DOOM (US)

You might have heard of Daniel Dumile through such projects as Danger Doom (with Danger Mouse) and Madvillain (with Madlib), but his main incarnation is the uncanny DOOM, known for many years as MF Doom, where MF was short for Metal Face: the rapper hides his face behind a steel mask. The artist earned respect and a following in the underground hip-hop world and outside the rap scene with his 1999 debut Operation: Doomsday, which drew praise for its original albeit hermetic style. Nowadays, DOOM records with the biggest names in the industry, but no longer as an underdog: he’s now one of the greatest, most charismatic figures in avant-garde hip-hop, and has even been noticed by Portishead, who invited him to last year’s ATP, which they curated.