After killing off his
Dr. Octagon
alias and resurrecting himself as an intergalactic
Little Richard
named
Black Elvis
(coiffured appropriately),
Kool Keith
returned in 1999 with his much-anticipated debut for
Ruffhouse
. Compared to the scatological bombast sprayed all over his
First Come, First Served
LP (released as
Dr. Dooom
on his own
Funky Ass
label earlier that year),
Black Elvis/Lost in Space
is remarkably tame. And despite jettisoning cohorts
the Automator
and
DJ QBert
, the results sound surprisingly similar to the
album: sparse 808 beats, a few bizarre, faintly menacing organ lines for hooks, and a sample or two the likes of which have never been heard on a
Dr. Dre
record (like the odd banjo pickings on
"Livin' Astro"
). Also cropping up are a few of
Keith
's patented psychedelic nightmares (reminiscent of
"Blue Flowers"
"Earth People"
), including
"Lost in Space,"
"Rockets on the Battlefield,"
"I'm Seein' Robots."
For
"Supergalactic Lover,"
injects a bit of stuttered
Timbaland
funk into the mix, though this tale of sexual prowess is appropriately schizoid. If
doesn't make quite the splash of 1996's
, it's mostly because there's a distinct sense that
is retreading familiar (through incredibly fun) territory. One thing's for sure,
's scratching is definitely missed. ~ John Bush