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Dr. Octagonecologyst
File:Dr. Octagon.jpg
Studio album by Kool Keith

Released

May 7, 1996

Recorded

March 1995 - February 1996

Studio

The Glue Factory
(San Francisco, CA)

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

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
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
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