KMD

KMD
Origin	Long Beach, New York, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop
Years active	1988-1994
Labels	Elektra
Associated acts	3rd Bass
Past members	DJ Subroc Onyx the Birthstone Kid Rodan Zev Love X

KMD (an initialism of Kausing Much Damage) was an American hip hop group from Long Beach, New York. The group is best known for launching the career of rapper and record producer Zev Love X, who would later become known as MF DOOM. Zev Love X, his younger brother DJ Subroc and Rodan formed KMD in 1988; Onyx the Birthstone Kid replaced Rodan soon after. The group's name was established as an initialism of Kausing Much Damage but was adjusted to Kause in a Much Damaged Society before the release of their debut album.

KMD was formed as a graffiti crew. MC Serch met the group at community functions, and recruited Zev Love X to appear on the song "The Gas Face" for the album The Cactus Album by Serch's group 3rd Bass. The appearance caught the attention of A&R executive Dante Ross, who signed the group to Elektra. KMD released their debut album Mr. Hood in 1991, which contained songs that focus on racism and black empowerment in a comical manner.

The group recorded their follow up, Black Bastards, in 1993, and the album signified a departure from their lighthearted previous release with a more serious subject matter. Onyx the Birthstone Kid left the group before the recording sessions. Subroc was killed while attempting to cross a Long Island expressway in April 1993. The album's title and cover art proved too controversial for Elektra's management, who instructed Ross to give Zev Love X the master tapes and $20,000 as incentive to leave the label in 1994. Black Bastards was heavily bootlegged until it was officially released in 2000. Zev Love X disappeared from the hip hop music scene until his reemergence in 1998 under the pseudonym MF DOOM.

Discography

Studio albums

• 1991: Mr. Hood
• 1993: Black Bastards (shelved; released 2000)