Although
Kool Keith jumped to a major label for 1999's
Black Elvis/Lost in Space, it didn't mean he would stop releasing records on his own
Funky Ass label. When
Matthew came out in July of
2000, it came as a bit of a
surprise. After all, Keith had abandoned his
insane rhymes and
futuristic production for an almost run-of-the-mill
rap record. It may seem
uninspired, but repeated listens reveal this back-to-the-basics album to be one of Keith's strongest yet.
"Matthew" is Kool Keith Thornton's middle name, and the album artwork contains his baby pictures. If you think this is a signal that Kool Keith is cleaning up his raps, you're dead wrong. A better name for this album would be "Fuck You", as each track plays like a massive indictment of the record industry and hip-hop culture in general. The amount of vitriol packed into Matthew's 50 minutes is amazing, and compunded by the fact that Keith is the kind of guy who names names. Keith waxes poetic about fake booking agents, label politics, Eminem, Korn, N-Sync, murder, big money, and a million other all-too-familar subjects. The final verdict comes at the end of the album. After accusing other rappers of doing nothing more than smoking weed and playing Playstation, he growls "I ain't no kid, I'm a grown-ass fuckin' man."
The bonus track, "Test Press", has been floating around for a few years. A true story about label problems encountered while recording Black Elvis, it powerfully packs all of Matthew's complaints into one tune.
Kool Keith
Matthew
2000
- F-U M.F.
- 27 Shots
- Errand Boy
- Operation Extortion
- Baddest M.C.
- Extravagant Traveler
- Recoupment
- I Don't Believe You
- Lived in the Projects
- Keith N Bumpy
- The Set Up
- Shoes N Suits
- Diamonds
- Sweet Unique Pete
- Do You Masturbate?
- Back Stage Passes
- Mad Man Departure / Test Press