// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did "Born Like This" say to its twin? "We're a match".
| Born Like This | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 24 March 2009 | |||
| Genre | Hip-hop | |||
| Length | 40:34 | |||
| Label | Lex | |||
| Producers | ||||
| MF Doom chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Born Like This | ||||
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Born Like This (stylized in all caps) is the sixth and final solo studio album by British-American rapper and producer MF Doom. It was released under the pseudonym "Doom" on 24 March 2009, through Lex Records.
Content
[edit]In addition to tracks produced by MF Doom, the album includes production by frequent collaborator Madlib, as well as J Dilla. The album title is borrowed from Charles Bukowski's poem "Dinosauria, We", which employs it as a cadence. The track "Cellz" opens with a sampled recording of Bukowski reading the poem.[1]
Chart performance
[edit]It debuted at number 52 on the Billboard 200 chart, having sold 10,895 copies as of 29 March 2009.[2]
Critical reception
[edit]| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 77/100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| The A.V. Club | A−[5] |
| Consequence of Sound | A−[6] |
| Drowned in Sound | 7/10[7] |
| HipHopDX | 3.5/5[8] |
| The Observer | [9] |
| Paste | 76/100[10] |
| Pitchfork | 8.0/10[11] |
| Slant Magazine |  [12] |
| URB | [13] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Born Like This received an average score of 77% based on 21 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[3]
Born Like This ranked at number 4 on The Skinny's "2009: A Year in Records" list.[14] Pitchfork included it in their best albums of 2009, placing it at number 48.[15]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Supervillain Intro" |
|
| 0:54 |
| 2. | "Gazzillion Ear" |
| J Dilla | 4:12 |
| 3. | "Ballskin" | Dumile | Jake One | 1:30 |
| 4. | "Yessir!" (featuring Raekwon) | Dumile | MF Doom | 2:34 |
| 5. | "Absolutely" |
| Madlib | 2:43 |
| 6. | "Rap Ambush" | Dumile | Jake One | 1:28 |
| 7. | "Lightworks" |
| J Dilla | 1:52 |
| 8. | "Batty Boyz" | Dumile | MF Doom | 3:16 |
| 9. | "Angelz" (featuring Tony Starks) | Dumile | MF Doom | 3:07 |
| 10. | "Cellz" |
|
| 4:21 |
| 11. | "Still Dope" (featuring Empress Stahhr tha Femcee) | Dumile | MF Doom | 2:40 |
| 12. | "Microwave Mayo" | Dumile | Jake One | 2:26 |
| 13. | "More Rhymin'" | Dumile | Jake One | 1:39 |
| 14. | "That's That" |
| MF Doom | 2:15 |
| 15. | "Supervillainz" (featuring Kurious, Mobonix, Posdnous, Prince Paul & Slug) |
|
| 2:49 |
| 16. | "Bumpy's Message" (featuring Bumpy Knuckles) |
|
| 1:36 |
| 17. | "Thank Yah" | Dumile | MF Doom | 1:14 |
| Total length: | 40:34 | |||
Sample credits and additional notes
- "Gazzillion Ear" samples "Trouble" (performed) by Brenton Wood and "Theme from Midnight Express" by Giorgio Moroder. The instrumental track for "Gazzillion Ear" is also based on "Dig It" and "Phantom of the Synths", both by J Dilla.[16]
- "Yessir!" samples "UFO" by ESG.
- "Absolutely" samples a Horn section from "Creep" by TLC.[17] It also uses a vocal sample from "Sun Goddess" by Ramsey Lewis.[17]
- "Lightworks" is based off of J Dilla's version from the album Donuts, and samples "Lightworks" by Raymond Scott.[16]
- "Angelz" was recorded in 2006.[11][12]
- "Cellz" samples "Dinosauria, We" by Charles Bukowski.
- "Cellz" is split into two tracks: "Cellz, Pt.1" and "Cellz, Pt.2" on the redux version.
- "That's That" samples "Princess Gika" by Galt MacDermot; it also contains dialog excerpts from the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, performed by Christopher Lloyd.[10]
Personnel
[edit]- Mr. Chop – additional instruments (1, 10, 15–16)
- Paloma Faith (aka “Cat-Girl”) – additional vocals (1–2, 9)
- G Koop – keyboards, guitar, bass (3, 6, 12–13)
- Posdnuos (aka P-Pain) – additional vocals (1, 15)
- Prince Paul (aka Filthy Pablo) – additional vocals (15)
- Raekwon – additional vocals (9)
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[18] | 52 |
| US Billboard Independent Albums[19] | 5 |
| US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[20] | 29 |
| US Billboard Rap Albums[21] | 9 |
References
[edit]- ↑ “Dinosauria, We” by Charles Bukowski Archived June 11, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Paine, Jake (1 April 2009). "Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 3/29/2009". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on 23 April 2009. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- 1 2 "Critic Reviews for Born Like This". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
- ↑ Forget, Tom. "Doom / MF Doom – Born like This". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- ↑ Rabin, Nathan (31 March 2009). "Doom: Born Like This". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- ↑ Kivel, Adam (3 April 2009). "MF Doom – Born Like This". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- ↑ Slater, Luke (2 April 2009). "Doom – BORN LIKE THIS". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- ↑ "Doom – BORN LIKE THIS". HipHopDX. 26 March 2009. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- ↑ Yates, Steve (14 March 2009). "Doom, Born Like This". The Observer. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- 1 2 Emerson, Austin (24 March 2012). "Doom: Born Like This". Paste. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- 1 2 Patrin, Nate (6 April 2009). "Doom: Born Like This". Pitchfork. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- 1 2 McBee, Wilson (23 March 2009). "Doom – Born Like This". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- ↑ Meredith, Ben. "Doom :: Born Like This". URB. Archived from the original on 31 May 2009. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- ↑ "2009: A Year in Records (#2–10)". The Skinny. 7 December 2009. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- ↑ "The Top 50 Albums of 2009 (1/5)". Pitchfork. 17 December 2009. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- 1 2 "J Dilla Essentials Guide: The Afterlife". Complex.com. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
- 1 2 Watkins (@GrouchyGreg), Grouchy Greg (31 March 2009). "MF DOOM: Born Like This (Album Review)". Allhiphop.com. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
- ↑ "MF Doom – Chart history – Billboard 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- ↑ "MF Doom – Chart history – Independent Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- ↑ "MF Doom – Chart history – Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- ↑ "MF Doom – Chart history – Rap Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
External links
[edit]- Born Like This at Discogs (list of releases)
