Thornton's early career and lyrics with the Ultramagnetic MC's often referenced his time as a patient of Bellevue, a psychiatric hospital, where he was treated for depression. With Ultramagnetic MC's, his abstract style developed, maturing in songs like Poppa Large. He was probably the first rapper to create an alter ego, and then create an alter ego for that alter ego (Kool Keith v. Moe Luv). After the Ultramagnetic MC's broke up, he expanded his resume, experimenting with new styles, including his self-described pornocore, known for pornographic imagery and brutal, abstract lyrics. Sex Style released in 1997, was the showcase for this genre.
Teaming up with Dan the Automator Nakamura under the name Dr. Octagon, Thornton again reinvented his image, recording the self-titled Dr. Octagon album (later reissued under the title Dr. Octagonecologyst) which was released by the English trip hop label Mo Wax. The album received critical acclaim, though mainly from sources outside the mainstream hip-hop community. The critical success of the album helped to open the accessibility of the underground hip hop scene to an appreciative audience. For Dan the Automator, this album laid the foundation for a burgeoning career and accolades as a producer; for Thornton, the success of Dr. Octagonecologyst seemed to put him in danger of being typecast as a "space and Mars" rapper, or an industry tool, which he throughout his career has looked down upon.
His style as a whole is characterized by non sequiturs and bizarre commentary, particularly anal, fecal and genital references. For example, "Chief administrator suck my oil," "Dr. Ludicrous I turn into an octopus," "All this jealousy shit is mayonnaise and celery shit," "Two drinks minimum, don't worry, we're maximum," etc. An instrumental version of the album, Instrumentalyst, showcased the production, became a rising success with most of the credit given to Dan the Automator and other collaborators, even though Thornton is credited on the LP with some production duties.
List of projects, groups and alter-egos:
- Ultramagnetic MC's
- Dr. Octagon
- Dr. Dooom
- Sinister 6000 (Dan the Automator)
- Black Elvis
- Masters of Illusion
- Analog Brothers
- Mr. Nogatco
- Project Polaroid
- Tashan Dorset
- Sex Style
- Ultra
- The Cenobites
- Sergei Khmelev
(this list is incomplete)
Big Eyes
Kool Keith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With my purple cape
Un-circumcised with no rain coat
With no underwear, prepare for the Phantom
With yo big eyes ha huh ha huh, yeah
As I lyrical flip my body never wear underwear
Girls stare, I pluck in they public hair
I cut jaws the face of a wild shark
I love Cal Can, "Roof!", can a dog bark
I'll bite ya girl make a women catch rabies
Then eat Gerber from a jar like the babies
I like cereal, yo you Captin' Crunch
Juggle my jellybeans, yo captain munch
I like roach spray mixed in my gin and juice
You better go get spray and make it strong
My tractor trailer, my private piece is quite long
I look around the corner and see your big eyes
I look around the corner and see your big eyes
I look around the corner and see your big eyes
I look around the corner and see your big eyes
I look around the corner and see your big eyes
As I masturbate every time about 8
The last time I masturbated through the earthquake
I saw your picture girl Shirley Temple Jheri Curl
You walk around through a toilet and a do do world
I know the spokes are white a green Cadillac
Polka dot grey I'm satisfied I won't take it back
I need the mustard from the Whataburger
I spell it backwards I take my girl to King Burger
You better rush on in an order fries
Before I get mad and start peein' in your eyes
Like Gomer Pile, surprise, surprise
You seen my drawers of course you see my rubber
No fat stretch marks I ain't the one you got the blubber
"What the hell am doin', I telling you that?"
I look around the corner and see your big eyes
I look around the corner and see your big eyes
I look around the corner and see your big eyes
I look around the corner and see your big eyes
I look around the corner and see your big eyes
I look around the corner and see your big eyes
Missile check I'm aimin' four to your rectum
With mexican beans collard greens I respect 'em
You hold the apples while girls pull they pants down
I got a bottles of flies I'm throwin' ants down
Like Joe said one time I'm drinkin' straight rum
Chewin' they embryo, actin' like it's bubble gum
I get inside, bark and crank the truck
Cruz up the highway, you out there you stuck
You ain't the one I got no cables no goose
Look in the back I got no room, see my moose
I better hide what's left at 7 Eleven
Call the Ranger, the Phantom at 11
He got black boots and stains on my turtle-neck
My mink is yellow and tan female birds peck
I got no rags to clean I love the vomit
It makes me sexy, my underwear atomic
You smell the rose, I'm smellin' cookin' flower
I call your house and let it ring for an hour
I got to clean up my house set the mouse traps
I know one he's grey and cool and the mouse raps
I seen 'em seen 'em I seen 'em through peripheral vision
I look around the corner and see your big eyes
I look around the corner and see your big eyes
I look around the corner and see your big eyes
I look around the corner and see your big eyes
I look around the corner and see your big eyes
I look around the corner and see your big eyes
I look around the corner and see your big eyes
I look around the corner and see your big eyes
Yes, stop peepin' around in my window, I see you lookin'
I got no shades, he's comin' after me
Yeah huh huh, I see you, stop peepin' in my windows
(Who's there)
All my neighbors, I hear voices
(Stay out my business)
Little people talkin' to me
Stay out my business
I be going to see the doctor tomorrow
[Unverified]
The lyrics to Kool Keith's song "Big Eyes" are quite surreal and nonsensical, full of vivid imagery and bizarre statements. The song starts with Keith arriving in his green Cadillac wearing a purple cape, and then proceeds to describe his unconventional attire in detail - he's not wearing underwear or a raincoat, and is un-circumcised. He then talks about his sexual exploits, claiming that girls stare at him and he plucks their pubic hair. The lyrics then take a violent turn, with Keith describing himself as crazy and wielding a switchblade. He talks about biting girls and making them catch rabies, and even eating Gerber baby food. The chorus repeats the phrase "I look around the corner and see your big eyes" multiple times, suggesting that Keith is being watched or pursued by someone.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become even more surreal and disjointed. Keith claims to masturbate during earthquakes and fantasizes about Shirley Temple with a Jheri curl. He talks about a green Cadillac with polka dot gray spokes, and how he needs mustard from Whataburger. He threatens to pee in someone's eyes and throws ants on people. He also mentions drinking straight rum, chewing embryos like bubble gum, and smelling cooking flower. The song ends with Keith urging someone to stop peeping in his windows and telling them to stay out of his business.
Overall, it's not entirely clear what the meaning behind these lyrics might be. It's possible that Keith is intentionally trying to shock or confuse his listeners with his bizarre statements. However, some of the themes that come up repeatedly in the song include violence, sex, and surveillance, which could suggest a commentary on power dynamics and objectification.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, never less as I come in my green Cadillac
I'm always coming in my green Cadillac, no less than that.
With my purple cape
I wear a purple cape.
Un-circumcised with no rain coat
I am uncircumcised and I don't wear a condom.
With no underwear, prepare for the Phantom
I don't wear underwear and I'm ready to perform.
With yo big eyes ha huh ha huh, yeah
I see you looking at me with big eyes.
As I lyrical flip my body never wear underwear
I never wear underwear while I perform my lyrics.
Girls stare, I pluck in they public hair
Girls stare at me and I pluck pubic hair in return.
The masquerade I'm crazy with a switch blade
I'm crazy with a switch blade at a party.
I cut jaws the face of a wild shark
I cut jaws like a wild shark.
I love Cal Can, "Roof!", can a dog bark
I love Cal Can dog food.
I'll bite ya girl make a women catch rabies
I'll bite your girl and make her catch rabies.
Then eat Gerber from a jar like the babies
I eat Gerber baby food from a jar.
I like cereal, yo you Captin' Crunch
I like eating cereal, especially Captin' Crunch.
Juggle my jellybeans, yo captain munch
I juggle jellybeans while eating Captin' Crunch.
I like roach spray mixed in my gin and juice
I like mixing roach spray in my gin and juice.
You better go get spray and make it strong
You should go get some roach spray and make it strong.
My tractor trailer, my private piece is quite long
My private part is quite long, like a tractor trailer.
I look around the corner and see your big eyes
I see you looking at me.
As I masturbate every time about 8
I masturbate at around 8 o'clock every time.
The last time I masturbated through the earthquake
The last time I masturbated, there was an earthquake.
I saw your picture girl Shirley Temple Jheri Curl
I saw a picture of a girl with a Shirley Temple Jheri Curl.
You walk around through a toilet and a do do world
You walk around in a dirty world.
I know the spokes are white a green Cadillac
I know the Cadillac's tires are white.
Polka dot grey I'm satisfied I won't take it back
I'm happy with my grey polka dot outfit.
I need the mustard from the Whataburger
I need mustard from Whataburger.
I spell it backwards I take my girl to King Burger
I spell Whataburger backwards and take my girl to King Burger.
You better rush on in an order fries
You should hurry up and order fries.
Before I get mad and start peein' in your eyes
Or else I'll get mad and pee in your eyes.
Like Gomer Pile, surprise, surprise
Surprise, like Gomer Pile says.
You seen my drawers of course you see my rubber
You have seen my underwear and condom.
No fat stretch marks I ain't the one you got the blubber
I don't have stretch marks and I'm not the one with blubber.
"What the hell am doin', I telling you that?"
What am I doing, telling you this?
Missile check I'm aimin' four to your rectum
I'm aiming a missile at your rectum.
With mexican beans collard greens I respect 'em
I respect Mexican beans and collard greens.
You hold the apples while girls pull they pants down
You hold the apples while girls take off their pants.
I got a bottles of flies I'm throwin' ants down
I have bottles of flies and I'm throwing ants down.
Like Joe said one time I'm drinkin' straight rum
I'm drinking straight rum, like Joe said.
Chewin' they embryo, actin' like it's bubble gum
I'm chewing on an embryo like it's bubble gum.
I get inside, bark and crank the truck
I get inside the truck and start it up.
Cruz up the highway, you out there you stuck
I go up the highway, you're stuck out there.
You ain't the one I got no cables no goose
You're not the one, I don't have any cables or goose.
Look in the back I got no room, see my moose
There's no room in the back, you can see my moose.
I better hide what's left at 7 Eleven
I better hide what's left at 7 Eleven.
Call the Ranger, the Phantom at 11
Call the Ranger, the Phantom at 11.
He got black boots and stains on my turtle-neck
He wears black boots and there's stains on my turtle-neck.
My mink is yellow and tan female birds peck
My mink is yellow and tan, and female birds peck at it.
I got no rags to clean I love the vomit
I don't have any rags to clean with, I love the vomit.
It makes me sexy, my underwear atomic
The vomit makes me sexy and my underwear is atomic.
You smell the rose, I'm smellin' cookin' flower
You smell the rose, I smell the cooking flower.
I call your house and let it ring for an hour
I call your house and let it ring for an hour.
I got to clean up my house set the mouse traps
I have to clean up my house and set the mouse traps.
I know one he's grey and cool and the mouse raps
I know one mouse, he's grey and cool and he raps.
I seen 'em seen 'em I seen 'em through peripheral vision
I've seen them through my peripheral vision.
Yes, stop peepin' around in my window, I see you lookin'
Stop looking around in my window, I see you.
I got no shades, he's comin' after me
I have no shades and someone is coming after me.
All my neighbors, I hear voices
I hear voices from my neighbors.
(Stay out my business)
Mind your own business.
Little people talkin' to me
I hear little people talking to me.
Stay out my business
Mind your own business.
I be going to see the doctor tomorrow
I'm going to see the doctor tomorrow.
Contributed by Zachary V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.