Spankmaster is the sixth solo studio album by American rapper and producer Kool Keith. It was released on June 5, 2001, through Overcore/Gothom with distribution via TVT Records. Recording sessions took place at Overture Recording in Michigan. Production was handled by Santos, Jacky Jasper, Esham, Marc Live, and Kool Keith himself, who also served as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Jacky Jasper, Esham, Brittany Hurd, Heather Hunter, Laura Ruby and Mary Santos.
| Spankmaster | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 5, 2001 | |||
| Recorded | 2000–01 | |||
| Studio | Overture Recording (Michigan) | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 1:00:15 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Kool Keith chronology | ||||
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The album did not reach the Billboard 200, however, it peaked at number 48 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, number 11 on the Independent Albums and number 16 on the Heatseekers Albums charts in the United States.
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau |  [4] |
| HipHopDX | 3.5/5[2] |
| RapReviews | 3/10[3] |
| (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [5] |
| Vibe | 2/5[6] |
Spankmaster was met with mixed or negative reviews from music critics. Jeff Ryce of HipHopDX wrote: "the sound of this album lies somewhere in between Lost In Space and Matthew, the beats usually consist of heavy synthesizers to create a slow spaced out sound", he added, "while the production can get a little mundane and repetitive it doesn't faze the listener too much because his lyrics demand so much attention".[2] AllMusic's Jason Birchmeier found that the album "heads even further toward insanity than his preceding trilogy of albums for Funky Ass foreshadowed", referring to Keith's albums Sex Style, First Come, First Served and Matthew, and concluded: "recommended to the open-minded, particularly if you admire creativity, long for the uncanny, and secretly have a desire for perversity. Definitely not for the lighthearted".[1]
Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews wrote: "his last album Matthew was full of self-produced beats and meandering stream-of-consciousness thoughts that had little to do with what could honestly be called rapping – and the sad fact is that this album picks right up where Matthew left off".[3] Critic Robert Christgau picked "Dark Vadar" song as a "choice cut",[4] indicating a good song on "an album that isn't worth your time or money".[7]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Concert Intro" |
|
| 0:49 |
| 2. | "I Wanna Play" (featuring Brittany Hurd and Heather Hunter) |
|
| 3:24 |
| 3. | "I'm a Tell-U" | Thornton | Kool Keith | 2:59 |
| 4. | "Mack Trucks" | Thornton | Kool Keith | 2:29 |
| 5. | "Drugs" |
|
| 3:23 |
| 6. | "Yes Yes Y'all" (featuring Esham and Jacky Jasper) |
| Kool Keith | 3:07 |
| 7. | "Haters" | Thornton | Kool Keith | 3:21 |
| 8. | "N.B.A." (featuring Jacky Jasper) |
|
| 2:41 |
| 9. | "Jewelry Shine" (featuring Laura Ruby, Mary Santos and Jacky Jasper) |
|
| 3:32 |
| 10. | "Eldaradoe's" | Thornton | Kool Keith | 2:23 |
| 11. | "Maxin in the Shade" | Thornton | Kool Keith | 3:11 |
| 12. | "Big Frank" |
|
| 3:11 |
| 13. | "Jealous" |
|
| 3:49 |
| 14. | "Girls Would U Fuck Tonight" |
|
| 2:58 |
| 15. | "Stoney Jackson" | Thornton |
| 2:47 |
| 16. | "Girls in Jail" (featuring Jacky Jasper) |
|
| 2:49 |
| 17. | "Blackula" (featuring Jacky Jasper) |
|
| 3:02 |
| 18. | "Dark Vadar" |
|
| 4:03 |
| 19. | "Captain Save 'Em" | Thornton | Kool Keith | 3:45 |
| 20. | "Spank-Master (Take Off Your Clothes)" (featuring Esham and Jacky Jasper) |
|
| 2:32 |
| Total length: | 1:00:15 | |||
Personnel edit
- "Kool" Keith Thornton – vocals, producer, executive producer
- Brittany Hurd – vocals (track 2)
- Heather Hunter – vocals (track 2)
- Sean "Jacky Jasper" Merrick – vocals (tracks: 6, 8, 9, 16, 17, 20), producer (tracks: 1, 2, 5, 15-18, 20)
- Esham Smith – vocals (tracks: 6, 20), producer (tracks: 2, 5, 17, 18, 20)
- Laura Ruby – vocals (track 9)
- Mary Santos – vocals (track 9)
- Scott Santos – guitar (track 18), producer (tracks: 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 15-18, 20), recording & mixing (tracks: 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 15-18, 20), mastering, design, photography
- Marc Giveand – producer (tracks: 12-14)
- Michael Wood – booking
Charts edit
| Chart (2001) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[8] | 48 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[9] | 11 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[10] | 16 |
References edit
- ^ a b Birchmeier, Jason. "Kool Keith - Spankmaster Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Ryce, Jeff (August 21, 2001). "Kool Keith - Spankmaster". HipHopDX. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Juon, Steve 'Flash' (June 19, 2001). "Kool Keith :: Spankmaster – RapReviews". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (November 20, 2001). "Robert Christgau: CG: Artist 758". The Village Voice. Retrieved October 27, 2023 – via www.robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. pp. 466–467. ISBN 978-0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Callahan-Bever, Noah (July 2001). "Kool Keith 'Spankmaster'". Vibe. Vol. 9, no. 7. Vibe Media. p. 131. ISSN 1070-4701.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (2000). "Key to Icons". www.robertchristgau.com. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
- ^ "Kool Keith Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
- ^ "Kool Keith Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
- ^ "Kool Keith Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
External links edit
- Kool Keith – Spankmaster at Discogs (list of releases)