“The song ‘Bite the Thong’ in particular, with Damon Albarn, really encapsulates the whole dilemma of, ‘”

I think – a lot of times in hip-hop, especially – artists get kind of pigeonholed into being ‘the guy,’ and it’s kind of limiting in a way.

Nobody knows me – I’m incognito. It’s all new, all fun.

I make hip-hop, but use Doom as a character to convey stories that a normal dude can’t.

Ever since third grade, I had a notebook and was putting together words just for fun.

Everybody nowadays rhymes, but out of the people that really, really do it well, it’s still a small community of artists.

I’m always trying to show versatility. I’m juggling, and I’m flipping fire, and I’m chewing gum and rhyming at the same time… on a unicycle, while playing the drums.

I grew up in that age, and it was memorable. But I’m down with all of it. Chuck D or Danny Brown? I feel comfortable with all of them. Word up, kid! Word up, man!

I’m back – now watch this!’ It all boils down to the music. The mask is a slight theme for people to enjoy, and it adds mystery.

The ‘Doom’ thing is to be able to come at things with a different point of view. I decided the mask would just add to the mystique of the character as well as make Doom stand out.

I might as well use it to control the story. So why not do something like throw a mask on?

I liked being able to speak to somebody and throw it back and forth, and they can’t predict what you’re going to say next.

Being older now, grown, I’m like, ‘What do we really do that’s fun?’ I’m kind of corny when you think about it. What could I rhyme about? Let me see, um, I gotta pay the rent today.

I spent 35 years growing up in the U.S., and it had its ups and downs.

I liked different etymologies, different slang that came out in different eras. Different languages. Different dialects.

Doom is a classic supervillain, akin to the Phantom of the Opera. It’s not about revenge so much as, like.

I’m doing the shows. The stage is my canvas; I’ll put whatever up there for the visible eye.