MC Skat Cat

Let Us Now Praise Famous Cats is proud to get things started with the hugely underappreciated MC Skat Kat. This charismatic cartoon cat is best known for his co-starring role in the music video to Paula Abdul’s 1990 smash hit, “Opposites Attract”. Throughout the video, Skat Kat matches Ms. Abdul move-for-move, trading soulful vocal lines enumerating the many differences that threaten to drive them apart before delivering the famed middle-eight rap (at roughly 2:05) wherein the paradoxical structure of the male/female relationship is summed up as nicely as it ever will be.



Following up on the success of the video, Skat Kat released his only full length album, 1991’s The Adventures of Skat Kat and the Stray Mob. While maligned by the critical intelligentsia, the album was loved by many and is, to this day, a sought-after collector’s item.



Skat Kat dropped off the public radar for a few years after his album. But in 1995 he made brief comeback when his song “Take It Back” was featured in a public service announcement about recycling. Unfortunately, “Take It Back” failed to capture the hearts of even the most environmentally-conscious Americans and the single did not chart. This appears to have been Skat Kat’s last public endeavor as almost no information can be found on his subsequent activity.

Despite the somewhat sad trajectory of his career, I truly believe that history will ultimately vindicate Skat Kat. Perhaps this is a first step in that direction?