Kool Keith: Thirteen Tracks of Sonic Psychosis, Zero AI

Producer Mike Redman builds the world, Chuck D, DJ Shadow, Del and a full cypher walk through it

Few MCs have made a catalog as hard to file as Kool Keith's. Ultramagnetic MC's, Dr. Octagon, Dr. Dooom, Black Elvis: four decades of doing it his own way. On August 28, he added Sonic Psychosis, a 13-track album made with producer Mike Redman, who owns Redrum Recordz.

The liner notes state it plainly: no form of AI was used in making the album. Redman painted the cover himself, a cosmic red backdrop with hypnotic imagery, and he composed, produced and mixed every track. The one shared production credit goes to DJ Shadow on "Uh-Oh, It's Me Again." The instrumentals were recorded at Redrum Studios in Rotterdam, while Keith's vocals were recorded in New York City by J. Stylez.

The guest list reads like a family reunion. Ras Kass and DJ Lord are on "Lyrical Insanity," Killah Priest on "Psychedelic," Del The Funky Homosapien on "Traveling Through Time," and Craig G on "Times Square." "From Beyond The Galaxy" is a full cypher with Sadat X, Mr Lif, Young Zee and Trackstar The DJ. Scratching is split among Redman, DJ Lord, DJ Shadow and Trackstar.

The closer is the title track with Chuck D and DJ Lord. According to MRC Hip Hop, it's the first time Keith and Chuck D have appeared on the same song. The album opens with a nod to Keith's roots, a track called "The Ultramagnetic."

As for how it lands, Hip Hop Golden Age calls it one of the most convincing Keith releases in years. Their argument is that Redman gives Keith one consistent world to move around in, something his huge catalog hasn't always had. Redman, per MRC Hip Hop, is known for his work with Public Enemy and his Deformer project.

Thirteen tracks, and we're still not tired of them. "The Ultramagnetic," "Lyrical Insanity," "Ultraman 7000," "Times Square" and the title track have been on heavy rotation in the Funknuz office. Kool Keith is still the real deal, and with an A-list of guests riding Mike Redman's funk-heavy beats, this one feels like a 2026 classic.

Sounds

Sources & Further Reading

1. Redrum Recordz – Album page, credits and tracklist
2. MRC Hip Hop – First Look at Sonic Psychosis
3. Hip Hop Golden Age – Sonic Psychosis review
4. Discogs – Release entry

Official Artist Links

No affiliation — Funknuz earns nothing from these links; they go straight to the artist.

• Redrum Recordz – Buy Sonic Psychosis on Bandcamp
• Redrum Recordz – Label website

A note on this article: This piece was researched and drafted with Funknuz AI, then edited, fact-checked, and finalized by our editorial team. All sourcing is linked above. AI can make mistakes, and so can we — if something reads off, that's on us, not the tech.