Dr. Dooom

Dr. Dooom 2

[2/5]

Exactly twice to date, Kool Keith has come up with a really good album-length concept (Dr. Octagonecologyst, Sex Style); he’s fallen short of the mark several other times (Matthew, Black Elvis/Lost In Space). This dyspeptic new offering is another miss. Keith has beef with rappers who sell more records than he, because in his view, they do so by shucking and jiving for label execs and (one assumes) white people. He makes this point over and over on “Step-N-Fetchers,” “The God Of Rap” and “Always Talkin’ Out Your Ass.” The beats underpinning his insults and (occasionally hilarious) diatribes are adequate, but nothing more. On “Simon,” an inexplicable choice of album opener, he goes after American Idol judge Simon Cowell. Maybe if Keith had spent more time working on his lyrics and less time watching reality TV, this would be a better album. (THRESHOLD/TRAFFIC) Phil Freeman