"If I be ghost, expect me back to haunt..."

The barber Subroc was responsible for some of the greatest music ever on KMD's Mr. Hood, but a tragic accident took this artist from the world before he could gain widespread recognition.

The story begins in 1991 with the release of KMD's full length Mr. Hood. This album was generally overlooked despite the relative success of the single "Peachfuzz" and the appearance of KMD's "Brand Nubian friends" on "Nitty Gritty." Despite the lackluster initial response, this album is extremely sought after by collectors and has recently been reissued in England on vinyl.

KMD was made up of Subroc, his brother Zev Love X, and Onyx. Zev Love X and Subroc combine complicated rhymes with their unique accent, while Onyx is reminiscent of early Phife in delivery but with slightly more complex rhyme patterns. The majority of their rhymes could be classified as "conscious" or "pro-black" along the lines of Brand Nubians, but with a definite emphasis on humor. The production (handled mostly by X and Subroc) has a Native Tongues sound, but with fewer recognizable samples than Three Feet High and Rising or People's Instinctive Travels. The music is catchy but adventurous, taking Prince Paul's 1991 sound a step further. Even so, KMD's only guest production credit is for one song on Prime Minister Pete Nice and Daddy Rich's Dust to Dust. They also appear on 3rd Bass' second album.

In 1993, KMD's sophomore album, Black Bastards, is shelved due to conflicts over the cover art (and possibly more). The album is never released, but is highly bootlegged. This album features a maturation in the groups production and lyrics, as well as early collaborations with Kurious, Lord Sear, MF Grimm, and Earthquake, the 300 pound MC.

Shortly thereafter, Subroc dies after being hit by a car. Zev Love X goes on to rerelease much of KMD's old material in the late 90s, including an exuberant solo song from Subroc that ended up on Black Bastards called "It sounded like a rock." Subroc is posthumously recognized as one of the top hip hop producers ever.