Lil' Keke

by Jason Birchmeier
A member of the loosely organized Houston-based rap collective known as the Screwed Up Click, Lil Keke quickly proved himself to be one of the collectives strongest artists, strongly aligning himself with the citys underground rap don DJ Screw. By not only appearing on countless Screwed DJ mixes but also a seemingly endless number of other albums to come out of the South, Keke also became one of Houstons most visible rappers, releasing solo albums for Jam Down Records. His debut album, Dont Mess Wit Texas (1997), affirmed his talent as a rapper, proving that he could hold down an albums worth of tracks. His follow-up, Commission (1998), similarly found him again showcasing his lucid flow. By the time of It Was All a Dream (1999), Keke had become one of the hottest young rappers in Houston and continued to record albums annually.