Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
funky rednecks prove nothing is broke with their wheels....., November 5, 2004
Keith's legendary status in the rap genre is not open to debate. Whether it's his groundbreaking arrival with the Ultramagetic Mc's to the bizarre revelatory transformation of Dr.Octagon, his ability to endlessly create new styles and personas has influenced a countless number of mc's for generations, both in the underground and mainstream spheres. No other rapper from his era has managed to reinvent the game as often, most experience difficulty just keeping the pace. While the others from his generation were ready to bow out and accept their lifetime achievement awards by the mid 90's, Keith dropped Dr.Octagon, an album that almost single handedly revitalized underground hip-hop and created a whole new world of possibilities for the genre. Since then his work has been criticised for not reaching the same level of genius, but to establish Octagon as the sole comparison of measure would be unfair. Many fans consider Dr.Dooom to be it's equal and most appreciated the warped genius displayed on 'Sex Style' and 'Black Elvis'. However, despite successful collaborative attempts with Analog Brothers and Masters Of Illusion, ever since Dooom Keith has been subjected to great criticism, especially his decision to take a more active role in the production side of things. This naturally yielded mixed results, with the overlooked `Spankmaster' being labelled as the worst of the bunch. It was arguably the closest thing fans have come to witness Keith mentally disintegrate right before their very eyes and for it's bugged out nature alone and sheer novelty factor it's worth the price of admission. Undertakerz and White Label were completely unacceptable and even the most devoted keith fans were tired by this stage.
Thankfully Keith worked in his interests for once and get in contact with this sidekick Kurt Matlin to finally go ahead with the Diesel Truckers project. Kutmasta Kurt is arguably the only beatmaker that fully understands keith's style and provides him with the most suitable framework for his lyrical excursions to the next world and beyond. The opening `Diesel Truckers Theme' sounds like it was designed to explode subwoofers on a global scale, with it's distorted boom kicks and analog sounds pulsating widely throughout. Similarly, `The Orchestrators' marks a return to Keith's acrobatic style of the late 90's, once again demonstrating that nobody can rhyme offbeat with as much dexterity and style. `Takin It Back' is quite possibly the smoothest track the duo have produced thus far into their careers, while `I Love U Nancy' is a dedication that Keith assures us is `straight from the heart'. Both show a different more laid back style for Keith that us fans aren't used to. He appears to be having more fun of this album than usual and isn't as concerned with industry/scene politics. Whether it was keith's decision to take a chill pill or not it has reaped dividends as this is his most enjoyable album in years, lacking the bitter aftertaste of `Spankmaster' and `Matthew's overdone scene polemics. `The Legendary' and `Mane' are more old school throwbacks, the latter coming off as a humorous parody of the West Coast songs that annoyingly force the title of the song into their rhymes constantly.
The real highlights of the album though come in the shape of the more left-field choices. `Mental side effects' shows Keith zig zagging effortlessly to an oddly syncopated electronic beat alongside fellow crazies in Fat Hed and J.Jasper. On 'Serve 'Em A Sentence' the spankmaster is joined by his most complimentary rhyming partner motion man, who turns up the electricity over an intense throbbing bass line. 'Kenworth With Wings' is a triumphant return to the 'space funk' style that keith fans will lap up. It's part black Elvis, part analog brothers, 100% vintage keith, with odd lyrics ranging from intergalatic space travel to weird government conspiracies. All in all this album is a perfect distillation of nearly all keith's styles of the past with enough fresh ideas to sustain the interest of both hardcore and casual fans alike. This is more than a return to form, it's just a great album in its own right that proves that Keith is not just a mere player in the game, he is still a contender for the throne.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another strong effort from KK & KK, January 28, 2005
This CD is a nice collaborative effort with more than a few guest appearances and zero skits. The references to 70's sports, 80's funk, and old school hip hop make this very entertaining. Kool Keith is as nutty as ever. Highlights include Break U Off, I love You Nancy, the silly tracks I Drop Money, MANE, and Bamboozled, and the downright funky Kenworths with Wings. I was a bit disappointed by the track with Motion Man, Serve 'Em a Sentance. I was expecting some humor and banter, and it was a head-pounding beat with the most serious message on the album. At least they worked against my expectations. I can't wait to see what they crank-out next. They have been on a roll since Masters of Illusion. Put this on in your car and give alternative hip-hop a try.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Some ill new stuff, July 26, 2005
Honestly the first time I heard this album, I was not to sure. Though now it is completely obvious to me that this one of the best albums in the Kool Keith collection. The production is tight !!!!!!! some crazy tracks - Serve em a sentence - I drop money - bamboozled - and Kenworths with wings, just to name a few.
Don't let anyone fool you this album is ill !!
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