KOOL KEITH-Matthew

You know Kool Keith right? If you don't I may summarize by saying that he is one of the most eccentric, brilliant and dumb MC's out there. He lives in an alternate universe that we can all take a part of. The protagonist has a lot of anger but it is directed at such a minute sector of society that nobody can fully relate to it without any direct conflict. However, anyone who's been pissed off can relate to his sincerety. In an extremely prolific discography such as Keith's, there is plenty to pick at. Good albums, bad albums and valid albums, like "Matthew".

This is an angry statement. A hater record for the ages. This is certainly not new territory for Kool Keith, who has enough contempt to fill Madison Square Garden. Who isn't a target of Keith's rage? Every major label, gold diggers, niggaz walkin' around like Bob Marley and Lenny Kravitz, the NBA, jealous motherfuckers...nah. They made the list. No one is safe. It's worth pointing out that this record seems extremely homophobic. This is to the point where it certainly can't be taken seriously but it is a very real sentiment (after all, the original title of the Beastie Boys "Licensed to Ill" was "Don't Be a Faggot"). However, to see past the targets is to enjoy a delightful slab of angry music. Keith is almost comparable to Wesley Willis in his delusional but utterly passionate rage. Fuck, it isn't delusional. Keith knows exactly what he doesn't approve of and the bulk of this record will lay that out to you in a very concise manner. Our storyteller is skilled in delivering harsh tokes of self realization that most of his subjects will not realize .
The fantasy pieces set any given Kool Keith record apart from the rest. The stand out on "Matthew" is Extravagant Traveler. "Puerto Rico out to Africa"... and all stops in between. To quote the lyrics does no justice. I only hope you seek it out. Musically, the beats are spot on. In Kool Keiths 20+ year career, he has burned a lot of bridges with collaborators and rarely works with anyone on multiple projects. Somehow, he manages to find exceptionally good producers most of the time. Here, the Diesel Truckers deliver minimal, sample free, electronic jams that compliment Keiths delivery very well. Everybody loves the Dr. Octagon record with Dan the Automator at the controls but I'd be very surprised to hear those two work together again. On to the future.
Kool Keith is a true outsider. I sincerely hope he goes down in history somewhere in between Rakim and Roky Erikson. I don't believe you...

RATING:6/10