Legendary Bronx rapper Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs, Dr. Octagon) returns with this finest album since 2006’s Nogatco Rd. (Insomniac) with a little help from his friends.
Feature Magnetic eagerly blends Kool Keith’s bizarre, frenetic style with his love for collaboration, each track featuring a guest rapper (or two) after the first verse. As to be expected, the rapper’s obsession with horror, cyberpunk, superheroes and sex dominates, allowing for comic book fantasies with MF Doom in the aptly named “Super Hero,” Brainbombs brutality on “Cold Freezer” with Bumpy Knuckles and pornographic lust with Necro in “Girl Grab.” When Keith and Slug (of Atmosphere) examine societal expectations that make people crack in “Peer Pressure,” however, a more serious tone unfolds, especially when Ed O.G. says “I’m tired of cops that don’t love us/But I’m more tired of my brothers killing brothers” in “Tired.” Throughout, the production remains starkly minimalist, ranging from early Wu-Tang Clan to Danny Brown’s digital soundscapes.
Kool Keith may not be a household name, but his lyrical mastery changed hip hop forever (and for the better). Find out why he’s the best rapper you’ve never heard of, and discover a few more in the process.
