A Complete Guide To: Kool Keith
A list by Vocab
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With this list I guide you through one of the worlds most creative and twisted minds. Sure, it's going to be a bumpy road, but just make sure to enjoy the sights along the way. You're bound to see some amazingly strange shit.
| 1 |  | 1.Road Guide: Kool Keith | |
| Kool Keith was one of the hardest artist I've tackled yet. Not only is his discog massive and his many, many different names and persona's an absolute clusterfuck, but also because he's such a polarizing figure. Kool Keith is one of those rare artist where even his fans can't always agree on what makes a good Keith album. Some hardcore fans out there swear by his Lost Masters series, a trilogy of albums I absolutely can't fucking stand. Other more casual fans will only listen to his Dr. Octagon album and be content with that. Others still will outright dismiss him because of his abstract flow, nonsensical lyrics, and his overall bizarre demeanor. Still, as a longtime fan I've done my best to try to be as unbiased as possible and give you guys the most complete and comprehensive guide to Kool Keith currently available. Included here are all of Keith's group albums, solo albums, EPs, and even his mixtapes.
Group Work: Keith has put together many different groups over the years, here's a quick rundown of who's who Ultramgentic MC's -Kool Keith -Ced Gee -TR Love -DJ Moe Love Ultra -Kool Keith -Tim Dog The Cenobites -Kool Keith -Godfather Don Analog Brothers -Kool Keith -Ice T -Black Silver -Pimpin Rex -Marc Live Masters of Illusion -Kool Keith -Kutmaster Kurt -Motion Man K.H.M. -Kool Keith -Jacky Jasper -Marc Live Thee Undatakerz -Kool Keith -M-Balmer -The Funeral Director -Al Bury-U Clayborne Family -Kool Keith -Jacky Jasper -Marc Live Project Polaroid -Kool Keith -TOMC3 Conference Room -Kool Keith -Tytus Penn -Denis Deft Project X -Kool Keith -Tim Dog -Marc Live 7th Veil -Kool Keith -Jacky Jasper Luv NY -Kool Keith -O.C. -A.G. -Roc Marciano -Kurious -Dave Dar -Ray West Siamese Sex Show -Kool Keith -Kira, -J Diggs -Malika -Haji Springer -El Greco Kool Keith Persona's: I'm not gonna lie, I wasn't looking forward to doing a write up on all of Keith's different characters, but then something amazing happened. I stumbled upon this site, http://www.ultrakeith.net/, and found that they had literally done my work for me. So much thanks. And here ladies and gentlemen, you have the most complete guide ever to Kool Keith's many crazy persona's. Activity - Activity was his first persona he used while he was in the New York City Breakers. Kool Keith - Kool Keith the name he started rapping under in 1984. Poppa Large - Poppa Large is a persona Keith used on the 1992 album "Funk Your Head Up" with the track "Poppa Large". Rhythm X - Rhythm X aka The X, X-Calibur, One two funk ignitor plus, is a persona used on the 1992 album "Funk Your Head Up" track "Funk Radio" and has been used several times. Dr Ultra - Dr Ultra was a persona used for the “Five Deadly Venoms” series of Sprite lemonade commercials he featured in. Dr Octagon - Dr Octagon is a persona used in 1995 for the album Dr Octagon. An extraterrestrial time traveling gynecologist and surgeon from the planet Jupiter. Dr Dooom - Dr Dooom is a persona used in 1996 for the Dr Dooom album. He is the Evil twin brother of Black Elvis and is a cannibalistic serial killer that was created to kill Dr Octagon. Robbie Analog - Robbie Analog was a persona used in the 1999 Dr Dooom album cover insert mocking the Rza from the Wu Tang for making the album persona Bobby Digital. He was also thanked in the Black Elvis credit notes. Black Elvis - Black Elvis is a persona used in the Black Elvis / Lost in Space album. He is the twin brother of Dr Dooom, a space travelling rockstar that is lost in space. Keith Televesquez - Keith Televesquez is a persona used in the Black Elvis / Lost in Space album on the track "Clifton". Televesquez is also featured in the Masters of Illusion videos "Let me talk to you" and "We all over" and is also thanked in the Black Elvis credit notes. Keith Turbo - Keith Turbo is a persona used on the album Black Elvis / Lost in Space in 1999. He likes to drive racecars. Orange Man - Orange Man was a persona used in the Livin Astro film clip from the album Black Elvis / Lost in Space in 1999. Lonnie Hendrix -Lonnie Hendrix was a persona used in the Livin Astro film clip from the album Black Elvis / Lost in Space in 1999. Light Blue Cop - Light Blue Cop was a persona used in the Livin Astro film clip from the album Black Elvis / Lost in Space in 1999. That Kid In The Commercial - That Kid In The Commercial was a persona used in the Livin Astro film clip from the album Black Elvis / Lost in Space in 1999 and has a resemblance of Dr Ultra from the Sprite commercials, Hence That Kid In The Commercial. Dr Sperm - Dr Sperm was a persona Keith has mentioned a few times and thanked him in the Black Elvis credit notes. Platinum Rich - Platinum Rich was a persona used in the 1996 album Dr Dooom who was credited as a producer, he was also credited as a producer on the Diesel Truckers album, and was also thanked in the Black Elvis credit notes. Elvin Presley - Elvin Presley was a persona used for a collectors card and handed out at live shows. It also had a list of persona's on the back. Exxon - Exxon was a persona used for a collectors card and handed out at live shows. Fly Ricky The Wine Taster - Fly Ricky The Wine Taster was a persona used on the legit KoolKeith.net website in 1999 before it was closed it down. Mr Gerbick - Mr Gerbick is a persona used on the the Dr Octagon album. He is the dangerous 208 year-old Uncle of Dr. Octagon. Half-shark, half-man, skin like alligator. Willie Biggs - Willie Biggs aka Big Willie Smith is a persona used on the Sex Style album and Big Willie Smith EP and also featured on the back cover of "Ultra - Big Time" album. He was also thanked in the Black Elvis credit notes. Sinister 6000 - Sinister 6000 is a persona used on the Dan the Automator EP in 1999 titled "A Better Tomorrow". Clean Man - Clean Man was a persona used on the legit KoolKeith.net website in 1999 before it was closed it down. Willie Natural - Willie Natural was a persona used on the legit KoolKeith.net website in 1999 before it was closed it down. Sk8 Johnson - Sk8 Johnson is a persona used in the Skateboard movie "Bootleg 3000" released in 2003, Sk8 Johnson featured in the segue's between skating clips. Blonde Man - Blonde Man is a persona Keith has mentioned a few times and thanked him in the Black Elvis credit notes. Mr Green - Mr Green is a persona featured on the back cover of the "Ultra - Big Time" album, and was thanked in the Black Elvis credit notes. Reverend Tom Reverend Tom is a persona featured on the "Ultra - Big Time" album, and was thanked in the Black Elvis credit notes. Reverend Tom also featured on "Thee Undertakerz" album in 2003. Jimmy Steele - Jimmy Steele is a persona mentioned in the track "Brothers Feel Fly" on the Dr Dooom album, Keith has mentioned hima few times and was thanked in the Black Elvis credit notes. Crazy Lou - Crazy Lou was a persona used for the track "Weapon World" on Prince Pauls "Prince among thieves" album. Crazy Lou was a weapons dealer. Keith Korg - Keith Korg was a persona used for the Analog Brothers album "Pimp To Eat" in 2000. Matthew - Matthew is a persona used for the album "Matthew" in 2000, He used his middle name as he wanted an album more true to himself. John Clayborne - John Clayborne is a persona used for the "Clayborne Family" album in 2004. Mr Nogatco - Mr Nogatco (Octagon backwards) is a persona used for the "Mr Nogatco" album in 2006. A Dr who researchs alien lifeforms and UFO activity. Robert Perry - Robert Perry is a persona used on the "Lost masters" album in 2003. The Commi$$ioner - The Commi$$ioner is a persona used on Commissioner 1 and Commissioner 2 albums. Naquan aka Underwair Pissy - Naquan aka Underwair Pissy is a persona used on the Ultramagnetic album "the Best Kept Secret" he is also credited on the album as a producer. Tashan Dorrsett - Tashan Dorrsett is a persona used on the self titled album Tashan Dorrsett, Tashan Dorrsett has a reputation for being genuine and respectable is representing the reality from New York City. Bobby Grime - Bobby Grime is a persona used on the Commissioner 2 album, He features in the track "Cornfields". The Photographer - The Photographer is a persona used on the "Project X" album, and has mentioned the persona elsewhere a few times. Mc Shopaholic - Mc Shopaholic is a persona used for the Track "Mc Shopaholic" and the MySpace page used to release it in 2007. Hollywood Roach Raider - Hollywood Roach Raider released the track "High" on Myspace under this persona in 2008. Lotion Man - Lotion Man is a persona used in an unreleased Yeti Beats clip in 2011 called Kool Keith TV featuring several personas. Lotion Man likes to lotion up women. Michael Winslow - Michael Winslow is a persona used in an unreleased Yeti Beats clip in 2011 called Kool Keith TV featuring several personas. Michael Winslow likes to race in demolition derby cars. Big Bongo Dong - Big Bongo Dong is a persona used in an unreleased Yeti Beats clip in 2011 called Kool Keith TV featuring several personas. Big Bongo Dong likes playing bongos. Ultraman 7000 - Ultraman 7000 is the name Keith goes by on his twitter account and mentioned in the track Bobby Blak. Bobby Blak - Bobby Blak is a persona from the self titled track "Bobby Blak" and has released several tracks under this name online. Flash Gordon - Flash Gordon is a persona used On the self titled track "Flash Gordon" released in 2012. Dr Philidelpia - Dr Philidelpia is a persona used in the 2012 track "Swag" and has released a few tracks under this persona online. MC New York - Mc New York is a persona used on the self titled track "Mc New York" released in 2012. MC NBA - Mc NBA is a persona used to release the track "Slam Dunk" in 2012. Number 1 Producer - Number 1 Producer is the persona used for all of his latest tracks he produces, Number 1 Producer has produced tracks for Metropolis, Kid Middi, Shade Clock and others. UNMOTHERFUCKINGBELIEVABLE Rating System -Essential (Albums you absolutely must check out) -Great (If you're a fan of this type of sound, you're going to dig this) -Good (Take a shot on it. Not bad, but not the artist most amazing effort. Still very enjoyable) -Weak (One of the artist lesser works. While not outright bad, it's still a far cry from what they're capable of) -Bad (Just skip it, or listen to it and laugh. Whatever) | |||
| 2 | | 2.Ultramagnetic MC'sCritical Beatdown (1997) | |
| One of the absolute most important and groundbreaking albums in Hip Hop history. When Ultramagnetic burst on to the scene with their 1988 album, it was like nothing the world had ever heard. Seriously, go back, pick any Hip Hop release from 88, and just listen to how fucking ahead of its time this LP was. A large part of that has to do with Ced Gee's production. Say what you will about the man as a rapper, but the guy was easily one of the most important figures in 1980s Hip Hop (He also helped to produced Boogie Down Productions classic LP, Criminal Minded). The production here is boundary pushing, genre defining, and above all else, excitingly dope. It effectively combines old-school break-beats with new school sampling to create a sound that would help define a later generation of producers.
And lyrically it was unlike anything else that had ever been done. Kool Keith (not only the obvious choice for front man, but also the writer of many of Ced Gee's verses here), prided himself on his science-fiction based lyrics and openly admitted to studying comics and other sources to find bigger words that he had never before heard used in rhymes. When he raps "On the mic, innovating this patter-en/You fell off, your brain is on Satur-en" you can literally see the future of underground Hip Hop unfolding right before your eyes. Everything about this LP was just magical, and both Ultra, and Keith himself, would spend years trying to recapture this lightening in a bottle. Sadly nothing else the group would do could ever compare to the sheer brilliance of Critical Beatdown, but when you have an LP as masterful as this, one is more than enough. -Essential (Albums you absolutely must check out) | |||
| 3 | | 3.Ultramagnetic MC'sFunk Your Head Up (1992) | |
| 4 | | 4.Ultramagnetic MC'sThe Four Horsemen (1993) | |
| I wasn't sure what to expect from Ultramagnetic's third full length. While their first album had been revolutionary and far ahead of its time, their second seemingly took a step backwards and was created very much in the same vein as an old school, mid-80's Hip Hop LP. Listening to this album though reveals that there might have possibly been a method to their madness, almost a semi-concept if you will, even if it was never intended to be so. Their first LP was futuristic, their second very much old-school, it only stands to reason that their third LP be created to sound contemporary (for the time at least). It's an interesting observation to make, and while I doubt this was the intention, it actually creates a fairly unique and interesting trilogy of albums, giving each of the records a renewed sense of importance and depth.
So yeah, The Four Horsemen is very much in line with what was going on in New York at the time. A big part of this had to do with the contributions from the criminally underrated Godfather Don who produced 4 of the tracks here, and I would imagine gave the album its overall direction and feel. The Four Horsemen is a much darker, jazzier record than anything that Ultra had done before. It's not too far removed from the sounds of A Tribe Called Quest or Black Moon's Enta Da Stage. This newfound direction is both refreshingly familiar, and excitingly new for Ultra, and Kool Keith in particular sounds immaculate over these traditional east coast instrumentals. Lyrically, while still mainly focusing on shit talking and braggadocio, Kool Keith and the boys return to their science fiction roots and kick that bugged out, scientific style that made them fan favorites in the first place. Keith had very nearly completed is transformation here, and while his flow is still somewhat tame and traditional, his lyrics are noticeably abstract and incorporate a heavier use of the stream-of-consciousness style he would later become renown for. Ced Gee especially sounds rejuvenated, and while I'm not sure if he wrote all of his own rhymes this time around or not, his flow is just off-kilter enough to compliment Keith's. Usually I can't wait to get past Ced's portions, but something about these beats really brings out the best in him. Overall this is the return to form that most fans were hoping for, and personally I hold this album up there with some of the all time best to come out of that amazing era in New York Hip Hop that was the early 90s. Some might be disappointed to find Ultra following trends rather than setting them and innovating, but when the final product is this dope it's hard to be mad. Fantastic LP, nearly essential. Note: The Godfather Don produced tracks were originally meant to be for Kool Keith's very first solo album under the alias "Rhythm X". Instead though many of the tracks Keith and Don worked on were split between this album and the Godfather Don/Kool Keith collaboration, the Cenobites. Had that solo been fully realized though, it's easy to imagine that it would have gone on to become a classic. -Great (If you're a fan of this type of sound, you're going to dig this) | |||
| 5 | | 5.Ultramagnetic MC'sThe Basement Tapes 1984-1990 (1995) [Compilation] | |
| The Basement Tapes may be one of the most aptly named albums/compilations ever. This LP finds Ced Gee digging deep into the Ultra vaults and turning up a handful of random, half finished demos and early versions of classic tunes. The problem is that most of these songs were pulled from cassette tapes, most of which sound like they were taken care of rather poorly, forgotten in a basement somewhere perhaps? The overall feeling of sloppiness and poor sound quality just cripples this compilation. Random glitches, songs where parts have been completely erased or deleted (by a high engineer apparently, peep "Ya Not So Large"), or just the poorest "mixing" (or lack thereof) you've ever heard. Even Ced Gee, who makes a few appearances via skits explaining some of the music presented here, sounds lost and confused. Not being able to remember specifics or dates of songs HE produced. It's just kinda depressing. This should have served as a time-capsule for Ultra's early work, but instead it sounds like a weak bootleg.
As for the music itself, it's not bad. If you can get past the sound quality there are some gems here. Keith is in his absolute old-school prime, and Tim Dog shows up and shuts shit down on the appropriately titled "Ced-G, Tim Dog (Lab Freestyle)". Ced's production here (he produced every track), is woefully barren and understated though. You can tell many of these were simply early concepts that he was working on, and nothing here is ever truly fleshed out well enough to make for an overly enjoyable listen. Even the "newer" cuts like 1993's "Smokin Dust" doesn't hit as hard as you might hope. It does feature a pretty magical Keith performance that foreshadows his Dr. Oct work, but the beat and mixing still sound iffy. Overall this delivers on exactly what it promises. It is indeed "basement tapes". The sound quality openly flaunts this fact, and Ced's lack of enthusiasm when talking about the music included here leaves you with the feeling that this was probably more of a cash grab to make some money off Keith's new-found solo fame. This isn't the worst compilation out there, and it does have its moments, but the overall quality of everything as it's presented here just leaves much to be desired. Only the absolute most hardcore need check for this one. -Bad (Just skip it, or listen to it and laugh. Whatever) | |||
| 6 | | 6.Big Willie Smith / Da Beat TerroristsBig Willie Smith EP (1995) [EP] | |
| The Big Willie Smith EP has the distinction of being Keith's first solo release, and also being the debut of Big Willie Smith, aka Willie Biggs, a persona that he would later use on Sex Styles. Keith in 1995 was just as off the wall and crazy as he would become known for later in his career. It's easy to make the connection between this and what he would do on Sex Styles. His taste for perversion is in full effect, and his oddball flow is as sharp and lethal here as it would ever be. Also, the production, by none other than Kutmaster Kurt, is a fantastic preview of the amazing sonic backdrops he would later lace Keith with.
Really isn't a whole lot to say about this. It effectively lays the groundwork for Keith's early solo career, and his performance finds him bursting with energy and sounding excited to finally be branching out. It's only 4 tracks long, but they're all pretty great and worth tracking down. Though there was only officially 500 copies of this pressed up by Keith himself, so chances are you're either going to have to settle for a bootleg or a digital version. -Great (If you're a fan of this type of sound, you're going to dig this) | |||
| 7 | | 7.Ultramagnetic MC'sMo Love's Basement Tapes (1996) | |
| After Ced Gee's terrible version of "The Basement Tapes", I was understandably hesitant about checking out another Ultra compilation. Thankfully Mo Love seems to have put a lot more love and heart in to his compilation, and the results is an album that is everything the first Basement Tapes should have been. Mo pulls most of these songs from the Funk Your Head Up era of Ultra's history, and as such the majority of the production here is decidedly less futuristic, and instead focuses on Funk samples and breaks. True, most of the production here is still sparse, but it sounds intentionally sparse, letting the Funk settle in to grooves and allowing Keith to wild' out and be as bugged out as he wants. Some of the beats here do some really interesting things, peep the wailing horns on "Message In The Music" which sounds like it had to be from the early 80s. The beat (and song as a whole really) sounds like Public Enemy as seen through Ultra's eyes. It's pretty dope, and Keith's oldschool flow sounds so on point.
Speaking of Keith, there's a lot of him. A Loooot. A good majority of these songs are simply Keith rockin the mic. Ced does pop up every now and again, but not nearly as much as you would imagine seeing as how this is suppose to be Ultramagnetic music. I'm perfectly fine with this though, Ced was always second fiddle to Keith, and more often than not I couldn't wait for his verse to be over to get to the next Keith joint. His weakness as an mc is really showcased on his solo cut "Delta Force". He isn't terrible, but next to Keith he becomes uninteresting. Most importantly though is the sound quality, and while it's not perfect here, it's so much more improved over Ced Gee's Basement Tapes. There's still an aura of "demo quality" about this, the vocals sound kinda fuzzy and you can tell it wasn't properly mastered, but thankfully it doesn't detract from the overall experience or distract. Also, the songs here are presented in FULL, something that boggled my mind on the first Basement Tapes. Nothing here has been deleted or erased, and none of the music randomly fades in and out. This is def an improvement over pretty much every aspect of the original, and Mo Love seems like he genuinely wanted to help preserve Ultra's legacy of early music. Every song here is pretty damn dope, and stands side by side with Funk Your Head Up in terms of overall quality. If you found yourself enjoying that LP, then consider this a continuation of it. -Good (Take a shot on it. Not bad, but not the artist most amazing effort. Still very enjoyable) | |||
| 8 | | 8.Ultramagnetic MC'sNew York What Is Funky (1996) | |
| Surprise! Another Ultramgentic compilation album! With the music being provided by Ced Gee again! Also, SO MANY EXCLAMATIONS!!!
Seriously though, you get the feeling that maybe Ced Gee was really starting to feel the pain of Keith essentially up and leaving the group for a very successfully solo career, leaving Ced and Co. to fend for themselves. They would spend many years chasing their early success and trying as hard as they could to eat off of Kool Keith's plate by churning out these almost bootleg worthy b-side compilation albums. Ced's first foray into the world of "rare, unused studio material" resulted in the abysmal Basement Tapes, and while Mo Love later rectified Ced's mistake with a worthwhile follow up, I was still on the fence about giving more Ultra bootleg albums the time of day. Sadly, while the sound quality is thankfully much improved, the music presented is not. Most of these sound like experiments at best. Just Kool Keith and Ced dicking around in the studio. You can't listen to the first track here, "Grip The Mic", and tell me that Kool Keith wasn't just fucking around and freestyling. The title track, "New York What Is Funky" is interesting in that it sounds almost like a RZA/Wu-Tang rip-off, and that beat is so lovely it almost doesn't even matter. Actually, you know what? The majority of the production here is really, really good. Some of the best that Ultra has ever rocked over. It all sounds so off the wall and raw, yet lush and fully fleshed out. It's a nice change of pace from the usually low-key production style they used on their second album. It's a shame that vocally and lyrically Keith and Ced coast so much. A good majority of the vocals are mixed badly over the track, creating an almost "listening through a tin-can" kind of effect, or on the flipside, the vocals are so loud it sounds like they have their mouths pressed right up against the mic. And lyrically, as I said before, most of this sounds like freestyles. There's not too much here that's going to "wow" you. Still, this is interesting, and it could have been much, much worse. There are some gems, and the production is more than enjoyable. Just don't go in expecting prime Kool Keith. -Weak (One of the artist lesser works. While not outright bad, it's still a far cry from what they're capable of) | |||
| 9 | | 9.UltraBig Time (1996) | |
| Kool Keith has always been at his best when having another artist to bounce his ideas off of. More often than not it's usually a producer, but every so often he hooks up with another mc and strikes up a chemistry so weird, so unexpectedly dope, that it becomes pure magic. That's exactly what happens here. With the help of both Kutmaster Kurt and Tim Dog, Keith turns in yet another classic lp, and one that's been undeservedly overlooked by even his most hardcore fans.
Tim Dog wasn't ever a full blown Ultramagnetic MC's member, he did hang around the group and contribute a lot to their work, so it makes sense that when him and Keith hooked up for a group album that they would simply shorten the groups name to Ultra to reflect the lack of other members. To be honest though, Keith and Tim have better chemistry than Keith and Ced did on any given day. There's just something about how wildly different their styles are. Keith raps in a faster, higher pitched, more off beat flow, while Tim is a much slower, deeper, more direct and blunt voice. You wouldn't think the two would sound as good together as they do, but it's really a perfect pairing. As is tradition with most every Kool Keith related releases, the topics mainly focus on battle rhymes and dissing other rappers. Thankfully it works especially well here by having two very distinct voices and styles to play off of, not to mention Kurts absolutely stellar, minimalist production. The album is very good at creating an isolating atmosphere, sounding as if it was created in a vacuum that only Keith, Tim and Kurt had access to. It pays little mind to whatever other sounds might have been going on in Hip Hop at the time, and instead just sounds completely alien and unique. It's not as fleshed out or as lush as Octagon of course, but it was never meant to be. This is a battle record through and through, and it's suppose to sound as blunt and in your face as possible. This really is one of my favorite Keith related projects, and it bums me out how slept on it was. It did gain wider recognition with its 2001 re-issue, but even then it was way under the radar. It doesn't force any concepts into the music, and instead it really just takes Hip Hop and boils it down to its essence, dope rhymes with unique styles over hard hitting production. Really, what more could you ask for? -Essential (Albums you absolutely must check out) | |||
| 10 | | 10.Dr. OctagonDr. Octagonecologyst (1997) | |
| I originally had a huge piece for this album written up, delving very deeply into its intricacies and history, but somehow I managed to accidentally delete it. When sitting down to re-write it though, I wondered; how much do I really need to write about one of the biggest landmark albums in Hip Hop history? I mean, honestly, how many of you haven't heard this yet? It's one of the few albums that's transcended Hip Hop and become something that even Rock critics take note of. Dan the Automator's production here is nothing short of legendary, and the soundscapes and alien world he builds here is breathtaking, even after all these years. DJ Q-Bert's scratching is absolutely phenomenal, and Kool Keith himself turns in the absolute best performance of his career.
Everything about this LP works, and it's easy to see why so many people have become stuck on it when thinking of Kool Keith. It literally has everything you could ever want from a Keith release. A fully realized character AND an equally realized sonic world for him to run wild in? It's brilliant. So yeah, maybe I'm lazy and just don't feel like re-typing all the shit I had, but I honestly feel your time would be better served listening to this album yourself. Go, see what all the hype is about. Note: The album was originally released very low-key in 1996 with a completely different cover and some actual alterations to the music. Nothing huge mind you, but some of the songs weren't as fleshed out as these would later become. -Essential (Albums you absolutely must check out) | |||
| 11 |  | 11.Kool KeithSex Style (1997) | |
| 12 | | 12.Ultramagnetic MC'sThe B-Sides Companion (1997) [Compilation] | |
| One look at the tracklisting should tell you everything you need to know about this compilation. Though it's titled "The B-Sides Companion", it's more of a remix album. It's not a bad little project, but it doesn't do anything to add to this musics legacy. More often than not many of the remixes here simply feel like stripped down versions of their originals, and none of them, save for the phenomenal re-imagining of "MC'S Ultra Pt. 2", come anywhere near the originals. It all looks tempting when seeing the '97 Remix label on so many songs, but when you realize that this LP was actually released in 1997, it becomes very apparent that these weren't some left over gems from the original, classic Ultra run from the late 80s. Instead it comes off looking, and somewhat sounding, like a cheap cash-in by all the Ultra members not named Kool Keith.
There's also some odd mixing going on here, and I'm not sure if it's just my copy or how it was mixed in general, but "Mentally Mad (97 Remix)" randomly has Kool Keith's vocals pushed all the way to the left. It pops back to normal for all of half a bar, then moves right back over to the left again. It almost has to be an error on the engineers part, and only further compounds the "cheap cash-in" feeling. "Break North" is another one, it's mixed like absolute shit and made near unlistenable. There are a few interesting moments, aside from the aforementioned "MC'S Ultra Pt. 2", which is essential, there's also "Live At Tramps" which is a live track of Kool Keith going off the top and freestyling, which is always wildly entertaining. "Ultra Reunion" is also here, which I believe at the time might have been their newest track? I'm not positive. It's actually pretty dope through. The beat is bugged out, and Keith sounds perfect over it. I am being kinda hard on this record, and to be honest, if you're a hardcore fan I would still recommend peeping this as there are some gems here. Even the weaker moments, mixing aside, are pretty enjoyable. There's nothing here offensively bad, and more often than not it just kinda plays its part in the background. It does sound like Ced Gee, who produced the majority of the remixes, had his heart in the right place and still loves and respects the music. -Weak (One of the artist lesser works. While not outright bad, it's still a far cry from what they're capable of) | |||
| 13 | | 13.Ultramagnetic MC'sSmack My Bitch Up (1998) | |
| I'm not gonna lie, I'm sick to fucking death of these bootleg Ultra albums. Ced Gee and Mo Love have scrapped the bottom of the Ultra barrel countless times now, and the amount of half finished music they keep turning up is becoming borderline ridiculous. These songs all come from the time-frame of 1989-1992, so there's a fair bit of diversity in the sound, covering all the Ultra' major style changes. There actually are some pretty good songs here, but nothing that's going to leap out and grab you as being something that matches the quality of their official releases. The beats are, again, mostly Funk inspired, and Keith is as odd and crazy sounding as ever. There's nothing surprising here, and really, nothing overly essential. Plus, yet again, it suffers from not being mixed or mastered properly, giving it that "recorded off the radio on to a cassette tape" bootleg sound that nearly all of these Ultra comps have.
Oddly enough, the highlight might be "TR Love The Superstar (Freestyle)". While this is obviously a real freestyle, and both lyrically and stylistically unimpressive, the backing beat is so fucking well made and atmospheric that it's hard to not love it. I would have loved to hear Keith rock it over this. Likewise, "Positive Beams" features a very ahead of it's time beat, though it's ruined by the poor mixing. This isn't terrible though, and there's always enjoyment to be found in almost any Ultra music, I'm just so worn down by all these bootleg recordings that it's made me somewhat jaded. Skim this one, there are a few gems, but it's not essential. -Weak (One of the artist lesser works. While not outright bad, it's still a far cry from what they're capable of) | |||
| 14 | | 14.Dr. DooomFirst Come, First Served (1999) | |
| By 1999, some 3 years or so after the release of his monumental LP under the guise of Dr. Octagon, Kool Keith had already grown tired of living in the albums shadow. Even though the LP was still relatively new at the time, it was literally all anybody talked about when it came to Keith's career and output. His work with Ultramagnetic was outshined, and his "solo" debut, Sex Styles, was criminally underappreciated and slept on. So what's an artist to do when being badgered about revisiting one of your most popular characters and concepts? Well, if you're Kool Keith you simply kill him off.
That's exactly what Keith did with Dr. Dooom. The album doesn't even attempt to hide its intentions, as it quite literally starts out with a skit entitled "Who Killed Doctor Octagon?", which, as you may have guessed, kicks things off with a few gunshots, and the inevitable death of Dr. Octagon. And here is where Dr. Dooom is born. Dooom essentially gave Keith a platform to vent all his frustrations and anger with the fans and acclaim that he had accumulated with the Octagon project, and then slowly but surely alienate each and every one of them. Where Dr. octagon was a surreal, space bound futuristic, and often humorous lyricist, Dooom is a much darker, edgier, and definitely earthbound counterpart. Dooom paints pictured of life in dirty, seedy apartments overrun with roaches and mice, and with the stench of dead, decomposed body parts emanating throughout the building. If Octagon was about surreal, futuristic concepts, and Sex Styles was about being as sleazy as possible, then Dooom is def about Keith's infatuations with serial killers and murder. It's not uncommon to hear him boast about cannibalism, murder, and pretty much any other nightmare inducing thought that comes to mind. It's all done fairly tongue in cheek mind you, but it can still be very unsettling in an "over the top horror movie" kind of way. There are some moments here though that are essential for building and understanding Keith as a real person. "Welfare Love" might single handedly be one of the most revealing tracks Kool Keith has ever recorded, with lines like "Colt 45 had me sportin a wig like Billy Dee/I was a Mele Mel fan, always bumpin Run D.M.C", and at one point humorously touching on his naivety as a child with - "I used to always cut the legs off a roach See if he'll stay there on a piece of tissue and give him a piece of toast That morning, he would wake up and be gone What, the insect had a ambulance?" The production is once again handled by Kutmaster Kurt, and yet again he turns in another masterful performance, lacing Keith with some absolutely nightmarish, unsettling beats. The lyrics and production here share such good chemistry that it makes the over-the-top topics all that much easier to digest. Kurt seems to be a master at understanding exactly what it is Keith needs for each new character he concocts , and really helps him to bring that persona and world to life. At 20 tracks, some of the beats do start to sound a bit similar, but this is a minor gripe for such an amazing LP. Note: The cover is a spoof of the Pen N Pixel covers that were so popular with southern artist at the time. There's also some variants of the cover with slightly altered colors, and the version most widely in circulation is dubbed "First Come, First Served Vol.02" on the side of the case. It features a few bonus remixes. Lastly, there is also a standalone instrumental version out there as well. -Essential (Albums you absolutely must check out) | |||
| 15 | | 15.Kool KeithBlack Elvis / Lost in Space (1999) | |
| Kool Keith probably found himself in an interesting position after murdering his alter-ego, Dr. Octagon. He obviously still wanted to make futuristic, space themed concept albums, but that was Octagon's schtick, and having to deal with the expectations that came with recording a follow up to that classic LP had already taken its toll on Keith. Being who he is though, Keith simply said "fuck it" and created an all new character to take along on his rocket powered daydreams.
While it might not seem apparent at first, there is a reason for the split between Black Elvis and Lost In Space in the LPs title. This album essentially serves as two concepts mashed together. The majority of the record seems to focus on the Lost In Space concept, with Keith quit literally rapping about traveling through space. Every so often though you'll notice the Black Elvis character pop up, and while it's not readily apparent if this is the same person that Keith is portraying in the Space segments, there's enough differences in style and tone that would lead one to believe that Elvis is his own entity. For example, Black Elvis seems much less concerned with aliens, planets and space travel, and would much rather brag about being a rockstar, the people he knows, and how much better at rapping he is than nearly everyone else... Ok, well this is partially true, because even on the Lost In Space segments Keith is mostly bragging about his skill. No matter how far in the future he takes us and no matter how many different wigs and costumes he puts on, Keith seems to be obsessed with this one thing more than any other topic. He simply can't stand wack rappers. He didn't like them in the 80's, liked them even less in the 90's, and by the year 3000 and beyond he's all but fed up with them. It's not exactly tiring yet, through it will become a problem later in his career, but having just come off of Dr. Dooom (released a short 4 months before this), all the shit talking can begin to wear thin. That's not to say it's not entertaining, because it is, but still, one would hope that Keith would be able to create new topics for all these different persona's. Still, this is Kool Keith in his prime, and his rapping is phenomenal, with boasting and bragging that only he alone could ever get away with. Lastly is the production, which is credited to Kool Keith himself. Most fans know what a disaster Keith's self produced work can be, but here it's nothing short of masterful. The beats literally make you feel like you're flying blindly through the blackness of space, surrounded by aliens and laser beams. It's said that both Kutmaster Kurt and Marc Live helped Keith out with the drums, but I wouldn't be surprise to learn that they contributed more than that. Many of these beats simply scream Kutmaster Kurt. This is again one of Keith's best efforts, and depending on what you listen to first, it can easily be on par, if not better than Dr. Dooom. For me personally, it's just a notch under that. -Essential (Albums you absolutely must check out) | |||
| 16 | | 16.The CenobitesThe Cenobites L.P. (2000) | |
| Many of these songs were recorded, or at least originally conceived, as early as 1992/1993 when Kool Keith and Godfather Don went in to the studio together to work on what was originally suppose to be Keith's debut solo album. What ended up happening is that they took the music they worked on, and split it evenly between Ultramagnetic's 1993 album, The Four Horsemen, and this albums original EP release in 1995. The EP was later expanded with 3 additional tracks and pressed up on CD in the year 2000, giving us the closest we're probably every going to get to having a true full length Cenobites LP.
Production is handled by Godfather Don, who if you followed his work on The Four Horsemen, you will know for laying down some truly spectacular, dark, jazzy production. His beats sound like the darker versions of what A Tribe Called Quest was doing and perfectly capture the essence of New York Hip Hop in the early 90s. It's fantastic production, and really it showcases Godfather Don as one of the more underrated producers from that era in Hip Hop. Speaking of underrated though, Don's vocal performance is fucking mind blowing. Godfather Don is truly one of the greatest rappers you've probably never heard. He doesn't conform to Keith's crazy, offbeat, often times nonsensical style. Instead he raps very much like Pharoahe Monch meets Percee P (who is featured on the blistering "You're Late"). His rhyming abilities are honestly second to none, and you could put him next to any MC from that era and he would more than hold his own. The dude is an absolute beast of a rapper and easily one of the most slept on to ever do it. This is probably the first and only time I've ever heard a project featuring Kool Keith where Keith was in danger of being outright overshadowed by another rapper. Usually Keith is the star of the show, his charisma and presence alone is enough to make even the best of mc's sound like his hype-man, but not with Godfather Don. Don keeps Keith on his toes every step of the way, not leaving him even an inch of breathing room. For what it's worth though, Keith is right there with him. He's not as technical as don, but the things he's saying are much more ear catching, and his rhyming is some of the best he's ever done. He knew what was at risk here, and he stepped his game up tremendously. Honestly this is just about everything you could ever want from a 90s, East Coast Hip Hop album. Both Keith and Don bring their A games, and they both have such wildly different, yet impressive styles, that you can't help but become engaged in each and every verse, intently listening to see who's going to outdo who. It really is a shame these two never did more together, because they could have been one of the most formidable duo's in Hip Hop history. -Essential (Albums you absolutely must check out) | |||
| 17 | | 17.AutomatorA Much Better Tomorrow (2000) | |
| While not technically a Kool Keith release, he does appear on 6 tracks. Dan the Automator's A Much Better Tomorrow actually started life as a 1996 EP, simply titled, A Better Tomorrow. Over the years Dan slowly but surely added on to it until finally, in 2000, A Much Better Tomorrow was born. Now Dan the Automator as I'm sure you all remember is the mastermind behind the production on Kool Keith's Dr. Octagon album. The LP instantly made Dan a star and he soon became a hot commodity in the world of Underground Hip Hop.
It's easy to see why too. Dan is a masterful producer who creates some very funky, old-school yet futuristic grooves unlike almost any other producer/DJ out there. His production is constantly evolving throughout the songs, and he never paints himself in to a corner. Bouncing from one style to another so effortlessly that it seems natural rather than jarring. Hell, just listen to the titled track, "A Better Tomorrow", which features Kool Keith. Dan rips through so many different styles of production here, going from breakbeat, to standard Hip Hop drumming, to some smooth samples, before finally flexing his DJ skills and dissecting the song with his wheels of steel. There isn't a bad song to be found here and while it doesn't sound as groundbreaking or bugged out as Dr. Oct, it's amazing all the same. Keith, appearing here as Sinister 6000, is in his absolute prime. His voice and flow are flawless, as is to be expected from Kool Keith via 1996, and his chemistry with the Automator is second to none. Keith compliments Dan's beats and vice-versa. They really add something to each other's styles and build well off of what the other is doing. There's just so much to take in on this short 11 track project. While most of these songs seem deceptively simple at first, there's always multiple layers just waiting to be peeled back and discovered. Nothing here is ever what it first seems, and Dan keeps us guessing the whole way through, masterfully manipulating our expectations. It might not be as innovative or creative as Dr. Oct, but the magic that happens when you bring together Dan and Kool Keith simply can't be denied. This one is a must. -Essential (Albums you absolutely must check out) | |||
| 18 | | 18.Kool KeithMatthew (2000) | |
| At this point in Keith's career I was literally convinced he could do no wrong. His track record up until this point had been immaculate, and each of his releases seemed to push the boundaries of Hip Hop in to wild and unexplored new directions. Always one to do the unexpected though, Keith threw fans a curveball with Matthew. Most noticeably, this isn't really a concept record. He isn't taking up the mantle of one of his many aliases, and he doesn't seem to be pushing for any one unique sound or style like he had on Sex Styles. Instead, Matthew finds Keith stripping away all the excess and simply doing what he does best - shit talking.
Matthew doesn't try to be anything more than what it is, and while that's not a bad thing by any stretch, it can be slightly disappointing considering all the amazing concept work Keith had put over the course of his career. Keith does sound absolutely livid here though, just pissed off, more so than usual. He's always voiced his disdain for wack rappers, but here he sounds absolutely furious. You can't really blame him either, despite all the critical acclaim his previous work had been seeing, his albums regularly sold very poorly, all the while much lesser rappers were selling millions of records. It works out for the best though, because hearing Keith talk shit is probably one of the most entertaining things Hip Hop has to offer. It does get old of course, having what is essentially 14 tracks of shit talking is going to get old regardless of who you are, but he still sounds inspired. What doesn't sound as inspired is Keith's production. He produces nearly all the tracks here, save for track 16 which is done by Kutmaster Kurt, and the results aren't nearly as dope as his work on Lost In Space. While not everything here is outright bad, many of these are just...strange, and not necessarily "good" strange, more so it sounds like Keith just kinda banged away at his keyboard, took the random sounds, and looped it up. There's nothing outright bad, but some of these can really grate on the nerves (I'm looking at you "Extravagant Traveler"). Hell, "I Don't Believe You" is so fucking repetitive (both the rapping and the beat) that it literally feels like it's drilling into your skull and trying its hardest to give you an instant headache (it succeeds by the way). The highlights are few and far between. The first few opening tracks aren't so bad, and hearing Keith and Bumpy Knuckles together is dope, and of course the Kutmaster produced song is ill, but there's such a bad stretch of music right smack dab in the middle of the album that it takes some real suffering to get through to the end. If you do make it to the second half things get much better, but even then it doesn't reach the highs of his best work. Not horrible, though there are horrible songs, but as a whole it's hard to recommend this one unless you've burned through all his other projects. Skim it, find the dope songs, then run from the rest. -Weak (One of the artist lesser works. While not outright bad, it's still a far cry from what they're capable of) | |||
| 19 | | 19.Analog BrothersPimp to Eat (2000) | |
| The Analog Brothers is usually misrepresented as the "Kool Keith and Ice-T" collaboration, and it is, but people like to overlook the fact that the group also included Marc Live, Black Silver, and Pimp Rex. So, essentially, this is just like any of Keith's other weaker group albums from later in his career, only this one happens to feature Ice-T. Here's the truth, or at least as I see it, most of the people Keith surrounds himself with just aren't pleasing to the ears. I don't like Marc Live, I don't care for Jacky Jasper (who also pops up here), and I didn't have much more hope for the other no-names featured.
You know what though? Every single one of these motherfuckers brings their A game to this album. Sure, everyone here is rapping like Kool Keith, Ice-T included, but they all sound so on point and in the pocket. Black Silver has a fantastic, whimsical flow and style, and Marc Live does his best not to drop the ball. People are really going to be checking this for Ice-T and Keith though, and on that front both of them deliver. Ice-T especially sounds energized and comes with some wild shit like you've never heard him use before. He's single handedly the only rapper here who manages to match Keith's energy, charisma, and lyrics. Whereas the other cats do their best to not get left in the dust, Ice and Keith seem to be pushing each other to reach newer and higher peaks. The production, which is handled completely in house by the group, is about the most futuristic shit you've ever heard Keith rap over. It sounds like it was created in some weird science laboratory, with science lab bleeps and boops in abundance. It's not necessarily something you're going to be bumping out loud on your stereo system, but as headphone music it more than serves its purpose and really gives the album that "band from the future" feel the guys were going for. This is a really nerdy album, there's no way to get around that. It's so nerdy that I'm sure a lot of you will find it corny. Keith pushes his love for sci-fi to an all time high. If you're in to that sort of thing though, which being a Keith fan and reading this list you probably are, you're really going to enjoy this. Yeah, it would have been better as just a Keith and Ice album, but the other cats don't really hurt anything, and even if they do feel like filler, at least they're not wack, It's not going to blow minds, but it sure is a fun oddity. Note: This is suppose to be a futuristic band, so all the members have aliases to reflect that. They are Ice Oscillator also known as Ice-T (keyboards, drums, vocals), Keith Korg also known as Kool Keith (bass, strings, vocals), Mark Moog also known as Marc Live (drums, violyns and vocals), Silver Synth also known as Black Silver (synthesizer, lazar bell and vocals), and Rex Roland also known as Pimp Rex (keyboards, vocals, production) - Thank you to wikipedia for making that an easy copy-and-paste job -Good (Take a shot on it. Not bad, but not the artist most amazing effort. Still very enjoyable) | |||
| 20 | | 20.Masters of IllusionMasters of Illusion (2000) | |
| Masters of Illusion is the brainchild of longtime Keith collaborator, Kutmaster Kurt. The "group" is compromised of Kurt, Kool Keith, and Motion Man. Anybody who's been following Keith's career with anything more than a passing interest knows that he shares incredible chemistry with these two artist, so in theory this should be an absolutely amazing LP. And Guess what? It Is! Thankfully this album delivers on everything you would want from these artist, and stands as a highlight in all three of their careers.
Firstly, Kurts production is superb. It's like a darker, dirtier version of what he did on Sex Styles, and even though some may see this as Kurt just sticking to his own script, he does have some especially inspired moments like the song "Scared Straight", which features what is either like...a piano or a harp? Something, but it's nightmarish and haunting and makes an immediate impression. Elsewhere, the "Bay-Bronx Bridge" is essentially just an old school break beat that looks to re-create the magic of late 80s Hip Hop, and succeeds. Not all of the production is stellar mind you, Kurt does seem somewhat lazy on the very Kool Keith funk influenced "East West Hustlers", but for the most part the instrumentals all perfectly fit and sound dope. Keith and Motion Man share wonderful chemistry as well. Not only do they sound great over Kurt's production, but they compliment each other's styles very well. Whereas Keith has a deeper voice and more erratic flow, Motion is higher pitched and raps with an almost elastic style, bouncing all around the beats effortlessly. Lyrically they both sound inspired, but if forced to choose I would give the nod to Keith, as his mic presence seems too much for Motion as times, who comes across almost sounding like a feature instead of a collaborator. It's not a revolutionary album for Keith, or any of the fella's involved really, but it does exactly what it set out to, give the hardcore fans the collaborative albums they've always wanted. No new ground is broken, and the majority of the record finds the trio revisiting their older works and sounds, but it's done so effortlessly and sounds so dope that you can't even be mad. -Great (If you're a fan of this type of sound, you're going to dig this) | |||
| 21 | | 21.Kool KeithSpankmaster (2001) | |
| Firstly, don't let the cover fool though, this isn't some spiritual successor to Sex Styles, nor does it come anywhere near rivaling that albums masterful performance. Instead, Spankmaster picks up right where Matthew left off. Keith is back producing the majority of the album, only this time he gets some help from horrocore legend Esham, as well as Jacky Jasper. You would think that some added help behind the boards might help to spice things up, but in reality Keith, Esham, and Jasper are all so like minded that this might as well have been produced by one person. It does show signs of promise, the opening track, "I Wanna Play" has some really interesting samples sprinkled in, and while the beat might actually be a bit too funky, it's not outright bad, and almost borderlines "guilty pleasure" enjoyable. The hook though, ugh that hook. Terrible.
The rest of the production follows suite with slightly varying results. Some beats here have just enough interesting things going on to keep you from outright skipping the song, but just as many sound so terrible that you won't be able to get away from them fast enough. Everything here just sounds so fucking cheap. The keys, the drums, the high-hats. It sounds like it was made by some kid sitting in front of a computer program for the first time. It's just so thin and unsatisfying. The saving grace here is Keith's rapping though. He's never once sounded as animated and full of energy as he does here. He often plays with the pitch of his voice with great results, alters his flow in new and interesting ways, and does silly voices that are entertaining front to back. His rapping on here is just as good as it ever was, even if his subject matter continues to become more and more tiresome. There also seems to be an underlying concept, albeit a somewhat vague one, but you get the impression that perhaps this album is meant to be a satire of mainstream Hip Hop. Keith touches on many mainstream topics throughout, sounding very tongue in cheek about it, and many of these hooks sound like cheap imitations of radio friendly R&B hooks. So that does add an extra dimension to the somewhat thin music. This album isn't as flat-out bad as many people would have you believe, but it also very much deserves much of the scorn it gets. There is entertainment to be found here, and if you approach this album and recognize it for the satire and mockery of mainstream Hip Hop that it is, you might enjoy it all that much more. -Weak (One of the artist lesser works. While not outright bad, it's still a far cry from what they're capable of) | |||
| 22 | | 22.K.H.M.Game (2002) | |
| Look, I have nothing against Jacky Jasper (H-Bomb) or Marc Live, but I know for a fact I never wanted to hear them co-headline an album. They could be entertaining in small doses, but they never grabbed me in such a way that I wanted to hear more of them. Sadly, they don't do anything here to change my opinion of them. Being honest, they're not bad, Jacky Jasper in particular can rhyme fairly decently, but they have no charisma or cadence, they're just voices over the record. Something there to fill space until Keith's next verse. I can't be mad at em, because they did do their thing, but for me, I can do without em.
Keith is in fine form here, with an excellent flow and some solid lyrics. He genuinely seems to enjoy rapping with these dudes and they bring out a wild side of him that's incredibly entertaining. His performance alone would almost be enough to get you through the album. Of course, I say almost because of the production, which while not terrible, does turn out to be the definition of mediocre. The beats sound just as uninspired as Jasper and Marc, but seeing as how the production was handled by all 3 members, I suppose that makes sense. Nothing here is as offensively bad as the beats found on some of Keith's self produced project (the Lost Masters, which follows this album being the perfect example), but they literally do just sound like noise. Just random shit smashed together to give some semblance of a beat. It lacks soul and passion and falls flat on a technical level. I know it sounds like I'm hating on this album, and I somewhat am because I really didn't care for this much, but the truth is this isn't a bad album. It's just uninspired, uneventful, and in a discog that has as much impressive material as Keith's, it's hard to justify taking the time for something like this. Peep it if you absolutely need to hear more from either Jacky or Marc, otherwise you're not going to be missing out on much. -Weak (One of the artist lesser works. While not outright bad, it's still a far cry from what they're capable of) | |||
| 23 | | 23.Kool KeithThe Lost Masters (2003) | |
| The idea of unreleased Kool Keith music scares me. Especially when it's his self produced music. Some of his self produced projects have been notoriously bad, and you really have to wonder, with those albums being so weak, what do the songs that weren't good enough to be on those sound like? The answer is bad. They sound bad. There's no two ways about it. Most of these songs sound like rough ideas rather than fully realized and fleshed out songs. The production is weak from first track to last, with some of Keith's most uninspired work to date. Seriously, I challenge you, go through and find one beat here that's worthwhile. Go ahead, I'll wait.
Back? See, told you, didn't I? The rapping isn't much better. I'm 90% sure that a good majority of this had to be freestyled. It's just so fucking wack, like he's not even trying. Or better yet, like he is trying, only he's trying to see what sort of shit he can dump on his fans and get away with it. And the choruses, my god those choruses, some of the worst you're likely to ever here. Nothing about this project is worth checking out, not even to skim through it. You're not going to find that 1 or 2 redeeming songs here that made it worthwhile. This tape would have been far better off remaining lost. -Bad (Just skip it, or listen to it and laugh. Whatever) | |||
| 24 | | 24.Kool KeithThe Personal Album (2004) | |
| Keith's very first stab at releasing a limited edition "street album" is actually a fair bit better than pretty much any of the street albums that would follow it. There were only around 1000 copies pressed up, and unless you were an absolutely hardcore fan who ate up everything he released, you probably missed this one. Keith's street albums, as you're soon to learn, are mostly pretty terrible. He uses them as dumping grounds to unload his much lesser work on hardcore fans, all while managing to still make money off of them. Not high praise I know, but there are people out there who ate up the music on his Lost Masters series, a trilogy of albums I absolutely hate, so I'm sure these albums found their audience as well.
The Personal Album starts off with "Girl Wanna Kill Herself", and aside from the heavily R&B infused beat sounding slightly corny, it actually stands as one of Keith's better moments as a producer. It's surprisingly coherent and is oozing with smooth melodies. I bet D'Angelo would have sounded pretty amazing over this. Lyrically it's actually a more serious track too, which is an odd twist for Keith. The song is essentially about a girl stuck in an abusive relationship, and even though Keith does drop some humorous lines like "Circles around your eyes look like pies", you get the feeling that this isn't suppose to be as funny as it may sound. I think Keith may have actually been making a straight up serious track about domestic abuse and the dangers of sleeping with someone just for the money. You're never 100% sure though, because the way Keith sings and talks on the track, matched with some of his lyrics, leaves you as a listener stuck in limbo. Are you suppose to laugh or be enthralled and empathetic for the girl in this song? You never really know. An even odder thing happens as you delve deeper in to this album, that somewhat corny, somewhat dope R&B beat that opened the album? Well it turns out every single song on the album carries that same sound and level of quality. Literally every single joint here is backed by a butter smooth R&B beat, and while it does sound slightly tongue in cheek in its execution, it's actually done with enough finesse and skill that it sounds pretty dope. Keith, seemingly in full R&B mode himself, spends most of the album crooning to the ladies and rapping about sex. It's as crazy and odd as it looks in writing, yet something about it actually works. Yeah it is Kool Keith, so there's going to be a lot of "What The Fuck" lines, but there is an air of sexiness to the album, and if you're in the mood for an R&B record AND you happen to be a Kool Keith fan, than you might actually enjoy this. Consider this one of Keith's more shocking records. Not so much for the things he says, or the bugged out concepts he cooks up, but because of the sheer oddness and dedication he shows to the R&B and Soul concept as a whole. A lot of people are probably going to hate this, but personally I found myself vibing to it. It also becomes easier to appreciate it after you hear how terrible some of his later street albums are as well. Note: On the song "Change The World", Keith states "Just because you got the Personal Album don't mean you got the Secret Album, no less the Private album. One of the four albums recorded". I wonder what ever happened to these other projects? Maybe their names were changed and they were later releases as Keith's other street albums, which when added up does indeed equal out to 4 releases. Enigmatic and mysterious as ever Mr. Keith. -Good (Take a shot on it. Not bad, but not the artist most amazing effort. Still very enjoyable) | |||
| 25 | | 25.Kool Keith Presents Thee UndatakerzKool Keith Presents Thee Undatakerz (2004) | |
| I don't like to sound like a hater, but I honestly couldn't care less for any of the rappers that Kool Keith has put on over the years. He keeps putting together these little side-groups with rappers who sound like they're trying their hardest to do Kool Keith impressions, and at the end of the day I'm just not interested in that. Hell, Keith himself has spent the majority of his career dissing rappers who took his style, why the hell would he so readily adopt some who literally took everything they have from him? I don't get it.
Anyways, the production here is kinda hard to explain. I mean, obviously it's going to have some "spooky" sounds that reflect the fact that this is "Party In Tha Morgue!", but more times than not it comes across sounding kinda corny. The title track is actually kinda fun, I won't lie, but it's silly all the same. "Dark Space" features a very Danny Elfman styled piece of production, that to be perfectly honest sounds fantastic, but the rapping and sound effect derail the whole experience. In fact, there's actually a few interesting moments here production wise, but more often than not they're undone by either the weak rapping, or other samples within the beat that don't mesh well together, and yeah, I'm not a big fan of the rappers. There's Keith, who does his thing, but then the other dudes (and girl), just seem kinda..."there". They don't bring anything worthwhile to the mix. Sure, they can rhyme decently, but they have nothing interesting to say and no charisma whatsoever. I would peep the title track, simply because it's dumb fun, but everything else you can do without. -Bad (Just skip it, or listen to it and laugh. Whatever) | |||