KOOL KEITH’s ‘Matthew’ LP Gets Reissue For Bandcamp Friday

Today is Bandcamp Friday, which means that the platform is waiving its fees so that artists and labels receive 100% of the sales for themselves. Supporting your favorite artists is a great reason to participate, but incentives like new and/or special releases and discounts tend to accompany Bandcamp Fridays as well. On the days I want to avoid being tempted, I try to ignore these announcements, but they can often slip through regardless. So far, one release has already caught my attention: a 25th anniversary reissue of a slightly lesser-known Kool Keith album, Matthew. This marks he first time the LP has ever been repressed.

Although he rarely gets the credit he deserves, “Kool Keith” Thornton is one of the most important and enduring hip-hop artists of all time. His early work as part of Ultramagnetic MCs was well ahead of its time with its innovative production style – props to the sample master Ced-Gee – and Keith‘s left-field lyricism and rhyme schemes. Endlessly versatile, the rapper/producer injected elements of horrorcore into some of the Ultramag material early on, later magnifying that style and subject matter through projects released under aliases like Dr Octagon and Dr Dooom. He further credits himself as the originator of a graphically erotic style he refers to as “pornocore,” showcased on his sophomore solo release, Sex Style, and, to a lesser extent, the 2001 effort, Spankmaster. Furthermore, he is a pioneer in space rap, which he explored on groundbreaking albums like Octagonecologyst and Black Elvis: Lost In Space. The examples of other artists borrowing from Kool Keith are too extensive to count, and his influence on hip hop is impossible to measure.

It could be argued that Thornton‘s versatility and prolificity have worked against him at times. Plus, when your first solo album is Octagonecologyst (1996), it’s a lot to live up to. While everyone was clamoring for more Dr Octagon, he ditched the moniker and reverted to the name Kool Keith for the release of the Kutmasta Kurt-produced Sex Style (1997) on Funky Ass Records. In an attempt to shake the Octagon hype further, he murdered the character on the Dr Dooom album First Come, First Served (1999), released on co-producer Kutmasta Kurt‘s label, Threshold Recordings. The classic Black Elvis/Lost In Space LP (1999) was the first to be produced entirely by Thornton and was intended to be released on the same day as First Come, First Served, but was frustrated by delays caused by Columbia Records.

Titled after his middle name, Matthew was released on Funky Ass Records in 2000. After an insane run of over-the-top concept albums with eye-catching artwork released under various aliases across multiple labels, Matthew stripped things back and offered a cover photo as simple as its title. To make matters worse, it was quickly followed by a pair of collaborative albums later that year. The first was Pimp To Eat by Analog Brothers, a hip hop group featuring Ice T among others. Next came the self-titled debut by Masters Of Illusion, Keith‘s trio with Kurt and rapper, Motion Man. Within 7 months, TVT records would put out Kool Keith‘s Spankmaster with the unforgettable image of an ass in shiny red hot pants for the cover.

These days, the only thing more inconsistent than Thornton‘s discography is his live shows. He’s released so much material that there are timeless bangers buried within troves of mediocrity. Back when Matthew was released, it was surrounded by a wave of incredibly strong projects with more flash and promotion behind them. It didn’t go completely unnoticed, but 25 years later, it isn’t an album that I ever hear mentioned when Kool Keith is brought up, and that’s a shame. Even those unfamiliar might recognize the song “I Don’t Believe You,” but this album is full of great material. Produced entirely by Thornton, save for one track handled by Kutmasta Kurt, the beats featured on this beast are as off-kilter as his lyrics. Funky, thumping, mutagen-soaked electric grooves support bold, dextrous lyrics delivered through Keith‘s typical smooth-as-fuck cadence. As the first album to be released as Kool Keith after Black Elvis, it makes a lot of sense. Both efforts are similar in tone, but Matthew feels like it’s tweaked up a bit more, especially in the vocal department. In the same way that I enjoy how laid back he comes through on parts of Black Elvis, I love how his delivery feels slightly more aggressive on Matthew. He’s still pissed about his stint working with a major for its predecessor and he’s unloading that dissatisfaction here. Although I could do without the homophobic slurs frontloaded on the opening tracks, it is one of the more confident Kool Keith releases where production and lyricism come together flawlessly, and his verses slide all across the beats. Plus, I love it when Keith is out to besmirch and talk shit. That’s pretty much my favorite, and Matthew has that in spades.

The new 25th anniversary reissue is up for preorder and listed as a run of only 100 copies on swirl vinyl. You can grab it HERE. Also available are copies of the test pressing and original vinyl and cassette pressings from 2000. I’ll be spinning my old crackly-ass beat-up copy until my order arrives.