Kool Keith

Black Elvis, Dr. Octagon, Mr. Gerbik, the Spankmaster. No matter what character Kool Keith is portraying, his bugged-out sense of humor always shines through. Beginning as a member of the Ultramagnetic MCs, Keith has become one of hip-hop’s true chameleons, with his groundbreaking mic skills and schizophrenic imagination serving as his platform. Keith has reinvented himself with each new release, covering a broad lyrical range that includes everything from socially conscious sermonizing to intergalactic Martian fables to sex raps so descriptive they’d make Mystikal blush. Though his testosterone-heavy 2001 effort Spankmaster alienated some longtime listeners, there’s little doubt that whatever comes next for Keith will be completely different.