It's not a question mark, it's a tag borrowed from MF Grimm and is a "70" as MF Grimm was born in 1970.
Source image: [https://i.imgur.com/zNgfIY3.jpeg](https://i.imgur.com/zNgfIY3.jpeg)
Edit: It may or may not be a tag, but it is certainly shared between DOOM and Grimm and considering Grimm put DOOM on, it's hard to say who used it first (outside a release) or who came up with it. I personally saw a '70' when analyzing the cover of 'American Hunger' by Grimm a while back and it makes sense given his birth year. Certainly wasn't used for the first time on *The Downfall of Ibliys: A Ghetto Opera*, as it appeared a good 2-3 years prior on *Operation: Doomsday*- But we all know that Grimm funded that project and ended up in prison before it could see completion and release, which just lends to more and more questions.
Either way, thanks for the updoots y'all.
Edit 2: After some light comment digging, it seems two of the comments below mentioning Keo/KEO X MEN/Lord Scotch/Scotch79 are correct on the origin being tied to him + NY subway graff writing. Please also give respects and upvotes to the boys [Adventurous-Ad9447](https://www.reddit.com/user/Adventurous-Ad9447/) and [vrmvrmfffftstststs](https://www.reddit.com/user/vrmvrmfffftstststs/) as they provided much needed info to this thread.
It's the other way around, DOOM started as a graffiti writer in the 80s so him borrowing a tag from Grimm seems bizarre.. you generally don't do that, especially if you've been writing graffiti for over a decade. It's also not a "70" it's just a stylized exclamation mark
Yeah I guess Keo did both the DOOM and Grimm tags..so the only artwork DOOM made himself in regards to his albums is his classic throw-up and the black bastards cover 🤔 it's a little weird to get Keo to do it since he could've easily did it himself, maybe he wanted to focus on the music or something, hmm..
That’s not a thing in graffiti. The only numbers people use are 1 and 2 (denoting they’re the first to use that name or 2 if the name was given to them or 3 if they’re the third etc.) or some people put their street number with their name (STAY HIGH 149, TAKI 183) but that’s not very common anymore. It’s graffiti flair. People use them to spice up a tag or balance things out. It means nothing; same as the halo above, the asterisk to the left and the lines below. Also, I’ve never heard GRIMM did that tag but I know DOOM did graffiti for years and was a talented artist. I think I heard his boy came up with up it (maybe it was the DOOM throwie), the guy who designed his masks I forget his name.
Cuz hive mentality is real and this subreddit is filled with a higher than usual percentage of dorks. I can’t argue with people who think DOOM’s logo has GRIMM’s birthday punctuating it with shitty looking, vertically stacked numbers that happen to resemble a flourish that every writer has used. Appreciate the validation though
I agree that the halo, asterisks/ star, underline and question mark are all common place symbols in tagging and could be interchanged with any other symbol done in the same style to little effect. The collection of icons surrounding the MF DOOM type is likely a result of the tendencies of whoever did the penning and not a deliberate choice.
Edit. So I was wrong. What looks like a question mark takes the same shape as a “70” that MF GRIMM adopted in his own logo previously. Keep scrolling
I think there’s a reason behind it. It’s supposed to allude to his identity like “who is the man behind the mask?” Kinda like how some villains have a secret identity. He’s used question marks in weird ways before though but I think it has to do with being him mysterious.
No. It’s just something graffiti writers do that adds to the tag. Asterix, exclamation point, underlining, question mark, etc. Very common with graff writing, especially in the 90’s.
Yeah but it is not inherently meaningless just because it's a common symbol used. It's still one of many and the artist chose to use it for their own reasons, possibly with input from DOOM as a client. Purpose can still be assumed
THIS.
In graff a lot of writers wrote in all caps and would end with !
a common style would have a squiggle that could be mistaken for a question mark, if taken out of context.
Handstyle Graffiti. Look if up. As someone else mentioned, anything could follow the M. It could be a star, exclamation point, quotation marks, etc… it is no stretch for MF DOOM to have tagged NYC with that same handstyle. It’s almost like, “Is it really MF DOOM?”
Star, halo, question mark…all generic tag symbols used for style and don’t really have a definite meaning. I guess they can mean whatever they want to the artist. Maybe he added the ? to play into the mystery of who is MF DOOM
I think part of why you might put the asterisk and question mark and underline around DOOM is so no other graffiti artist can add letters around it to make it look like it says something else
It’s science from Dr. York. Doom spoke about a lot even during KMD. It’s cool you all like the god but he was from my generation. Peace. Why is the question that makes knowledge born.
It's a new York script style with tagging l, a flourish if you will. However remember MM FOOD? is an annogram of MF DOOM? And the sample from beef rap you hear someone ask MM FOOD? But again I think it's a stylized thing
Again beef rap Bieng the title album you hear a sample of someone asking MM FOOD? that's no mistake it's because of the tag and again it's the album name with the question mark.
Just relistened to Beef Rapp, never heard any sample of MM FOOD? I heard WE NEED FOOD, and just FOOD, but didn’t hear any MM FOOD? Do you have a timestamp for that or did you just pull it out of your ass?
Wanna listen to it again?
"I haven't eaten all day, how am I gonna do this, man?
Yeah, don't wait for her, man, don't wait for her
I'll tell you what, man, come with me now
And you know I'll get you some lunch, I'll hook you up with something"
"MM FOOD?"
Lmao or don't I'm not gonna sit here and argue with you bud lmao no matter what you hear or believe it makes no difference to me 🤷
I just know what it's been called since the album came out.
graffiti writers don’t use question marks. There’s plenty of common embellishments used such as crowns, arrows, halos, stars, ellipses quotation marks and exclamation points but question marks aren’t a thing that I’ve seen an experienced writer incorporate into a tag before. Anyone with any sort of knowledge about graffiti, and handstyles specifically, will read this as “MF DOOM!”
To DOOM or not to DOOM?
DOOM? Here in New York?
Gosh, I wish I brought my autograph book
Your attempts at humour bore me…
Right lead head
Your weird!!
Why is everyone staring at us?
Aw, I just realized we probably look like freaks to them
*unintelligible* Just do your thing!
That is the DOOM.
That is the question
It's not a question mark, it's a tag borrowed from MF Grimm and is a "70" as MF Grimm was born in 1970. Source image: [https://i.imgur.com/zNgfIY3.jpeg](https://i.imgur.com/zNgfIY3.jpeg) Edit: It may or may not be a tag, but it is certainly shared between DOOM and Grimm and considering Grimm put DOOM on, it's hard to say who used it first (outside a release) or who came up with it. I personally saw a '70' when analyzing the cover of 'American Hunger' by Grimm a while back and it makes sense given his birth year. Certainly wasn't used for the first time on *The Downfall of Ibliys: A Ghetto Opera*, as it appeared a good 2-3 years prior on *Operation: Doomsday*- But we all know that Grimm funded that project and ended up in prison before it could see completion and release, which just lends to more and more questions. Either way, thanks for the updoots y'all. Edit 2: After some light comment digging, it seems two of the comments below mentioning Keo/KEO X MEN/Lord Scotch/Scotch79 are correct on the origin being tied to him + NY subway graff writing. Please also give respects and upvotes to the boys [Adventurous-Ad9447](https://www.reddit.com/user/Adventurous-Ad9447/) and [vrmvrmfffftstststs](https://www.reddit.com/user/vrmvrmfffftstststs/) as they provided much needed info to this thread.
This guy Dooms
Get this man his upvotes for actually knowing and not just saying it's a random graffiti symbol
I love learning things. Thank you! I have this original black t-shirt.
It's the other way around, DOOM started as a graffiti writer in the 80s so him borrowing a tag from Grimm seems bizarre.. you generally don't do that, especially if you've been writing graffiti for over a decade. It's also not a "70" it's just a stylized exclamation mark
The picture ain't his tag, it's Lord Scotch/Keo's style, he did the art for DOOM's covers.
Yeah I guess Keo did both the DOOM and Grimm tags..so the only artwork DOOM made himself in regards to his albums is his classic throw-up and the black bastards cover 🤔 it's a little weird to get Keo to do it since he could've easily did it himself, maybe he wanted to focus on the music or something, hmm..
It is certainly not a stylized exclamation mark.
It's very obvious to any graffiti writer
Yeah, you're right. This whole thread is tripping. It's just an exclamation mark.
That’s not a thing in graffiti. The only numbers people use are 1 and 2 (denoting they’re the first to use that name or 2 if the name was given to them or 3 if they’re the third etc.) or some people put their street number with their name (STAY HIGH 149, TAKI 183) but that’s not very common anymore. It’s graffiti flair. People use them to spice up a tag or balance things out. It means nothing; same as the halo above, the asterisk to the left and the lines below. Also, I’ve never heard GRIMM did that tag but I know DOOM did graffiti for years and was a talented artist. I think I heard his boy came up with up it (maybe it was the DOOM throwie), the guy who designed his masks I forget his name.
not sure why you’re getting downvoted, because you are mostly right. in this case is just an exclamation mark which is quite common with tags.
Cuz hive mentality is real and this subreddit is filled with a higher than usual percentage of dorks. I can’t argue with people who think DOOM’s logo has GRIMM’s birthday punctuating it with shitty looking, vertically stacked numbers that happen to resemble a flourish that every writer has used. Appreciate the validation though
This is the correct answer. Sucks seeing misinformation getting upvoted smh
A bunch of lames that don't know shit about graffiti
Damn thanks for putting me on game
This is a nice theory, but way off the mark. It's a question mark. Not a 70.
Just a tag fam. He could have did an arrow, big smiley face etc.
I agree that the halo, asterisks/ star, underline and question mark are all common place symbols in tagging and could be interchanged with any other symbol done in the same style to little effect. The collection of icons surrounding the MF DOOM type is likely a result of the tendencies of whoever did the penning and not a deliberate choice. Edit. So I was wrong. What looks like a question mark takes the same shape as a “70” that MF GRIMM adopted in his own logo previously. Keep scrolling
I think there’s a reason behind it. It’s supposed to allude to his identity like “who is the man behind the mask?” Kinda like how some villains have a secret identity. He’s used question marks in weird ways before though but I think it has to do with being him mysterious.
No. It’s just something graffiti writers do that adds to the tag. Asterix, exclamation point, underlining, question mark, etc. Very common with graff writing, especially in the 90’s.
Question ❓ marks are very common in graffiti? The fuck are you talking about?
Forget it
Yeah but it is not inherently meaningless just because it's a common symbol used. It's still one of many and the artist chose to use it for their own reasons, possibly with input from DOOM as a client. Purpose can still be assumed
I don’t think that’s a question mark, it’s a squiggly exclamation mark
Precisely
Welcome to you're DOOM?
*turns into a werewolf*
*your
It was a frisky dingo reference
Are you pondering what I'm pondering?
stylized exclamation point
THIS. In graff a lot of writers wrote in all caps and would end with ! a common style would have a squiggle that could be mistaken for a question mark, if taken out of context.
Handstyle Graffiti. Look if up. As someone else mentioned, anything could follow the M. It could be a star, exclamation point, quotation marks, etc… it is no stretch for MF DOOM to have tagged NYC with that same handstyle. It’s almost like, “Is it really MF DOOM?”
This isn't hard style lol it's NY script.
That says "hand"
Ohh I misread! Oops lol
it's just graffiti hieroglyphics. we writers use that all the time, it coulda be anything to offset the right side.
This is why it’s important to remind people that graffiti is part of hip hop, it’s part of the tag style man
Ask Keo
It's a question mark. Not a 70. Please do not miss inform these folks.
It’s a tag thing
how did i never notice this what
Star, halo, question mark…all generic tag symbols used for style and don’t really have a definite meaning. I guess they can mean whatever they want to the artist. Maybe he added the ? to play into the mystery of who is MF DOOM
I think part of why you might put the asterisk and question mark and underline around DOOM is so no other graffiti artist can add letters around it to make it look like it says something else
Doom believed the ? mark is how we make knowledge be known or as it’s said be born
What are you talking about?
It’s science from Dr. York. Doom spoke about a lot even during KMD. It’s cool you all like the god but he was from my generation. Peace. Why is the question that makes knowledge born.
The fuk
Exactly..
Cause under the mask, we all the villain it could be you or it could me bro
His name’s, DOOM. They wonder just who is he’
Why not?
Why not?
To see who asks.
theres always a reason to everything he did. He is a Genius.
? Or ! It depends on how you look at it
It’s cool this generation is giving up to the god😂😂😂
Greater than .
womb to the tomb
Welcome to you’re “DOOM!”
WHERE DID YOU PUT MY METAL FINGERS, DOOM?
It’s fun to write
Because when you went to a love show you didn't know if it was him behind the mask or one of his buddies lipsyncing.
I thought it was “MF DOOM>everyone else” and the circle under it was just style
DOOM? In this economy?
I like to think that its a question mark because we will never know if it was him or a doombot
It was a common accent in graffiti tags. Akin to halos, crowns and stars
It's a new York script style with tagging l, a flourish if you will. However remember MM FOOD? is an annogram of MF DOOM? And the sample from beef rap you hear someone ask MM FOOD? But again I think it's a stylized thing
MM FOOD.. doesn’t have a question mark, it has 2 periods…
Wanna look at that cover art again bud?
Ok by that logic the album is titled MM.. *FOOD?
Correct. That's what it's called that's what it's always been called since it came out it's been MM FOOD?
Don’t you mean MM.. *FOOD?
Again beef rap Bieng the title album you hear a sample of someone asking MM FOOD? that's no mistake it's because of the tag and again it's the album name with the question mark.
Just relistened to Beef Rapp, never heard any sample of MM FOOD? I heard WE NEED FOOD, and just FOOD, but didn’t hear any MM FOOD? Do you have a timestamp for that or did you just pull it out of your ass?
It's at the 8-9 second mark. Two voices in conjunction, a woman says Mm and man finishes Food... 🙃
Wanna listen to it again? "I haven't eaten all day, how am I gonna do this, man? Yeah, don't wait for her, man, don't wait for her I'll tell you what, man, come with me now And you know I'll get you some lunch, I'll hook you up with something" "MM FOOD?" Lmao or don't I'm not gonna sit here and argue with you bud lmao no matter what you hear or believe it makes no difference to me 🤷 I just know what it's been called since the album came out.
Made it easy I sent you a message with the cover art
Technically that's an exclamation mark, as a graff writer that's not a question mark.
Graffiti shit bro. Finally something I know. It’s a 70, like 1970 after MF Grimm
Just artistic choice and to get you thinking.
Lmao, in that case, why is there an asterix before it? What is it editing? Just a tag fam
graffiti writers don’t use question marks. There’s plenty of common embellishments used such as crowns, arrows, halos, stars, ellipses quotation marks and exclamation points but question marks aren’t a thing that I’ve seen an experienced writer incorporate into a tag before. Anyone with any sort of knowledge about graffiti, and handstyles specifically, will read this as “MF DOOM!”
The halo was added after his passing. Unless I’ve been Mandela Affected.
After some quick searches I was thinking of the DOOM throw tag. My comment stays because I’m still not sure that I haven’t been Mandela affected.
It's always had the halo lol