If Verbal or I have somehow yet to offend you before on TECB, this Kool Keith vinyl will certainly get the job done. Shit, even I’m offended by this women’s gaping butt-hole staring me in the face, but that’s neither here nor there. The photo, however, is completely relevant to the story I’m about to tell. So…
The other day, a FaceBook friend asked me to join a “yearbook group” or something of the sort that will keep me in touch with the fine folk I graduated Ponaganset High School with. Although I declined, much like every other invitation from people who I’ve barely spoken with before in my life, the invite reminded me of my infamously lame quote in the senior yearbook: “Keep it real.”
I wasn’t that lame, though. Honestly, I was a hip-hop-obsessed smart-ass weed-head who was one-upped by the yearbook staff. When the students of the graduating class were asked if we’d like a quote to go along with our senior picture, I took the opportunity to have the masterful words of Kool Keith be printed next to my smiling, seventeen-year-old face until the end of time. My submission was a direct quote from Keith’s “Keep it Real…Represent.” It read these exact words:
“Keep it real. Represent, what? My nuts!”
I fully expected the quote to be rejected on sight, but, much to my surprise, the yearbook staff chopped the lyric down and made me look like the biggest of goose eggs. Regardless. Thanks to the surplus of chron, hash, and (supposed) opium circulating throughout my crew post-graduation, I was able to laugh it off pretty quickly. And at least now, in my drug-free days, it makes for a decent story to tell.
Here are both versions of the song. The original recording from Ultra’s Big Time, Keith’s overlooked collaborative effort with Tim Dog:
And the version heard on Sex Style, Keith’s second solo venture from ’97:
Now go ahead and yuck it up in the comment section. I’ll continue representing the scrotum. Peace to Kool Keith.
Filed under: 401 Gettin' It Done, CA All Day, Hip-Hop, Music, Throwback Rap Attack | Tagged: Big Time, Funky Ass Records, Kool Keith, Kut Masta Kurt, Ponaganset High School, Sex Style, Tim Dog, Ultra | 4 Comments »
I’d use those four words on the regular if I felt like they wouldn’t get me into trouble. So rather than pull cards, I often smirk and let the fine, ridiculous words of my manz Kool Keith run through my mind. This song does an especially good job in airing out all of the fantasy land idiots out there:
The track was released on Matthew, probably the most overlooked solo album from the extravagant traveler’s entire catalog. If you’ve never heard it before, Keith goes on for three straight minutes about any and every person he believes is fraudulent, which makes for a pretty great listen. Even though he doesn’t rhyme once.
Filed under: Hip-Hop, Music, Throwback Rap Attack | Tagged: 7 Eleven, Kool Keith, Matthew | Leave a Comment »
DJ Wax On hit TECB off with an email last week about a new beat tape of his that can be heard, along with a few of his other projects, on his SoundCloud page. I browsed the page for a bit and, turns out, a lot of his work is pretty great. He almost makes Sisco’s “Thong Song” listenable.
Like I said, homie — Almost.
Here’s one of my favorites…
Man, remember when Kool Keith rhymed? Those were the days.
Filed under: For All The Broke Willies, Hip-Hop, Music, Throwback Rap Attack | Tagged: DJ Wax On, Kool Keith | 5 Comments »
The Best of 2008:
1.) j.DePina – Dusty 45′s: I listened to this joint over and over again just to see if I would ever get sick of it, and it hasn’t happened yet. Honestly, I don’t think it will ever happen. This may be my favorite instrumental album…ever—but that’s coming from someone who thinks Donuts is one of the more overrated albums of all time. Regardless, this album knocks from beginning to end, and I truly believe this year hasn’t seen a better release from any (yes, any) other artist. It’s the 401, gettin’ it done. If you missed this, download it here.
2.) Look Daggers – Suffer in Style: Everything I look for in an album is delivered here by 2Mex (of Visionaries) and Ikey Owens (of The Mars Volta) on this LP: originality and genre-bending creativity, blended with cohesiveness and consistency. Over the past couple years, 2Mex has slowly become one of my favorite emcees. Check for more about him in our “If you don’t know, now you know” section in the near future.
3.) Qwel & Kip Killagain – The New Wine: Qwel is pretty much my favorite emcee. Aside from the fact that he has the most ridiculous and mind-scrambling rhyme patterns, the best thing about Qwel is that he chooses to make his albums while working with only one producer. I can’t stress enough how much record’s benefit from this, and why more artists don’t do this is beyond me. So, needless to say, The New Wine is nice. Not Qwel’s best, but still very nice.
4.) Elzhi – Euro Pass: For me, there’s no question that Euro Pass, Elzhi’s mixtape from early 2008, is better than his studio LP, The Preface, that came later in the year. The clever narratives and intricate rhyme reciting heard from Elzhi on Euro Pass matches up perfectly with the production from Black Milk (probably his best to date), T3, and DJ Dez among others. There isn’t a single cold spot to be found on this entire CD.
5.) Invincible – Shapeshifters: Ever since I heard this girl kick rhymes on Eddie Ill & DL, I’ve been a huge fan. I’m really in awe as to how Invincible put together such an incredible debut LP: her rhymes are always on point, and her production selection couldn’t have been much better. I’m anticipating a strong sophomore LP within the next couple years.
Filed under: 401 Gettin' It Done, Album Talk/Review, Hip-Hop, Instrumental, Music | Tagged: 2Mex, A Vicious Cycle, Almighty, Atmosphere, Beautiful Minds, Behind the Stained Glass, Black Snow, Bored of Education, Brooklyn Academy, Changes in Atmosphere, Chief Kamachi, Da Ol' Jersey Bastard, Dela, Digi Snacks, DJ Babu, DJ Muggs, DJ Muggs & Planet Asia, Double K, Dr. Dooom, Dr. Dooom 2, Duck Season Vol. 3, Dusty 45's, Elzhi, EMC, Empire State, Euro Pass, First of all..., Fun DMC, Grey Hairs, Hour of Reprisal, Ikey Owens, Ill Bill, Invincible, j.DePina, Johnson&Jonson, Kam Moye, Karniege, Killah Priest, Kip Killagain, Kool Keith, KutMasta Kurt, Life is Expensive, Look Daggers, Masta Ace, Megagraphitti, Mekalek, Mighty Joseph, New Jack Hustle, Original S.I.N., Pail Language, People Under The Stairs, Planet Asia, Politics as Usual, Qwel, Reef the Lost Cauze, Reks, RZA, Self Centered EP, Shapeshifters, Shawn Jackson, Snowgoons, Sound Check, Suffer in Style, Supastition, Tame One, Termanology, The Mars Volta, The New Wine, The Show, Thes One, Time Machine, Vast Aire, Vordul Mega, When Life Gives You Lemons... | 8 Comments »
