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Kool Keith: Biography, Facts and Career

Who is Kool Keith? An evergreen, sourced profile: biography, key facts and career.

By the Pop Culture Files editorial team4 min read✓ Fact-checked
Kool Keith
Jason Persse from Brooklyn, USA via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Keith Matthew Thornton (born October 7, 1963), better known by his stage name Kool Keith, is an American rapper and record producer 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. Kool Keith was a cofounding member of Ultramagnetic MCs, whose debut album Critical Beatdown was released in 1988. After two more albums with the group, Funk Your Head Up and The Four Horsemen, Kool Keith released his critically acclaimed solo debut album, Dr. Octagonecologyst, under the name Dr. Octagon in 1996. Subsequently, he independently released a series of further hip-hop albums, including Sex Style, First Come, First Served (as Dr. Dooom), Black Elvis/Lost in Space, and most recently Karpenters. After releasing only one album on a major label, Black Elvis/Lost in Space, Kool Keith subsequently returned to independently releasing music, producing further efforts as a solo artist and in collaboration with groups such as Analog Brothers, Masters of Illusion, Thee Undatakerz and Project Polaroid. Kool Keith has also made guest appearances in collaboration with Peeping Tom and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. He was also featured on the short track DDT on Jurassic 5's album Power in Numbers. The Prodigy's hit "Smack My Bitch Up" was based on a sample of Kool Keith's voice saying "Change my pitch up, smack my bitch up" on Give the Drummer Some by Ultramagnetic MCs.

Quick facts about Kool Keith

  • Full name: Kool Keith
  • Born: 1963-10-07
  • Nationality: United States
  • Known as: Musician
  • Wikidata ID: Q1783775

Profile compiled from public Wikipedia and Wikidata data. Details can change over time.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Kool Keith?

Keith Matthew Thornton (born October 7, 1963), better known by his stage name Kool Keith, is an American rapper and record producer known for his surreal, abstract, and often profane or incomprehensible lyrics.

What nationality is Kool Keith?

Kool Keith is United States.

When was Kool Keith born?

Kool Keith was born on 1963-10-07.

Sources

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