Rapper mulled Ca. gov. run

Rapper mulled Ca. gov. run NEW YORK (Billboard) -- Kool Keith, the enigmatic rapper who made a name for himself as a member of Ultramagnetic MCs, came dangerously close to joining the growing roster of celebrities vying to replace embattled California Gov. Gray Davis.

Keith's publicist, Craig Melone, says, "We were seriously preparing to have Keith take a run at politics.

"We pulled the necessary paperwork, and label president Carl Caprioglio had cut the check," Melone continues. "We guessed there would be a handful of candidates, but after we saw how it was panning out, we decided against it. It was an interesting concept: Vote Black Elvis & Dr. Doom for governor. That's a bumper sticker people would remember."

Instead of digging up political dirt on opponents, Keith has dug into his vault and pulled out a cache of previously unreleased songs that he has compiled as a CD, titled "The Lost Masters." DMAFT/Oglio Records released the set August 26.

The album features songs that Keith says he wanted to "keep for my own. It is a collage of my music and a road map of my inspirations."

The album contains "as many lost tracks as I could dig up. I found them everywhere: in my dresser, in my suitcases, my kitchen drawers. When I actually started looking, I was like, 'Damn! Where has this been hiding?' "