Kool Keith - Thee Undertakerz
Thee Undertakerz were formed by Kool Keith and featured Keith as Reverend Tom, Al Bury-U (Big No Name), M-Balmer and the funeral director. Keith's attempt at forming a Horrorcore group. Sadly the production is what really lets most of this project down.
If you're not going to have the most stringent raps, you definitely need fleshed out beats to carry them. Not here unfortunately. Dance track "Party In The Morgue" is fun, but it's a dance track, it's not what I come here for man.
I wanted ugly Dr Dooom darkness on the production tip and some genuinely oddball, dark and grimy rhyming. It's just not really here on this album in the manner I wanted it. "10-8 not a dime" is a prime example. Keith drops a standard rhyme nothing particularly inspiring but the production just doesn't stand up.
"Dark Space" is more of the type of production I craved throughout. A spooky haunted house of horrors production. It's creative, has some thought behind the construction. Probably my favourite track on here. Would have loved to have heard more substantial sounding beats like this!
It does get difficult when listening back to this album, if you are trying to write a review pointing out the better tracks. "Help Me Lord" had me feeling the same thanks to the poor production. "For Whom The Bell Tolls" is a bright spot on an otherwise lacklustre project. The Victorian tragedy type of sample leans toward more of the type of sounds and styles I would have preferred to hear on this.
Outside of Keith, it's hard to really recommend this project. Especially when there's so many other incredible Keith Projects out there. Pick anything else to listen to in Keith's enormous catalogue, but you won't miss out on much if you skip this.
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