Act a Fool

L.A. rapper King Tee had been on the scene for several years before releasing his debut album, which was entirely produced by musical partner DJ Pooh. His relaxed, cruising flow is well suited to the stories he tells and his casual braggadocio — he’s convinced of his greatness, but he never seems to feel the need to shout others down or threaten them with destruction, relying on wit and charm to get over. The track titles tell the story: “Act A Fool,” “The Coolest,” “Flirt,” “Let’s Dance,” “Just Clowning.” Despite its grim cover image, this is a curiously low-stakes and even goofy album; King Tee had more in common with the Fresh Prince or Chubb Rock than Ice Cube or Eazy-E.