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Black Bastards is the second and final studio album by KMD (an American rap trio featuring an early alias of MF Doom), completed in 1993 and eventually released on May 15, 2000, through Readyrock Records.[4] Initially, the album was scheduled for release in May 1994, but Elektra Records canceled the album, reportedly due to the controversial cover art, which shows a Sambo figure being lynched.[5] Zev Love X's brother DJ Subroc was killed when he was struck by a car shortly before the album was completed, and subsequent releases of the album have featured dedications to him.

Black Bastards
Studio album by KMD
Released	May 15, 2000[1]
Recorded	March–August 1993
Studio	Chung King Studios, New York, New York
Genre	Hardcore hip hop
Length	44:07
Label	Readyrock, Metal Face
Producer	Subroc, Zev Love X, Q4
KMD chronology
Black Bastards Ruffs + Rares (1998) Black Bastards (2000) Best of KMD (2003)
MF Doom chronology
Operation: Doomsday (1999) Black Bastards (2000) MF EP (2000)
Singles from Black Bastards
"What a Nigga Know?" Released: March 8, 1994[2] "It Sounded Like a Roc" Released: 1999[3]

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[6] and again in 2008 by MF Doom's own Metalface Records.[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[8]
Pitchfork	8.4/10[7]
RapReviews	6.5/10[9]
Robert Christgau	A−[10]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[11]
Spin	7/10[12]

The album received generally positive reviews 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."[5]

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from album's liner notes.[13]

Personnel

• Dingilizwe Dumile – production
• Daniel Dumile – production
• KMD – production

Additional Personnel

• The CMOB – additional vocals
• Earth Quake – additional vocals
• H2O – additional vocals
• J.Alvarez – additional vocals
• Lord Sear – additional vocals
• B.Thompson – bass guitar (11)
• Q4 – co-production (11)
• Sub – executive production
• Doom – executive production
• Cas – executive production
• Jay-G – executive production
• Yuri – executive production

Artwork[14]

• The EMEF – cover illustration
• Scotch 79th – visuals

References

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