Kool Keith's performance Saturday at the Czar Bar ended on an appropriately odd note. Responding to appreciative cheers and pleas for an encore from the near-capacity audience of over 100, the underground hip hoplegend returned to the microphone to deliver an unorthodox monologue about food. He joked about lunchmeat, vegans, hummus, fast food and refrigerators.
After an hour of music with themes of deviant sex, extreme violence and futuristic fantasies, hearing Kool Keith reveal his inner Joan Rivers in a spontaneous standup routine provided the evening's most shocking moments.
Face obscured by a sequined towel and White Sox cap, the New York native opened with "Funky," a seminal song from "Critical Beatdown," a 1988 album he recorded as a member of the Ultramagnetic MCs. Several years later Dr. Dre based his production of the 2Pac smash "California Love" on the song. Kool Keith has never enjoyed a mainstream hit, but his impact on Dr. Dre is indicative of his massive influence. Kool Keith's outlandish wordplay and stylistic range may never have registered with the general public, but he cleared a path for the careers of subsequent left-of-center stars including the Wu-Tang Clan, Missy Elliott, Outkast and Lil Wayne.
The music heard late Saturday night ranged from the electronica of "Wake Up Call," his bracing collaboration with British band the Prodigy, to "Girl, Let Me Touch You," a vulgar R&B track that set the stage for the ribald style subsequently adopted by the likes of R. Kelly. Set highlights "Halfsharkalligatorhalfman" and "Blue Flowers" were among the selections originally recorded under Kool Keith's disturbing Dr. Octagon persona. The hilarious "Livin' Astro" marked the appearance of Black Elvis, another of Kool Keith's multiple artistic personalities.
The evening's limitations were revealed during "Ego Trippin'. Increasingly agitated by a constant stream of geographically-challenged references to Kansas, an audience rebellion resulted in a stoppage of the music. After finally making it clear to Kool Keith that he was in Missouri, fans began shouting requests.
"We do what we want to do," Kool Keith retorted with annoyance.
The truth, unfortunately, is that he could only do what was on the single prerecorded CD that contained the backing music for his set. Fielding requests, consequently, was out of the question. In most settings, such as a February concert headlined by Rick Ross at the Sprint Center, it's extremely disheartening when artists merely rap over their own recordings. The intimate party atmosphere at the Czar Bar yielded less disappointing results. At least one woman, for instance, insisted that Kool Keith slap her rear end as he performed "Spankmaster."
While a handful of songs, including "Poppa Large" and "I Don't Believe You," were performed in their entirety, only brief snippets of at least two dozen fan favorites like "Get Off My Elevator" and "Clifton" were aired. The effect was disorienting, but it served as a reminder that Kool Keith's massive discography is aging well. The music served Friday at the Czar Bar may have been canned, but it still sounded very fresh.
Face obscured by a sequined towel and White Sox cap, the New York native opened with "Funky," a seminal song from "Critical Beatdown," a 1988 album he recorded as a member of the Ultramagnetic MCs. Several years later Dr. Dre based his production of the 2Pac smash "California Love" on the song. Kool Keith has never enjoyed a mainstream hit, but his impact on Dr. Dre is indicative of his massive influence. Kool Keith's outlandish wordplay and stylistic range may never have registered with the general public, but he cleared a path for the careers of subsequent left-of-center stars including the Wu-Tang Clan, Missy Elliott, Outkast and Lil Wayne.
The music heard late Saturday night ranged from the electronica of "Wake Up Call," his bracing collaboration with British band the Prodigy, to "Girl, Let Me Touch You," a vulgar R&B track that set the stage for the ribald style subsequently adopted by the likes of R. Kelly. Set highlights "Halfsharkalligatorhalfman" and "Blue Flowers" were among the selections originally recorded under Kool Keith's disturbing Dr. Octagon persona. The hilarious "Livin' Astro" marked the appearance of Black Elvis, another of Kool Keith's multiple artistic personalities.
The evening's limitations were revealed during "Ego Trippin'. Increasingly agitated by a constant stream of geographically-challenged references to Kansas, an audience rebellion resulted in a stoppage of the music. After finally making it clear to Kool Keith that he was in Missouri, fans began shouting requests.
"We do what we want to do," Kool Keith retorted with annoyance.
The truth, unfortunately, is that he could only do what was on the single prerecorded CD that contained the backing music for his set. Fielding requests, consequently, was out of the question. In most settings, such as a February concert headlined by Rick Ross at the Sprint Center, it's extremely disheartening when artists merely rap over their own recordings. The intimate party atmosphere at the Czar Bar yielded less disappointing results. At least one woman, for instance, insisted that Kool Keith slap her rear end as he performed "Spankmaster."
While a handful of songs, including "Poppa Large" and "I Don't Believe You," were performed in their entirety, only brief snippets of at least two dozen fan favorites like "Get Off My Elevator" and "Clifton" were aired. The effect was disorienting, but it served as a reminder that Kool Keith's massive discography is aging well. The music served Friday at the Czar Bar may have been canned, but it still sounded very fresh.
| Bill Brownlee, Special to The Star
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