Kool Keith

Kool Keith is rap’s man of mystery. The near-legendary Brooklyn MC wears personas like jackets, switching from the perverted sex fiend on 1996’s brilliant Dr. Octagon to the section-eight-dwelling cannibal on 1999’s First Come, First Served (released under the moniker Dr. Dooom) to the interplanetary shoplifter on 2000’s Analog Brothers record Pimp to Eat. He’s also a first-class eccentric, detailing sex acts involving exotic animals in his raps, bragging about a movie collaboration with Steven Spielberg (not true!) and, occasionally, going off the rails. Dan Strachota, music editor for New Times sister publication SF Weekly, reports Keith stiffed a crowd at the Bay Area club Slim’s last month, supposedly because of a DUI flap involving a female companion. One way or another, Keith usually guarantees his audience will experience something unprecedented — perhaps he’ll come dressed as Black Elvis, perhaps he’ll offend every female in the crowd or perhaps he’ll leave the audience hanging. Who knows?