Dr. Octagonecologyst | |
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File:Dr. Octagon.jpg Studio album by Kool Keith | |
Released |
May 7, 1996 |
Recorded |
March 1995 - February 1996 |
Studio |
The Glue Factory |
Genre |
East Coast hip hop, Horrorcore, Alternative hip hop, Underground hip hop, Psychedelic hip hop |
Length |
65:48 |
Label |
Bulk Records / Mo' Wax |
Producer |
Dan The Automator, KutMasta Kurt |
Kool Keith Chronology | |
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Next |
"Sex Style" (1997) |
Dr. Octagonecologyst is the debut solo studio album by American rapper and Ultramagnetic MC's member Kool Keith, who released the album under the alias Dr. Octagon. A shorter version of the album, titled as Dr. Octagon, was released on May 7th, 1996, on Bulk Recordings in the United States, and as Mo' Wax in the United Kingdom. The full album appeared under the title Dr. Octagonecologyst on DreamWorks Records in 1997. The set was produced by Dan "The Automator" Nakamura and showcased scratching and turntablism by DJ Qbert. KutMasta Kurt provided additional production work. The artwork for Dr. Octagonecologyst was drawn by Brian "Pushead" Schroeder.
Dr. Octagonecologyst introduces the character of Dr. Octagon, a homicidal, extraterrestrial, time-traveling gynecologist and surgeon. The album's distinctive sound crosses many different genres such as psychedelic, trip hop, old school hip hop, horrorcore, and electronic music. Thornton's lyrics are often abstract, absurd, and avant-garde, using surrealism, non-sequiturs, hallucinatory psychedelia, and horror and science-fiction imagery, as well as sexual humor, absurdist/surrealistic humor, and juvenile humor. The unique sound and lyrics of Dr. Octagonecologyst helped revitalize alternative and underground hip hop, gaining more attention than any contemporary independent hip hop album "in quite a while" as stated by Steve Huey of Allmusic.
Although it did not sell enough copies to reach the mainstream music charts, the album was well received with positive reviews and recognition. Thornton's lyrics and Nakamura's production were highly praised, as was DJ Qbert's innovative scratching. Dr. Octagonecologyst has since been ranked as one of the best hip hop albums of the 1990s by many different news outlets and critics. The character of Dr. Octagon has appeared in multiple works by Thornton, including First Come, First Served (1999) and Dr. Dooom 2 (2008), both of which contain tracks in which Octagon is murdered by Dr. Dooom.
In a 2012 interview with lyrics website, Genius, Kool Keith stated that the album sold around 200,000 copies without any major promotion or marketing budget.
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1 | Intro | Nakamura | Dan The Automator | 1:16 |
2 | 3000 | Thornton, Nakamura | Dan The Automator | 3:20 |
3 | I Got to Tell You | Thornton, Nakamura | Dan The Automator | 0:48 |
4 | Earth People | Thornton, Nakamura | Dan The Automator | 4:58 |
5 | No Awareness (Feat. Sir Menelik) | Thornton, Nakamura, Collington | Dan The Automator | 4:25 |
6 | Real Raw | Thornton, Nakamura | Dan The Automator | 5:35 |
7 | General Hospital | Nakamura | Dan The Automator | 0:26 |
8 | Blue Flowers | Thornton, Nakamura | Dan The Automator | 3:17 |
9 | Technical Difficulties | Thornton, Matlin | Kutmasta Kurt | 2:57 |
10 | A Visit to the Gynecologyst | Nakamura | Dan The Automator | 2:20 |
11 | Bear Witness | Thornton, Nakamura | Dan The Automator | 3:00 |
12 | Dr. Octagon (Feat. Sir Menelik) | Thornton, Matlin, Collington | Kutmasta Kurt | 4:37 |
13 | Girl Let Me Touch You | Thornton, Nakamura | Dan The Automator | 3:40 |
14 | I'm Destructive | Thornton, Nakamura | Dan The Automator | 3:25 |
15 | Wild and Crazy | Thornton, Nakamura | Dan The Automator | 4:27 |
16 | Elective Surgery | Thornton, Nakamura | Dan The Automator | 0:52 |
17 | halfsharkalligatorhalfman | Thornton, Nakamura | Dan The Automator | 4:29 |
18 | Blue Flowers Revisited | Thornton, Nakamura | Dan The Automator | 4:15 |
19 | Waiting List (DJ Shadow/Automator Mix) | Thornton, Nakamura | Dan The Automator | 5:09 |
20 | 1997 | Thornton, Nakamura | Dan The Automator | 2:24 |