Kool Keith, a.k.a. Dr. Octagon, entered a recording studio on Monday to begin production on his Columbia/Ruffhouse Records debut.|

The elusive Keith, who disappeared last year just before his group was to join the Lollapalooza tour, has resurfaced and signed a multi-album deal with Ruffhouse, the home of the Fugees, Cypress Hill and Armand Van Helden, according to a spokesman for the label.

The self-produced album, which is tentatively titled The Original Black Elvis, is being cut at the Ruffhouse studios in Conshohocken, Pa., and looks to be released some time this fall.

"I'm in a great family and [the album's] going to be great," Keith told JAMTV from his cell phone in a Philadelphia music shop on Monday. "I'm just coming with the new stuff."

While certain collaborations are expected for this album, at press time none were confirmed. In the past, Keith has worked with DJ Shadow, DJ Q-Bert, the Automator and Ultramagnetic MCs.

Keith, a one-time Bellevue Hospital psychiatric patient, began his career in the highly influential New York hip hop group the Ultramagnetic MCs in 1984. Following a nearly 10-year career of super hot break beats and eclectic sampling, the group split. Keith went on to form Dr. Octagon in 1995. (Ari Bendersky)