Home > Kool Keith

Keith's style is considered unique in the rap world, earning him a perennial nod from the underground hip-hop community. Bizarre, often seemingly disjointed, even delusional or disassociated themes, concepts, and references tend to season the average Kool Keith track or album. Nearly all of his albums incorporate a satirical dislike for more commercialized strains of hip-hop, which he finds to be devoid of any heart. Similarly, nearly all of his works lambast major labels and the glory of being famous.

Perhaps to illustrate his point, Keith estranged himself from a substantial portion his fan base after the release of his Automator-produced Dr. Octagonecologyst. Released under the persona of "Dr. Octagon", the album received heavy critical acclaim, getting widespread play especially among non-traditional indie rock and underground hip-hop crowds. Due to disagreements with Automator and other collaborators over who was benefitting more from the success of the album (especially after an instrumental version of the album, Instrumentalyst, which showcased the production rather than Thorton's lyrics, also became a rising success), Keith abandoned the character by his next album, the KutMasta Kurt -produced First Come, First Served. Released under the persona Dr. Dooom, it opens with the track "Who Killed Dr. Octagon?" in which Keith's new identity literally kills off the Dr. Octagon persona for good. (Perhaps as a jab at Instrumentalyst's success, Keith has released instrumental versions of many post-Octagon albums.)

Thorton dabbled again in the Automator-inspired sci-fi rap theme in part of his subsequent album, Lost In Space/Black Elvis, which included the Octagon-esque single "Lost In Space", but not with much dedication, as he moved on to the "Black Elvis" persona in the latter half of the album.

He returned to his commercialism-critical bitterness in the subsequent album, 20012001 is a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar), and also: The International Year of the Volunteer The United Nations Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations Events January January 1 A black monolith measuring approximately nine feet tall ap's Matthew, including the widely-cited anti-label rant "Test Press", lambasting mainstream rap record labels as being "white" and damning them for performing devious, duplicitous tricks with acts, artistic decisions, and profits.

1 Discography

1.1 With Ultramagnetic MC's

• Critical Beatdown ( 19881988 is a leap year starting on Friday (click on link for calendar). Events January January 2 Georgia celebrates its bicentennial statehood. January 9 Connecticut celebrates its bicentennial statehood. January 26 Australia celebrates its bicentennial day.)
• Funk Your Head Up ( 19921992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday. Events January January The Internet Society is formed. January 1 Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Perez de Cuellar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General January 1 George H. Bush becomes the fi)
• The Four Horsemen ( 19931993 is a common year starting on Friday and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003 Events January January 1 Czechoslovakia divides. Establishment of independent Slovakia and Czech Republic.)
• Brooklyn to Brixton (live) ( 19961996 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar), and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty''. Events January January 5 Hamas operative Yahya Ayyash is killed by an Israeli-planted booby-trapped cell phone Jan)