Kool Keith No Longer On Sony

03/30/2000 3:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Craig Rosen

(3/30/00, 3 p.m. ET) - Eccentric rapper Kool Keith recently severed ties with Sony Music, which released his major-label debut solo album, Black Elvis/Lost In Space, last year. Sony chose not to renew its option with the former Ultramagnetic MC's member, according to Keith's manager, who also said that Keith no longer wanted to be affiliated with the company.

Not being on a major label should hardly slow Keith, who releases a number of albums on independent labels and performs more than a hundred shows per year. In fact, his manager says Keith enjoys the freedom of being independent. "For Keith, it works," his manager says. "He just feels it's better for him to be independent."

Keith's ill feelings toward Sony Music are well documented. In late 1999, Keith, who has also recorded as Dr. Octagon and Dr. Dooom, sent his fans an e-mail criticizing the way Sony Music handled his Black Elvis/Lost In Space album. In the e-mail, he wrote that he was upset at the lack of promotion his album was receiving.

For now, Keith fans can catch the rapper trading verses with Ol' Dirty Bastard on the World Wrestling Federation Aggression compilation album. The album also features Redman, Snoop Dogg, Method Man, C-Murder, and others updating the theme music of various wrestlers.

-- Soren Baker, Los Angeles

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