-a single beat in a series that comprises 72 similar tunes-to the heart of a 2003 Dumile-helmed LP. In the 19 years since it debuted, “Arrow Root” has taken on a special significance amongst lo-fi disciples, jazz-rap connoisseurs, and devoted DOOM henchmen. Listen to the Juan Ep Is Dead episode below.Roel is far from the only one. He also admitted that he was growing impatient waiting for the project to get done, saying, “I got a little frustrated, and I was just like, you know, ‘It’s gonna happen when it’s gonna happen.’ I don’t wanna be the guy to force creativity or anything.” He went on to say that he has the permission of DOOM’s team and family to release the completed material, but said, “I don’t know what we’re going to do with those tracks.” Wolf said, “DOOM was always telling me, ‘It’s 85 percent done, it’s 85 percent done.’ That was the magic number.” Peanut Butter Wolf, the founder of Stones Throw Records, joined Pete Rosenberg and Cipha Sounds on their Juan Ep Is Dead podcast, and he spoke about a sequel to DOOM and Madlib’s Madvillain album Madvillainy, revealing that it was nearly done. Not only that, but those songs are part of a planned sequel to a classic DOOM project. Whether or not that proves to be the case for MF DOOM, it at least looks like the rapper had some unreleased music in a finished state.
The way it often goes when a musician dies is that their estate usually comes across some music they had finished but not released and shares some of it with the world.
0 kommentar(er)
