Kool Keith‘s debut solo album. Release date: May 7, 1996.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjKHQeRSvjk

Dr. Octagonecologyst is the debut solo album of Ultramagnetic MCs member Kool Keith, who released the album under the alias Dr. Octagon. It was released May 7, 1996, on Bulk Recordings in the United States and Mo’ Wax in the United Kingdom, and re-released in the US on DreamWorks Records in 1997. Dr. Octagonecologyst was produced by Dan “The Automator” Nakamura and featured the work of turntablist DJ Qbert. KutMasta Kurt provided additional production work. The artwork for Dr. Octagonecologyst was drawn by Brian “Pushead” Schroeder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sBI60bV-A8

Dr. Octagonecologyst introduces the character of Dr. Octagon, a homicidal, extraterrestrial, time-traveling gynecologist and surgeon. The album’s distinctive sound crosses genres such as psychedelic music, trip hop, horrorcore, and electronic music. Thornton’s lyrics are often abstract, using surrealism, non-sequiturs, hallucinatory psychedelia, horror and science-fiction imagery, 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“.

https://youtu.be/u6lgzqsVslA

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. 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 Rap Genius, Kool Keith stated that the album sold around 200,000 copies without any major promotion or marketing budget.

Thornton has been praised for his lyrics, which are often abstract, surreal, and filled with non-sequiturs and juvenile humor. Music critic Chairman Mao wrote that Dr. Octagonecologyst occupies “…the heretofore-undefined area where hip-hop meets hallucinatorysci-fi and porn.” In the album’s narrative, Dr. Octagon is an extraterrestrial, time-traveling gynecologist and surgeon originally fromJupiter. Dr. Octagon’s history is detailed throughout the album’s songs, skits, and samples. “Real Raw” describes him as having yellow eyes, green skin, and a pink-and-white Afro haircut. “General Hospital,” “A Visit to the Gynecologist,” and “Elective Surgery” detail a list of services offered by Octagon, who claims to treat chimpanzee acne and moosebumps, and relocating saliva glands. Octagon is described as being incompetent, as many of his surgery patients die as he conducts his rounds. Octagon also pretends to be a female gynecologist and often engages in sexual intercourse with female patients and nurses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNLjpaU6Qos

According to Mickey Hess, author of Is Hip Hop Dead? The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Most-Wanted Music, “The album’s beginning and ending tie together the stories of the fictional character Dr. Octagon and the rap career of Kool Keith Thornton himself: We begin with ‘3000’ and end with ‘1977,’ which purports to be an audio recording from an early rap performance by Kool Keith announcing a 1977 rap show featuring pioneers Grandmaster Flash, Kool Herc, the L Brothers, and the original scratch creator Grand Wizard Theodore. The message is clear: Kool Keith is a part of hip-hop history, and even as rap moves on to the future, Dr. Octagon does not replace Kool Keith.” (Wikipedia)