Keith Matthew Thornton, better known by his stage name Kool Keith, is an American rapper and record producer from The Bronx, New York City, known for his surreal, abstract and often profane or incomprehensible lyrics. Kool Keith has recorded prolifically both as a solo artist and in group collaborations. Kool Keith is generally considered to be one of hip-hop's most eccentric and unusual personalities.
The Ultramagnetic MCs is an American hip hop group based in the Bronx, New York City. Founded by Kool Keith, the group also includes Ced Gee, TR Love, and Moe Love. Tim Dog became an unofficial member in 1989. In 1990, DJ Jaycee was added as a road manager and backup DJ. Big.D was put down with the crew by Kool Keith in 1989. A former member, Rooney Roon, was fired following an assault arrest. Beat-boxer Rahzel was also involved with the group early in its career. The group's work was associated with unorthodox sampling, polysyllabic rhymes, and bizarre lyrical imagery.
The Cenobites LP is the eponymous debut album by the American hip hop duo the Cenobites, composed of rapper Kool Keith and producer Godfather Don. It was first released as an EP in 1995 via Fondle 'Em Records and was later expanded for LP in 1997 and CD in 2000. Percee P and Bobbito Garcia made guest appearances on the record.
Critical Beatdown is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Ultramagnetic MCs, released on October 4, 1988, by Next Plateau Records. Production for the album was handled primarily by the group's rapper and producer Ced-Gee, who employed an E-mu SP-1200 sampler as the album's main instrument. Music journalists have noted the album for its innovative production, funk-based samples, self-assertive themes, ingenious lyricism, and complex rhyme patterns by Ced-Gee and fellow rapper Kool Keith.
Golden age hip hop is mainstream hip hop music created from the mid-1980s to the early-mid 1990s, particularly by artists and musicians originating from the New York metropolitan area. A precursor to the new school hip hop movement, it is characterized by its diversity, quality, innovation and influence on hip hop after the genre's emergence and establishment in the old-school era, and is associated with the development and eventual mainstream success of hip hop. There were various types of subject matter, while the music was experimental and the sampling from old records was eclectic.
Paul C. McKasty, better known as Paul C, was an East Coast hip hop pioneer, producer, engineer, and mixer in the 1980s. Before his death on July 17, 1989, McKasty gained recognition for his work with notable artists such as Devo, Organized Konfusion, Kwamé, Queen Latifah, Biz Markie, Ultramagnetic MCs, Rahzel, and Eric B & Rakim. Complex called him "one of the most important figures in the development of sampling" and Questlove of the Roots called McKasty, "damn near the J Dilla of his day."
Wild Pitch Records was an American Golden age hip hop record label, started in 1987 by Stuart Fine, that was eventually distributed by EMI. Artists who released records on the label included Gang Starr, Chill Rob G, Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth, Main Source, The U.M.C.'s, Hard Knocks, Brokin English Klik, Street Military, Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud, The Coup, Ultramagnetic MCs, O.C., as well as Latee, Jamose, and female rapper N-Tyce.
Funk Your Head Up is the second studio album by American hip hop group Ultramagnetic MCs. It was released on March 17, 1992, via Mercury Records/PolyGram.
The Four Horsemen is the third studio album by American hip hop group Ultramagnetic MCs. It was released on August 10, 1993, via Wild Pitch Records. Audio production was handled by Ultramagnetic MCs, except for four tracks produced by Godfather Don, who helped to incorporate a darker, jazzier sound than the group's previous work. "Checkin' My Style" and "See the Man on the Street" were originally recorded in 1992 during Godfather Don-produced sessions for a projected solo album for Kool Keith's alias Rhythm X. Those same sessions also produced songs released on Cenobites LP, the CD edition of which contains the original extended version of "Checkin' My Style," retitled "Return To Zero." The Four Horsemen includes recurring science fiction and baseball themes and was viewed by fans as a welcome return to the group's hardcore roots. Because of a manufacturing error, the current Fontana Distribution pressing is identified as the U.M.C.'s on the covering sticker under the shrink wrap. The album peaked at number 55 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 15 on the Heatseekers Albums.
Lost Masters Volume 2 is the second compilation album by American rapper and producer Kool Keith from Ultramagnetic MCs. It was released on August 9, 2005, via DMAFT Records, making it his third effort on the label. The album is a follow-up to The Lost Masters.
Big Time is the only album by Ultra, an American hip hop group composed of Kool Keith and Tim Dog, who had previously collaborated as part of Ultramagnetic MCs. The duo only released one album, which contained many disses towards other rappers. It has been called "the holy Grail of the Kool Keith catalog, owing mostly to its rarity".
Welcome II Nextasy the second studio album by American R&B trio Next. It was released by Arista Records on June 20, 2000, in the United States where it reached gold status.
Penicillin on Wax is the debut studio album by American New York-based rapper Tim Dog. It was released on November 12, 1991 via Ruffhouse Records. Production was handled by several record producers, including Ced-Gee, TR Love and Moe Love from Ultramagnetic MC's, Bobby Crawford, Louis Flores, and Tim Dog himself. Fellow rapper Kool Keith made guest appearances on two tracks.
"Fuck Compton" is a diss track written and performed by American rapper Tim Dog, released in 1991 through Ruffhouse Records as the lead single from the rapper's debut studio album Penicillin on Wax. It is a diss track criticizing the West Coast hip hop scene, including the Compton-based group N.W.A and its members Eazy-E and Dr. Dre as well as the latter's then-girlfriend Michel'le. The song is often credited for igniting the East Coast–West Coast rivalry of the 1990s. Production was handled by Ultramagnetic MCs' member Ced-Gee and Tim Dog himself. The song peaked atop of the US Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart. Later in 2018 it was place at #19 on Complex's "The 50 Best Hip-Hop Diss Songs" list.
Diesel Truckers is a studio album by American hip hop duo the Diesel Truckers, composed of New York–based rapper and producer Kool Keith and Californian DJ/producer KutMasta Kurt. It was released on August 10, 2004, via Dmaft Records and was produced by Keith and Kurt. The project spawned three singles: "Break U Off", "I Love You Nancy" and "Mental Side Effects", but neither the singles nor the album made it to any major charts. The song "Break U Off" was used in 2005 film The Longest Yard.
The Treacherous Three is the first studio album by American hip hop group Treacherous Three. It was released in 1984 via Sugar Hill Records with distribution of MCA Records and produced by Sylvia Robinson. Complex (magazine) puts the album at number 37 on their 50 Greatest Rap Albums 1980s.
Cedric "Ced-Gee" Miller is an American hip hop producer and rapper from the Bronx, New York. He is best known as a member of Ultramagnetic MCs. He received special thanks for his production on Boogie Down Productions' Criminal Minded, and he produced Tim Dog's "Fuck Compton". He has also worked alongside Antoinette, Bill Cosby, Blak Prophetz, Doug E. Fresh, Jeff Redd, Paperboy, Spaceman Patterson, Sybil, and Treacherous Three.
Kool Keith, the American recording artist from The Bronx, has a discography by 2021 that consisted of 39 studio albums, of which 18 were solo projects, and 20 albums in collaboration with other artists. His most recent studio album, Keith's Salon was released in 2021. Kool Keith has collaborated with TomC3, 54–71, Denis Deft, Big Sche Eastwood, L'Orange, Ray West, Thetan, and was in the groups Ultramagnetic MCs, The Cenobites, Ultra, Analog Brothers, Masters of Illusion, KHM/Clayborne Family, Thee Undatakerz, The Diesel Truckers.
"Ego Trippin′" is a 1986 song by Ultramagnetic MCs. The group made a stylistic breakthrough with it; the song boasted dense, minimalist production, featuring erratic lyricism by Ced-Gee and Kool Keith, synthesizer riffs and was the first song to sample Melvin Bliss's "Synthetic Substitution", now one of the most sampled songs of all time.
Love and Danger is the eleventh solo studio album by American recording artist Kool Keith. It was released on June 5, 2012 via Junkadelic Music and produced entirely by DJ Junkaz Lou, except for two tracks produced by Big Sche Eastwood and Ariel Caban. The project featured guest appearances from Agallah, Keith Murray, Megabone, NYM, The I.M.O., and Mr. Sche.
