Fanatik J

In 2003 music producer/guitar instructor Fanatik-J collaborated with celebrity rapper Kool Keith (aka Dr. Octagon) in Hollywood, California on a follow-up to the hit record "Dr. Octagon" (re-released on Spielberg's Dreamworks Records, 1996).

The original album, "Dr. Octagon", is widely considered by critics to be one of the most influential albums in the history of hip-hop music and it launched the internationally renowned careers of San Francisco super-producer Dan the Automator and the legendary San Francisco DJ, DJ Q-Bert. After the success of the Dr. Octagon album Kool Keith went on to appear on The Prodigy's multi-platinum smash-hit "Smack My Bitch Up" (released on Madonna's Maverick Records). The music video for this song was named MTV's "Most Controversial Video" of all time after it appeared in the #1 position on MTV's Most Controversial Videos television special.

By 2003 a much anticipated reprise of the "Dr. Octagon" album was in the works and Kool Keith selected local music producer [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=87315617 Fanatik-J] to co-write the songs and produce the album. Upon completion of the demo tracks [http://www.koolkeith.co.uk Kool Keith] signed a recording contract with Los Angeles' CMH Records and their subsidiary Vitamin Records. Kool Keith and Fanatik-J objected to clauses in the production contracts and Fanatik-J refused the use of his materials in the album. Fanatik-J retained the services of Los Angeles attorney Edward Shapiro and successfully blocked the release until the summer of 2006 when CMH Records, OCD International and Vitamin Records released the album with the inclusion of Fanatik-J's copyrighted materials. While the album went on to garner attention from MTV News, MTV 2, VH1 and Rolling Stone Magazine it was widely criticized on the Internet by fans and bloggers as being un-authentic. [http://www.eastbayexpress.com/music/kool_keith_cd_scam_exposed/Content?oid=291467 The East Bay Express] ' [http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2007/07/david_downs.php David Downs] (Village Voice Media Group) made the claim to be the first to print allegations regarding the controversy surrounding "The Return of Dr. Octagon" and these allegations were subsequently [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/25/AR2006082501297.html reported] on in the Washington Post (screen shot) and in other media outlets.

Relevant Links

* [http://harkhiphop.blogspot.com/ Blog about the lawsuit-with links]
* [http://www.eastbayexpress.com/music/kool_keith_cd_scam_exposed/Content?oid=291467 East Bay Express article]
* [http://www.fanatikj.com Fanatik-J's Official Website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/kangols Fanatik-J's Return of Dr. Octagon on Myspace]
* [http://www.myspace.com/autocrator Fanatik-J's Return of Dr. Octagon #2 on Myspace]
* [http://www.myspace.com/fanatikjproductions Fanatik-J Productions on Myspace]
* [http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/kool_keith/artist.jhtml Kool Keith-MTV's official biography]
* [http://www.ultrakeith.net UltraKeith.net]