First Come, First Served is the third solo studio album by American recording artist Kool Keith, and the first he released under the alias Dr. Dooom. It was released on May 4, 1999, by Funky Ass Records. The album featured guest appearances from Jacky Jasper and Motion Man, and was produced entirely by KutMasta Kurt and Kool Keith. It peaked at number 48 on the Heatseekers Albums.[1]
Music
Production
Production duties from the album were handled by KutMasta Kurt. AllMusic critic Steve Huey noted that the musical style of the album was an attempt to replicate the production style of Dr. Octagonecologyst.[2]
Lyrical themes and storyline
The album's concept involves a serial killer named Dr. Dooom, who has a fondness for "cannibalism, pet rats, and Flintstones vitamins".[2] The album opens with Dr. Dooom murdering Dr. Octagon. According to Steve Huey, this "[signals] Keith's desire to move away from the alternative audience who embraced that album and back to his roots in street-level hip-hop".[2] The lyrical content is darker and more violent than that of Dr. Octagonecologyst.[2] Huey states that the album's lyrics are "way too far out to fulfill Keith's aspirations; he simply doesn't fit into hip-hop's obsession with realism."[2] The album's cover art was designed by Pen & Pixel Graphics as a parody of the covers they had previously created for No Limit Records releases, such as Silkk the Shocker's Charge It 2 Da Game.[2]
Critical response was positive. Robert Christgau wrote that "No rapper has ever imagined such disgusting apartments—lurid locales with fluorescent cereal on the floor. More than all the 'body parts in shopping carts,' it's the decor that puts the 'fake gangstahardcore stories' Dooom despises to shame."[4] Huey wrote that "The second half loses a bit of focus as it gets away from the concept, but overall it's pretty consistent".[2]