He was 49.
No cause of death has been specified, and CNN has contacted his record label and representatives to inquire about the delay in announcing his death.
She started the note and addressed the rapper, whose real name was Daniel Dumile, by his last name.
“The best husband, father, teacher, student, business associate, lover and friend I could ever ask for,” read the note: “Thank you for all the things you have shown, taught and taught me, our children and our family . “
Several well-known artists took to social media to mourn his death.
Born in London in 1971, he moved to Long Island, New York with his family as a child and began performing and producing hip-hop as a teenager under the name Zev Love X.
He and his younger brother Dingilizwe, known as DJ Subroc, formed the group KMD and released a critically acclaimed debut album, “Mr. Hood” in 1991.
Their second album was being prepared for release in 1993 when Dumile’s brother died after being hit by a car.
Five years later, the rapper reappeared as Metal Face Doom, wearing a mask modeled on the Marvel villain Dr. Doom, and released a solo record entitled “Operation: Doomsday”.
“I wanted to come onstage and orate, without people thinking about the normal things that people think about. Like girls saying, ‘Oh, he’s sexy’ or ‘I don’t want him, he’s ugly’, and then the Measures from other guys you up, “said Dumile.” A visual always gives a first impression. But if there is a first impression, I can just as well use it to guide the story. So why not do something like put on a mask? “
He became known for his intellect, wit and intricate rhyme style, which he featured on six solo albums and five collaborative projects with Danger Mouse and Ghostface Killah, among others.
In 2017, his 14-year-old son, King Malachi Ezekiel Dumile, died.
The rapper’s wife referred to that loss by announcing her husband’s death.
“Words will never express what you and Malachi mean to me, I love both and always love you,” she wrote. “May ALL continue to bless you, our family and the planet.”