Kool Keith at Trees

After founding New York’s Ultramagnetic MCs, an institution in underground hip-hop, Keith Thornton went solo in 1996 with Dr. Octagonecologyst. Along with his trademark moniker Kool Keith, he adopted others, including Black Elvis, Dr. Octagon and Dr. Dooom. Kool Keith’s peculiar flow ranges from raunchy to nerdy to gory, and he credits himself for introducing costumes and personae into hip-hop and influencing every emcee on today’s scene. The claim is brash, no doubt, but he might be on to something.