This interview was taken over the phone, from Buffalo to Australia on December 3, 2003.
by Adam Makeyenko
Kool Keith: Hello
Adam: Is Keith there?
Yeah. What's going on?
This is Adam from the Kool Keith UK site. Darrick said I could get an interview. Is it cool?
Cool. Hold on I gotta get a better spot.
Hello
Hello
Hello
Yeah
Hello
Hello
Yeah
So, how do you like Australia?
It's cool. Like San Francisco mixed with San Diego. Its hot as fuck.
I guess the first question is, what's up with the labels? Like, Liveone, Topgame, Junkadelik, then you Gamelock?
I'm not signed to any of those labels.
What label are you signed to?
No labels at all. The only thing legit right now is Lost Masters. Any of the versions, you know, isn't legit. I'm not signed to any labels.
What's up with Funky Ass?
We working on that now. Private projects.
I guess, my personal question is, why do you like Marc and Jacky so much?
Just a different thing to work with sometimes. Its cool we work on all kinds of projects. We don't trip on each other as far a verses and a lot of politics and stuff.
Personally, I don't like you newer stuff since Spankmaster. I like your verses, but these other guys. I don't know. I like everything a lot up til' Spankmaster. Sex Style was great, Elvis and Dooom. Where are you going now? What direction are you going in?
I'm gonna get more serious. You like that old Ultramagnetic type stuff?
Yeah.
I'm gonna go to back to the Bronx type stuff. Some serious shit. I was gonna do gimmicks, but I'll let Outkast finish that off. You got that shit?
No. Other than you and some DJs and not much else, I stopped listening to music in 97... What do you like now?
I like that down south type stuff. Young Bloods.
Who is Nancy Des Rose? How did you hook up with her?
She's some pop type stuff. I'm going to do some pop project. I just put her in the studio. I'm experimenting. I'm gonna do some pop.
How many projects are you working on?
Like 2000.
When is your next solo?
I just did Lost Masters. I'm working on some serious stuff. No more album titles. Just serious. Like a collectors edition, in volumes. Endless non conceptual volumes. That would be cool for the people. I won't have to meet industry standards. I let Kurt and Automator do their albums for the reviews. I want to put out like 800 albums.
Like comic books?
Yeah. That's what I want to do.
Are you working on any collaborations?
Uh, John Lee Hooker and um, Stone Temple Pilots. Maybe, I might do a song with Michael Jackson, if he gets off his case. Ha ha.
Ha, what do you think about all that?
He loves the kids, man. Michael Jackson is a regular normal guy. He just has to keep his rejuvenation, like I collect Hot Wheels.
Do you remember the shit you did with Beck?
Yeah, I don't know where those are. We did one song together. It never got released.
Who is Bumpy from Keith n Bumpy?
Bumpy went to do his time. He just came up and busted a rap. He should be out soon.
So, That's not Freddie Foxxx right?
No.
What's the deal with Fanatik?
I guess he's a fraud.
He ripped off a lot of people on the Octo 2 project.
I didn't know about that. I know he is a fraud. Ripping people off. You can write that.
What's up with Topgame?
That Topgame thing is no longer in existence, all these companies don't exist. They are all courtesy of Bicycle Music Publishing.
So, what are you doing then?
I might come back with an Ultramagnetic album. I want to see how lazy they are first. I gotta do more tours, more gigs. I'm gonna do my internet shows. So I can make my announcements about touring, my volumes and all my shit. Promoters aren't having the best equipment and they aren't remodeling.
Hey yo, what do you think of Kurt?
He's good, I just don't think his sound changes much. I like Masters, but I only liked a few tracks off Motion's album. What's going on with you and Kurt?
I told Kurt to update some of his equipment. I don't want to work with Kurt and Automator any more though. I don't want to do anymore records. I just want to do my albums in motion. I don't want to do characters. They kept me confined to my creativity. I just felt like I'm stuck. They have a robotic movement. They work at a more constructing place. They have a schedule. I don't want to repeat the same sounds. I like to do stuff without them. Nothing against them. I like making things naturally. When I did Black Elvis and Critical, we did it in a studio. With Kurt and Automator we did it in like a kitchen, an apartment with phones ringing and people cooking eggs and shit. That was less professional. They want me to work with them, but I don't want to conform. They set the public with an expectation and go for the best. I just want to make records because I don't give a fuck. Make records that you like, not for the people. I don't think Kool and the Gang did Funky Stuff for Japan or just one country. You know, like this will do good in Switzerland lets get this producer.
Tommy Boy wanted me to do a house record, but I don't have to cater to a market like Outkast. The industry placed them in that direction. Columbia got mad cause I wouldn't put on monkey suits for them. I think they got mad. I took a look at the industry, Korn is distinctive, I am distinctive.
You writin' this down?
Yeah. Here's what I got………
All these bands in AP got on the same simple black t-shirts. Those outfits that you see now are the outfits that Columbia wanted me to wear. It took people off the focus. I couldn't do what Andre is doing. Miles Davis never conformed to pop jazz, and he was mad at Louis Armstrong. Like I told Kurt, there is too much time going by to put cartoons on records.
I did Black Elvis to be Black Elvis. The public took it too less serious. I wanted to be serious. What makes others so creative? I woke up at the Warped Tour. They play guitars wearing just tattoos. Like, Missy Elliot works too hard, she does too much. That's when I knew urban radio was fucked up. Since, when do people adapt to that change?
I love the “Bamboozle.” At every Columbia shoot, I canceled because of the outfits. I couldn't sleep at night thinking of the shit they wanted me to where. I would have been so pop you wouldn't even be talking on the phone with me right now.
I respect the south, Lil' Jon and the Eastside Boys, David Banner, when No Limit came out, even back to Arrested Development. They be buckdancin'. It's like a mental set. Its not about the music, it's about what company can make you where a garbage bag on your head, wear a suit. I want my music identity. They will be remembered for images that they will regret. Rap came too far from city streets to go out like this.
You writin' this down?
Yeah I got it man…..
Cool, so yeah.
Yeah. So, you think we can get another interview sometime?
Yeah. I got some songs written. I'll get you some pictures too.
Nice. Alright, later. Thanks.
Bye.