Customer Reviews

Spankmaster

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If anyone took the theme of this album seriously, they totally missed the joke. This album is a near-spoof of the bounce/booty-clap culture that prevailed in hip-hop for the past few years. Kool Keith takes that sound, *truly innovates upon it*, and then twists it around and buries his usual insight into the industry, the state of the hip-hop culture, and takes a few swings at culture in general (esp in his relationships with women), all delievered in his usual brutal and genuinely unique style.

Not all songs are stellar, but some that stand out....Jealousy, Girls in Jail, Blackula, Spankmaster, Maxin' In The Shade, El Dorados just to name a few. The production on those songs are unlike anything you've heard in years, and all are original recordings---no samples.

Even if Keith fans may have grown tired of his style, you have to also note one thing about his nearly 20 year long career...at this point, the idea that he's still rhyming as well as he has been is remarkable...and if you read the liner notes you'll see that Keith has been moving more and more into the producer part of this process, and I think the results are just as groundbreaking as Dr.Octagon was for its time.

I recommend Spankmaster to only the truly open-minded. Everyone else simply won't get it.

Keith does something different with every album and Spankmaster is no exception. This is possibly his craziest cd, definitely the funniest. I'll even admit that I wasn't too excited after the first listen, but it grows and grows on you. Without the couple lame tracks, this would be a five star rating. If you want his best solo album (all personalities and groups aside) check out Black Elvis/Lost in Space.

After my first and initial mind-boggling listen to Kool Keith's exclusive Spankmaster, I pondered to myself, the possibility that Marty McFly brought more than just a sports almanac back with him when he returned to the present day, and somehow the album was leaked out, WAY too early. That's the only logical justification I can think of, for the horrible reviews some individuals have slandered upon such a great album.

Spankmaster isn't Dr. Octagon. Not it any shape, form, or fashion. Spankmaster isn't on that Dr. Dooom ...., or Black Elvis. This is SPANKMASTER! The party hyper, diaper wearing, .... star with a paddle! Respect that ....! The production is off the tube socks, each track is simply groundbreaking. Not in the same aspect as Dr. Octagon or Dr. Dooom, but nonetheless, landmark beats that will be praised for it's value one day. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, or even in this millennium, but believe me, one day, Kool Keith will FINALLY be recognized as the UNIVERSAL modernizer when it comes to pioneering this hip-hop. If you simply go back to your rap roots, you'd discover Kool Keith is not only innovating the industry today, but has been hip-hop went mainstream back in the mid 80's.

I really have a hard time with the circle of Kool Keith fans who downgrade Spankmaster simply because it's not the next Dr. Octagon or Dr. Dooom. Get off it! Kool Keith is moving forward, not backwards.

why all y'all hate this one?
This is the Bomb man!

I love this Kool Keith self produced album,
why all people compare anything from Keith with Dr. Octagon?
I never think Keith will back to his Dr. day!
Why everyone say Keith is a greatest musician in rap?
'Cause he keep invent, improve, progress his own sound,
so Keith every album sounds difference!
I know Octagon is Great!
I miss that sound too!
but Spankmaster sound Original and Fresh too!

Spankmaster bring you an great abstract rap album,
actually got little bit feelin' of those Definitive Jux stuff!
Spankmaster is more thin, plain!

This one is a Spaced-out butt album!
I know it's hard to get into it,
but once you get into it, you'll love it!

Highly recommend to all true Keith fans and who can accept some weird, abstract non-commercial rap music!

On first listen of this album I loved tracks 1-7 instantly; comes with a great feel from track to track that flows right. Tracks 8-20 have 2 hooks I don't dig (you decide for yourself)but the rest comes right. Spankmaster has solid production, beats, better lyrics and a flow that makes it his best since Sex Style. Beats are better musically than Matthew, Dooom, Masters of Illusion and Analog Bros - far more going on; better feel with tracks that deliver for the full duration. Verses & flow have a bit of a changeup for Keith but the formula works, with the traditional Keith style, to create and album that completely delivers. The musical element has become bigger and better on this record I think you'll agree. Better verses, new styles (a bit more mainstream on some, which I think adds a heatlhy mix; not just zany rhymes & odd flows but songlike) with solid production and interesting flows make it a great album. I love it.

Ok this is a pretty personal review.

(...)

This is classic. Hands down.

Spankmaster is a whole new level for Keith. Its a whole new level for hip-hop. That is if you consider Kool Keith hip-hop.

Some would argue that Kool Keith isn't even hip-hop or even trip-hop. I would say Keith deserves his own music category.

And with Spankmaster he proves that. Mad original lp here. What more could you ask from Keith, unless you miss the Dr Octagon/Sex Style Keith. This album is off the scale. Every track from beginning to end is incredible.

One reason why this album is so different, is because it lacks Kunt Master Kurt. Could be a plus, could be a minus, but the fact still remains this album is classic.

Keith produced most of this album along with the help of Detroit rapper Esham. Now Esham isn't one of my favorite emcees, but he comes nice on Spankmaster with his verses and the tracks he produced.

Lyrically, Keith doesn't come too hard, with the exception of the Jealous track. Classic track at that.

Keith offers a new flow on this album, I would kind of compare his flow on Spankmaster to Black Elvis, even though they are totally differet albums.

Best tracks include:

I Wanna Play, Mack Trucks, Drugs, Yes Yess Ya'll, N.B.A., Jealous, Girls in Jail, Blackula(my favorite track), Dark Vader, and Captain Save'Em.

Real Kool Keith fans would respect and appreciate this work of art. The Dr Octagon dwellers will hate this album.

A Five Star Plus album for two reasons.

Kool Keith, any work done by Keith is worth no less than 5 stars.
And the other reason is because this is really a masterpiece and should be part of any music collection.

This is in my opinion the best hip-hop album of 2001.

GET THIS NOW !!!!!!!

Actually this Cd is pretty good, I actually wanted to give it a 3.5 but you can't do that on here. I think the Guest appearances from Jacky Jasper and Esham are wack, Jacky just didn't sound to enthused to be on "Blackula" like he did on "housing authority" and other collabs with Keith. I think the track is still ill though, but would've been better if Keith stayed solo... And Esham is wack, lyrically and delivery wise. Keith puts out some of his better lyrics in my opinion, that line where he says "smoother than Rick Fox puttin' on his hair gel..." had me rolling. Every track has authentic and innnovative flows and lyrics, but some of the beats and a lot of the hooks just lost me. Also this cd has a down south/funk feel to most of the songs, which i dug on most tracks but then didn't feel on a few.

On most of the songs i thought the beats were pretty good, only a few that I couldn't stand, but what messed up some of the songs were the hooks. On "Matthew" it was the same thing, the hooks just came accross like no effort was put into them. I remember saying to myself 'how you go from an ill lyrical concept and beat, to a wack hook?' regaurdless though, most of the songs you won't like at first will grow on you. This is basically because Keith is so ahead of the times.

The tracks that jump out to me are "I wanna play", "Drugs", "N.B.A", "Stoney Jackson", "blackula", "spank-master", "jealous", "mack trucks", "jewelry shine", "big frank" and "Dark Vadar" all those songs are the ones i like, and some of them suffer from weak hooks but lyrically and beatwise were on point. "Girls would U F**k tongit" would've made it if the hook wasn't so wack. Like i said before, every track has great lyrics and flow from keith but if i didn't put it on my "liked" list it was probably because of the beat, hook or both.

If you don't like this album, it's simply beacuse you arn't ready. Kool Keith is the best mc EVER...and this album is near his best. Many of the songs are now new favorites of mine. The beats are hard, innovative and entrancing. The lyrics are both brutally honest and wildly imaginative. Never has a rapper created such a visual rap style, ever. All other rap music pales in comparason...Other rappers fear this man. This album is as good as Sex Style and Dr. Dooom. Don't let other reviewers steer you from this album...please, think on your own and pick it up. Why this man isn't the most famous musician in the world escapes me, and make me feel sorry for those who have not heard him.

This album shows how kool keith is still the number one mc in the world. This cd is a lot different from his previous albums. Those who thought Sex Style was great may not think this one is better but it is! Every track on here is different from one another, so it doesnt get old like Sex Styles did. I hope keith continues to put out records like this. Spankmaster and Masters of Illusion are keiths best albums of this millinium...so far.

No this is not Dr Octagon, no this is not Sex Style or Dr Dooom, but this is CLASSIC.

Many, many, and I mean many deep Kool Keith fans would have to disagree with the statement this album is CLASSIC. But when you think about it, this album grows on you more than Octagon, Sex Style, or Dr Dooom after awhile.

Spankmaster is something new and different. Some think Keith took a wrong direction, then again others such as myself agree Keith put out a real banger. If you don't know who Kool Keith is I would suggest you try to get into his other works of art before you check this out. This album is on an entirely different level from any other hip-hop out there.

THIS IS PRETTY MUCH GROUND BREAKING HIP-HOP! I have seen some pretty bad reviews for this album. Why? You can't be serious. You might have expect something different than Spankmaster, but Spankmaster is probably the best album of 2001.

I Wanna Play: +++ (catchy hook, average cut)
I'm A Tell-U: ++++ (lyrically astonishing)
Mack Trucks: +++ (dope, what more can I say)
Drugs: +++++ (one of Keith's best tracks to date)
Yes Yes Yall: ++++ (Keith can do it all)
H.A.T.E.R.S: +++ (most original hook in years)
N.B.A: ++++ (putting NBA wanna b hip-hopers in check)
Jewelry Shine: +++ (incredible flow)
ElDaradoe's: +++ (a taste of the future of hip-hop)
Maxin in the Shade: +++ (message to broke chicken heads)
Big Frank: +++ (some more of the future of hip-hop material)
Jealous: +++++ (Whoa.....)
Girl Would U F**k Tonight: ++ (lyrics hott hook is weak though)
Stoney Jackson: +++ (hook is original too short of a track)
Girls In Jail: ++++ (amazing hook no doubt)
Blackula: ++++ (doesn't get much better than this)
Dark Vader: ++++ (Esham is on point here as well)
Captain Save Em: ++++ (ground breaking)
Spank-Master: +++ (good but not great - future of hip-hop)

If you don't have Spankmaster then you are probably not a Kool Keith fan, almost all of Kool Keith's fans would have this album, if you don't then why don't you? For the ones out there who have this album, have listened to this over and over and still come to the conclusion this is not the Kool Keith you enjoy or take interest in, then maybe you should stop listening to Keith today, b/c he can only continue to get better with better albums than Spankmaster which is saying a whole hell of a lot.