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KOOL KEITH
Spankmaster (Overcore/TVT )
Reviewed by Jason Thornberry
When you've been around the block a few times, and released a few classic, flawless albums (1988's Critical Beatdown by the Ultramagnetic MC's and 1996's Dr. Octagonecologyst as alter ego Dr. Octagon) there are scabs just waiting for your next chapter to come out so they can leap right on it and say it isn't up to the caliber of work you've done in the past. With the fairly recent Masters of Illusion album (2000a.d. and credited to Kut Mastah Kurt, Keith's onetime roommate), and 1999's eponymous Cenobites disc (on Bobitto Garcia's soon to be missed Fondle ‘Em label) Keef has remained an extrEmely busy guy. The fact that I wasn't really blown away by the Black Elvis/Lost In Space CD he dropped in 1999 is promptly forgotten when I know that all I have to do is wait a few months for him to show up somewhere else (sometimes with a whole new alias and modus operandi, like with his newest appearance with Ultra), be it the mess of compilations he's on (far too many to name here), a new CD, or the many cameos he graces other people's albums with.
Spankmaster begins fairly typically for Keithdom: a voice-over of an ad for the concert to end all concerts: The Jackson Five (with Randy!), Patti LaBelle, Gloria Estefan, Barbara Streisand, Garth Brooks, and several others appearing as opening acts to Kool Keith's "naked" live assault. It's pleasant to imagine the way I think pop culture should be when I listen to this CD: a place where Garth Brooks' simple ass would be lucky to even get to set foot in an arena where Keith's playing.
Spankmaster has some hilarious moments: I'ma Tell You, Drugs "I knew that something was wrong when I sold my VHS and gave away a pair of my socks." As well as Blackula, I Wanna Play (with guest vocals by ebony porn star Heather Hunter) Jealous and Yes Yes Y'All.
Keith takes few prisoners, and even gives Kut Masta Kurt a piece of his mind in the liner notes "Kurt Matlin didn't do shit for me!" I actually thought their "Masters of Illusion" was great, but Keith says: "Everybody thought some DJ motherfucker was doing my music. That fuck was nowhere near my 24 track Neve board for this album. Everybody that records with this guy thinks they're getting my sound."
While he may never do another album quite like Critical Beatdown, he's still one of the best MC's in hip-hop's short history, and if he did just repeat himself ad nauseam everyone's ears would tire quickly, even the rock critics who pine for another Dr. Octagon. If you're already a Kool Keith fan then get this. If not, Spankmaster remains a good point of entry for those wondering what the fuss is all about. Recommended!
© 2001 - Jason Thornberry