Black Bastards
Black Bastards is the second and final studio album by KMD, completed in 1993 and eventually released in 2001 through ReadyRock. Initially, the album was scheduled for release in 1993, but Elektra Records canceled the album, reportedly due to the controversial cover art, which shows a Sambo figure being lynched, and its black nationalist, Five-Percenter lyrics. However, the album displayed no obvious Five-Percenter rhetoric, yet the project was racially candid, as demonstrated by the album title, its cover art, and the sample collage intro. Zev Love X's brother DJ Subroc was killed when he was struck by a car shortly before the album was completed.
Rare and demo tracks recorded during the making of this album were released on a vinyl-only EP titled Black Bastards Ruffs + Rares in 1998.
The album was re-released in 2001 by Sub Verse Music and again in 2008 by MF Doom's own Metal Face Records.
Critical reception
The album received mixed to positive review from music critics. Douglas Siwek of AllMusic wrote "The sound of the record is very raw and sounds unfinished due to Elektra shelving the project, but it doesn't take away from the magic that would have made this a suitable follow-up." Steven Juon of RapReviews praised the album's lyrics but wrote that he wished "they would have taken a little more care in mastering and recording this disk."Track listing
| # | Title | Producer | Performer | Time |
| 1 | "Garbage Day #3" | Subroc | *Interlude* | 2:14 |
| 2 | "Get-U-Now" | Subroc | Zev Love X | 2:27 |
| 3 | "What a Nigga Know?" | KMD | Zev Love X, Subroc | 3:26 |
| 4 | "Sweet Premium Wine" | Subroc | Zev Love X, Subroc | 3:09 |
| 5 | "Plumskinzz. " | KMD | Zev Love X | 1:43 |
| 6 | "Smokin' That S*#%" | Subroc | Zev Love X, Kurious, Earth Quake, Lord Sear, Subroc | 4:40 |
| 7 | "Contact Blitt" | Zev Love X | Zev Love X | 2:42 |
| 8 | "Gimme" | KMD | Subroc | 3:50 |
| 9 | "Black Bastards!" | Subroc | Zev Love X | 4:00 |
| 10 | "It Sounded like a Roc" | Subroc | Subroc | 4:34 |
| 11 | "Plumskinzz. " | Subroc | Subroc | 1:40 |
| 12 | "Constipated Monkey" | KMD, Q4 | Zev Love X | 2:47 |
| 13 | "F*#@ wit' Ya Head" | KMD | H20, CMOB, Zev Love X, Subroc | 4:35 |
| 14 | "Suspended Animation" | KMD | Zev Love X | 2:20 |
Bonus tracks on Sub Verse reissue
Personnel
- Lord Sear – Vocals
- Q4 – Producer