I'll admit – I didn't listen to
much hip-hop growing up. Sure, NWA, Public Enemy and A Tribe Called Quest were
important to my young ears, but once I hit middle school and discovered rock
'n' roll my tastes changed. That is until I heard Dr. Octagonecologyst.
Suddenly I'd stumbled upon the alternative to all the thug rap that my friends
were listening to. This was weird. It wasn't obsessed with bling,
bitches and killing people who questioned your authority (though it touched on
these subjects in its own warped way). And, most importantly, it had a sense of
humor. With Dr. Octagonecologyst, Dr. Octagon, aka Kool Keith, revealed
himself as a David Lynch of rap; relishing in absurdity without losing sight of
a single, brilliant image.
In 1996, seemingly out of nowhere, Dr. Octagon was born -
half shark-alligator, half man. He created a hospital that specialized in
otherworldly surgeries ("we specialize in any kind of rectal rebuilding,
relocated saliva glands, and of course, moose bumps") and warped sex
therapy ("girl let me touch you there, I wanna feel you.") He was
from another planet (Jupiter) before Outkast put out ATLiens. The beats
(by then unknown Dan the Automator) - part sci-fi, part horror movie - and DJ
Q-Bert's deft scratching abilities perfectly matched Kool Keith's
beyond-left-field lyrics.
There are stand out tracks (e.g. "3000" and
"Blue Flowers") on Dr. Octagonecologyst, but this is a true
long player. Furthermore, unlike most rap albums where the interludes grow
stale after one listen, on Dr. Octagonecologyst they complete the image.
With samples from obscure porno films and hilarious ER-like sketches
that introduce tools like "scissors, hammer, flame" and proclaim
"ok, getting ready to stab - jam it in!" the overall insanity of it
is endlessly listenable.
In short, Dr. Octagonecologyst introduced an oddly
compelling alternative to mainstream rap. And, even though the album didn't
have a serious message, its willingness to push limits paved the way for other
non-traditional rap groups to do their thing (Outkast, Gorillaz, etc.). Most
importantly, it showcased a young team of future hip-hop pioneers getting
everything right. Dr. Octagonecologyst is a classic and will sound fresh
for decades to come.
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