JJ Doom - Keys to the Kuffs [CD]

Key to the Kuffs hits all of DOOM's angles, from the well-documented (wise-ass shit-talker) to the underrated (political agitator) to the overlooked (sentimental romantic). And with the co-billed producer angle JJ being Jneiro Jarel, there's the added potential to see this as another case of a collaboration providing a new facet to an already ambiguous public face. Key to the Kuffs has a persona that's a lot harder to pinpoint than Madvillainy's blunted Jack Kirby surrealism or the adult-cartoon goofiness of The Mouse and the Mask. He's still missile-silo deep with vocabulary, and when his voice backs him up, he's untouchable. The thematic tracks are heavy on the diabolical brainiac grifter guise that's fueled his post-KMD creativity for some 15 years, balancing knowledge and absurdity like a master.