MF DOOM
ListenDead Bent / Gas Drawls / Hey! · 1997
The Groove Vault — transfer of the original 1997 twelve-inch, including the vocal and instrumental sides.
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1997 · Fondle ’Em Records
Dead Bent / Gas Drawls / Hey!
Daniel Dumile returned to record in 1997 with a new name and three songs. This first MF DOOM single contains the early versions of “Dead Bent,” “Gas Drawls” and “Hey!” that preceded Operation: Doomsday. [1]
| Accession | OMMA-0026 |
|---|---|
| Artist | M.F. Doom |
| Release | 1997 · United States |
| Label | Fondle ’Em Records · FE008 |
| Format | 12-inch vinyl single · 33⅓ rpm |
| Issue | Original U.S. commercial issue |
| Runouts | Not documented |
| Recorded grade | Factory sealed |
Release history and significance
Dumile had recorded with KMD as Zev Love X. After his brother and bandmate Subroc died in 1993 and Elektra shelved Black Bastards, the group’s second album, his recording career fell apart. A friend, the rapper Kurious, encouraged him to bring his new music to Bobbito Garcia, who had briefly managed KMD. [2]
Garcia heard the tapes in 1997 and agreed to release them through Fondle ’Em. The arrangement was straightforward: the artists kept their master recordings and received half the profits. Four singles together led to Operation: Doomsday. It was a return built through personal connections and a small independent label. [2]
The three vocal tracks occupy side A, with their instrumentals on side B. “Gas Drawls” was recorded and mixed at Web’s Crib, “Hey!” at Stretch’s Crib; Dumile receives production, mixing, writing and arrangement credits. The album recordings came later, making this single a distinct part of his early work. [1]
Dumile later described DOOM as a character he could write for, rather than an identity he had to inhabit in everyday life. The supervillain gave him room to invent while keeping something of himself out of public view. [2]
Market context
Discogs records sales from US$8.11 to US$250 for the original commercial pressing, with a median of US$96.72, as listed on 13 September 2026. The latest recorded sale was 27 July 2026. [1]
Physical Description
A twelve-inch record in a plain white sleeve, retained in its original sealed state. The release presents three vocal tracks and three instrumentals, without a dedicated picture sleeve. [1]
Condition
Acquired as sealed new old stock; the packaging remains sealed.
Provenance
Acquired through Discogs from seller Micrates on 15 July 2025.
Sources
- Discogs, M.F. Doom — Dead Bent / Gas Drawls / Hey!, release 193642. Original FE008 pressing, credits, track versions and sales history.
- Andrew Mason, Behind the Mask, Wax Poetics. Interviews with MF DOOM and Bobbito Garcia; originally published in issue 31.
Catalogue text reviewed 13 September 2026.