A New Cookbook Honoring The Late Rapper MF DOOM Debuts

Music and food go together like barbecue grills and summery temperatures. From legendary duos like The Fat Boys’ munching exploits to Kelis’ milkshakes bringing boys to the yard, there’s a long list of food-inspired hip hop moments. One rapper who’s known for food-centric bars is the late MF DOOM. His 2004 studio album MM… FOOD is loaded with culinary references that are still being uncovered to this day. 

Hoping to honor the late rapper’s catalog, popular illustrator Ben Gore is releasing an unofficial cookbook called DOOM’S BISTRO. It’s a cookbook that features illustrations and over 60 food and drink recipes that directly reference DOOM lyrics and song titles. Some examples include “Nice Verse Pie,” “Fillet-O-Rapper,” “Rap Snitch Knishes,” “Deep Fried Frenz,” and much more. 

The announcement was shared to Creative Boom, one of the UK’s leading platforms dedicated to the creative industry. The cookbook not only references DOOM’s MM… FOOD, but also pulls from other songs in his extensive catalog. 

“Food is not only used to title tracks throughout MM… FOOD, but it’s used as a valuable metaphor linking the symbol of food with life around the rap industry,” Gore explained to Creative Boom. “The opening track on the album, ‘Beef Rapp,’ ties together the dangers of an unhealthy diet and the risks of rap beef or disputes. DOOM even placed himself in the chef role when he included a recipe for his ‘Villainous Mac N Cheeze’ on the MM… LEFTOVERS EP, a project featuring remixes of the tracks on MM… FOOD.”

Taking the creativity a step further, Gore’s illustrations are also inspired by his own ideas about how the recipes can be plated. “The only rule I gave myself was that in every illustration there has to be a DOOM mask alongside the dish or an ingredient. There are two guest dishes too, which both feature DOOM collaborators who also referenced food in their work, and I illustrated those as well just to give a wide variety of subjects and pay tribute to some other Hip Hop icons. Those guest dishes are a J Dilla doughnut, inspired by his Donuts album, and Raekwon’s butter pecan ice cream, inspired by his track ‘Ice Cream.’”

Gore hopes the cookbook honors DOOM by expanding upon a major theme of his art. Along with the book release, featured illustrations from DOOM’S BISTRO will be on display at London’s Photobook Cafe on November 9. Copies are now available for pre-order via Blue Monday Press and will ship this month.