Extra Kool

Whether by himself or with his Dirty Laboratory cohorts as a member of Optik Fusion Embrace, the Grimies, Teem Geezus and Creature From the Whack Lagoon, Extra Kool offers penetrating insights into the human condition with every line that passes his lips. Even a casual listen to his songs makes it immediately obvious that this guy is coming from a different world than most of his contemporaries. While many rappers extol the virtues of decadence, Kool's lean, dark vision of human existence is refreshingly devoid of sexism or celebration of self-destructive urges. Instead, his songs come off as bleak yet energetic, with a refusal to accept the mediocrity and endless compromises of everyday life at their core. An archly fearless live performer, Extra Kool (due at the hi-dive on Tuesday, February 26) challenges his audiences with an unwavering stare and a direct and hauntingly intense vocal delivery. Part modern-day Dadaist, part hip-hop art terrorist, Extra Kool is the essence of truth in advertising.