Over the course of hip-hop’s half-century and counting, few rappers have confirmed as distinctive, prolific and constant because the inimitable Kool Keith. Throughout his 40-year profession, the New Yorker typically often called the Black Elvis has logged almost 50 solo albums and 15 aspect tasks along with 31 different artists—all whereas performing as dozens extra characters than any non-schizophrenic man named Keith ever has, or ever will. Thoughts you, aka’s are one factor, each rapper loves an aka, however Kool Keith is a one-man household tree.
THE MANY IDENTITIES OF KEITH
- Kool Keith, the body-movin’, MC-bruisin’ rap OG
- Dr. Octagon, the time-traveling gynecologist from Jupiter
- Mr. Gerbik, Dr. Octagon’s 208 year-old man-shark-alligator hybrid uncle
- Dr. Dooom, the cannibal villain who murders Dr. Octagon
- Black Elvis, the Presley-smooth brother of Dr. Dooom
The Kool catalog is its very personal universe, a huge and ever-expanding world of Keith alter-egos and concept-character-Keiths (and associates, enemies, and kinfolk of concept-character Keiths), all performed by Keith, in storylines that bridge dozens of albums. Some characters seem as soon as and die. Others are useless however come alive. Just a few are spoken of and by no means heard from, some are one-offs, many are odd and a couple are critically bizarre, however none are visitor stars, none usually are not Keith.
Extra from Spin:
- Zach Person Is Bringing Volume to the Masses
- Black Hole Sun Ra: Kronos Quartet and Friends Transform a Jazz Legend
- Fire-Toolz Brings Death-Maximalism on ‘Breeze’
YET MORE FACES OF KEITH
- Poppa Massive, Willie Pure, Mr. Nogatko, Larry Lopez, Spankmaster
- Fly Rickey the Wine Taster, Large Willie Smith aka Willie Biggs, Keith Televesquez
- Keith Turbo, Orange Man, Lotion Man, MC Shopaholic, Mr. Inexperienced, Lonnie Hendrix
- Mild Blue Cop, Physician Sperm, Platinum Wealthy, Robby Analog, Bobby Grime, Elvin Presley, Axeon, Sinister 6000, Clear Man, Jimmy Steele, Loopy Lou the Weapons Vendor, Large Bongo Dong
Earlier than his family tree erupted, Bronx-born Keith Thornton entered hip-hop as a prime dancer with the New York Metropolis Breakers, a squad to whom dance flooring have been normally seceded by rival crews on the Roxy, Mars and Danceteria nightspots, relatively than battled for. Scribbling lyrics in secret throughout the day, Keith went on to affix rapper/producer Ced-Gee to type Ultramagnetic MCs, a group that shook the early rap recreation with lyrics on science and house, delivered with deft flows that eschewed the “Sure, sure, ya’ll” block party-style favored by most MCs on the time.
As Ultramagnetic stacked albums, the Keith side-project-stravaganza started, rising to incorporate the Analog Brothers (with Ice-T), Masters of Phantasm (with Movement Man and Kutmasta Kurt), Dr. Octagon (Dan The Automator and Kutmaster Kurt), Luv NY (with O.C., A.G. and Roc Marciano), and Extremely (with Tim Dogg)—to not overlook Undertaking Polaroid, The Diesel Truckers, The Siamese Intercourse Present, The Convention Room, The 7th Veil, Undertaking X, Ok.H.M., Thee Undatakerz, Clayborne Household, The Cenobites, and certain many others we’re too mainstream to have heard of.
“Whenever you get the possibility to be totally different, they’re going to say you fell off…I’ve license to do all types of data, [so] they will’t be like ‘Oh, Keith switched up.’ As a result of I’ve been doing all types of data since Day One. All they will say is ‘That’s Keith.’”
Keith talking to Rock the Bells
THE BLACK ELVIS ON FILMS, FUNK AND THE FUTURE
SPIN: There have been countless Kool Keith collabs, however who haven’t you labored with but that you simply’d nonetheless love to affix forces with?
KOOL KEITH: I feel I might wish to work with Drake and Rick Ross, each on one tune collectively. Truly, I feel me, Drake and Rick Ross ought to have a supergroup. In all probability referred to as…Century? Oh, I like that. The Century.
You’ve virtually all the time been concerned in your personal beat-making, a rarity amongst MCs. What all has this included?
I performed a lot of bass on Essential Beatdown and different Ultramagnetic MC’s data just like the Funk Your Head Up album. Additionally on all my very own albums…Dr. Octagon particularly, I did a lot of bass traces. I’ve all the time been a collector of keyboards, so some keyboards over time as effectively.
Contemplating the cinematic vibe of many of your albums, are you able to assume of any films which have influenced you creatively?
Positively, you might have Black Caesar, Cotton Involves Harlem, Tremendous Fly, all of the stuff like that. I really did a film earlier than too referred to as Champions, with [MMA fighter/UFC Pioneer] Ken Shamrock.
Hip-hop has hosted countless developments over time. What do you foresee as the subsequent pattern in rap?
Within the golden-age there have been a lot of rappers that have been rapping quick…a lot of folks from the ‘80s additionally did quicker data too. Whereas now everyone’s extra a gradual type of rapper, they’re on that 85 beats-per-minute factor. So now, watch, it’s time for that quick circulate to return again.
To see our working record of the highest 100 biggest rock stars of all time, click here.
