Born Like This

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title: "Born Like This" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2009-albums", "mf-doom-albums", "albums-produced-by-j-dilla", "albums-produced-by-jake-one", "albums-produced-by-madlib", "lex-records-albums"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Born_Like_This" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

Field	Value
name	Born Like This
type	studio
artist	DOOM
cover	Born-like-this.jpg
alt	A stone or concrete rendition of the modern MF DOOM mask, facing a stone with abstract symbols etched into it.
released
genre	Hip-hop
length	40:34
label	Lex
producer
chronology	MF Doom
prev_title	Madvillainy 2: The Madlib Remix
prev_year	2008
next_title	Unexpected Guests
next_year	2009
misc	{{Singles
name	Born Like This
type	studio
single1	Gazzillion Ear
single1date	January 2010
::

| name = Born Like This | type = studio | artist = DOOM | cover = Born-like-this.jpg | alt = A stone or concrete rendition of the modern MF DOOM mask, facing a stone with abstract symbols etched into it. | released = | recorded = | studio = | genre = Hip-hop | length = 40:34 | label = Lex | producer = | chronology = MF Doom | prev_title = Madvillainy 2: The Madlib Remix | prev_year = 2008 | next_title = Unexpected Guests | next_year = 2009 | misc = {{Singles | name = Born Like This | type = studio | single1 = Gazzillion Ear | single1date = January 2010 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. It debuted at number 52 on the Billboard 200 chart, having sold 10,895 copies as of 29 March 2009. 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.

Critical reception

| MC = 77/100 | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = | rev2 = The A.V. Club | rev2score = A− | rev3 = Consequence of Sound | rev3score = A− | rev4 = Drowned in Sound | rev4score = 7/10 | rev5 = HipHopDX | rev5score = 3.5/5 | rev6 = The Observer | rev6score = | rev7 = Paste | rev7score = 76/100 | rev8 = Pitchfork | rev8score = 8.0/10 | rev9 = Slant Magazine | rev9score = | rev10 = URB | rev10score = 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".

Born Like This ranked at number 4 on *The Skinny*s "2009: A Year in Records" list. Pitchfork included it in their best albums of 2009, placing it at number 48.

Track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s) | title1 = Supervillain Intro | writer1 = | extra1 = | length1 = 0:54 | title2 = Gazzillion Ear | writer2 = | extra2 = J Dilla | length2 = 4:12 | title3 = Ballskin | writer3 = Dumile | extra3 = Jake One | length3 = 1:30 | title4 = Yessir! | note4 = featuring Raekwon | writer4 = Dumile | extra4 = MF Doom | length4 = 2:34 | title5 = Absolutely | writer5 = | extra5 = Madlib | length5 = 2:43 | title6 = Rap Ambush | writer6 = Dumile | extra6 = Jake One | length6 = 1:28 | title7 = Lightworks | writer7 = | extra7 = J Dilla | length7 = 1:52 | title8 = Batty Boyz | writer8 = Dumile | extra8 = MF Doom | length8 = 3:16 | title9 = Angelz | note9 = featuring Tony Starks | writer9 = Dumile | extra9 = MF Doom | length9 = 3:07 | title10 = Cellz | writer10 = | extra10 = | length10 = 4:21 | title11 = Still Dope | note11 = featuring Empress Stahhr tha Femcee | writer11 = Dumile | extra11 = MF Doom | length11 = 2:40 | title12 = Microwave Mayo | writer12 = Dumile | extra12 = Jake One | length12 = 2:26 | title13 = More Rhymin' | writer13 = Dumile | extra13 = Jake One | length13 = 1:39 | title14 = That's That | writer14 = | extra14 = MF Doom | length14 = 2:15 | title15 = Supervillainz | note15 = featuring Kurious, Mobonix, Posdnous, Prince Paul & Slug | writer15 = | extra15 = | length15 = 2:49 | title16 = Bumpy's Message | note16 = featuring Bumpy Knuckles | writer16 = | extra16 = | length16 = 1:36 | title17 = Thank Yah | writer17 = Dumile | extra17 = MF Doom | length17 = 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.
• "Yessir!" samples "UFO" by ESG.
• "Absolutely" samples a Horn section from "Creep" by TLC. It also uses a vocal sample from "Sun Goddess" by Ramsey Lewis.
• "Lightworks" samples "Lightworks" by Raymond Scott.
• Instrumental track for "Lightworks" is also based on J Dilla's version of "Lightworks", from the album Donuts.
• "Angelz" was recorded in 2006.
• "Cellz" samples "Dinosora, 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.

Personnel

• 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

::data[format=table title="Chart performance for ''Born Like This''"] | Chart (2009) | Peak position | US Billboard 200 | US Billboard Independent Albums | US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | US Billboard Rap Albums | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | 52 | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | 29 | | | | | | | 9 | | | | | | ::

References

References

1. Paine, Jake. (April 1, 2009). "Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 3/29/2009". [[HipHopDX]].
2. [http://rasml.org/contributors/dinosauria-we/ “Dinosauria, We” by Charles Bukowski] {{webarchive. link. (June 11, 2009)
3. "Critic Reviews for Born Like This". [[CBS Interactive]].
4. Forget, Tom. "Doom / MF Doom – Born like This". [[AllMusic]].
5. Rabin, Nathan. (March 31, 2009). "Doom: Born Like This". [[The A.V. Club]].
6. Kivel, Adam. (April 3, 2009). "MF Doom – Born Like This". [[Consequence of Sound]].
7. Slater, Luke. (April 2, 2009). "Doom – BORN LIKE THIS". [[Drowned in Sound]].
8. (March 26, 2009). "Doom – BORN LIKE THIS". [[HipHopDX]].
9. Yates, Steve. (March 14, 2009). "Doom, Born Like This". [[The Observer]].
10. Emerson, Austin. (March 24, 2012). "Doom: Born Like This". [[Paste (magazine).
11. Patrin, Nate. (April 6, 2009). "Doom: Born Like This". [[Pitchfork (website).
12. McBee, Wilson. (March 23, 2009). "Doom – Born Like This". [[Slant Magazine]].
13. Meredith, Ben. "Doom :: Born Like This". [[URB (magazine).
14. (December 7, 2009). "2009: A Year in Records (#2–10)". [[The Skinny (magazine).
15. (December 17, 2009). "The Top 50 Albums of 2009 (1/5)". [[Pitchfork (website).
16. "J Dilla Essentials Guide: The Afterlife".
17. Watkins (@GrouchyGreg), Grouchy Greg. (31 March 2009). "MF DOOM: Born Like This (Album Review)".
18. "MF Doom – Chart history – Billboard 200".
19. "MF Doom – Chart history – Independent Albums".
20. "MF Doom – Chart history – Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums".
21. "MF Doom – Chart history – Rap Albums".

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