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)
Change Your World
Kool Keith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby this is Keith, but not SWEAT
I wanna tell you how I feel about you
How I rub my fingers through your pretty hair
Tell you how I really feel
You're so lovely to me
I'd do anything in this world for you
You're pretty baby
[Chorus: Keith - singing]
Baby you impress me, but they don't know how I feel
Step up if you will, I'ma change your world
[Kool Keith:]
Just because you got The Personal Album don't mean you have The Secret Album
No less The Private Album, the four albums recorded
Plus the 11 tracks of seclusion
It's dimensional, my songs keep a distance
Even if you absorb everything, I don't wanna add to your confusion
Everything I do outside of me is an off-branch
I love classy wine, white collar shirts with cufflinks
I'm obsessed with fly slacks and pants
Go out to discotechs and watch ladies dance
King crab legs, with old bay season
My salad dressing with blue cheese mixed with ranch
[Chorus]
[Kool Keith:]
You thought I would be a cartoon character
I'm in reverse mode, you and your girlfriend do a show for me
Let me laugh at ya
Can't handle my man life, the way I demand life
Me and you will always stay six albums apart
It's been that way since I wrote what you thought was yours personal
I meant that you can't think of what I listen to private
Write five albums a month, when you close your eyelids
Put the vocals out for high bids
Pump your tweeters and your mids
Can you imagine who's real? A genius, can you guess everything I did?
Everything I put lyrics on now have to be big
Whether you like it or not, you can't fight what I got
Collect this, I don't care, stay recordin like 2Pac
Record stash, you never heard them, come and tell me what's hot
[Chorus]
[Kool Keith:]
I wanna change your world
In the song "Change Your World" by Kool Keith, the rapper professes his love to a woman and expresses how much he admires her. He tells her that he would do anything for her because she is so lovely to him. Keith also makes it clear that just because someone has his albums, it does not necessarily mean that they have access to his private life. He mentions the four albums he has recorded and the 11 tracks of seclusion that only he knows about.
Kool Keith also emphasizes his personal tastes, such as his love for white-collar shirts with cufflinks and how he enjoys going out to discotechs to watch women dance. He talks about his obsession with fly slacks and pants and also mentions his love of king crab legs with old bay season and his salad dressing mixed with blue cheese and ranch. Through the lyrics, Keith presents himself as someone who knows what he wants and how to enjoy the finer things in life.
In the chorus, Keith sings about how the woman impresses him, but no one else knows how he feels about her. He promises to change her world if she steps up to him. Overall, the song is a love letter to a woman, where Keith talks about his personal life and what he enjoys while professing his love.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby this is Keith, but not SWEAT
I'm Kool Keith, not my old pseudonym SWEAT, and I want to express my feelings to you
I wanna tell you how I feel about you
I want to share my emotions with you and tell you how much I care about you
How I rub my fingers through your pretty hair
I like to touch and run my fingers through your beautiful hair
Tell you how I really feel, you're so lovely to me
I want to express my true feelings and let you know that you're very attractive to me
I'd do anything in this world for you
I would go to any lengths to please and make you happy
You're pretty baby
You're very beautiful to me
Baby you impress me, but they don't know how I feel
You're so amazing to me, but others don't understand my deep feelings for you
Step up if you will, I'ma change your world
If you take a chance with me, I'll make a significant impact on your life and show you a better world
Just because you got The Personal Album don't mean you have The Secret Album
Just because you have one of my albums doesn't mean you have access to all my secrets and personal life
No less The Private Album, the four albums recorded
I have even more private albums that most people don't even know about, on top of the four that are out there
Plus the 11 tracks of seclusion
I have eleven secret tracks that are only meant for me and no one else
It's dimensional, my songs keep a distance
My music keeps a certain distance from people, and even if you listen to it, you may not fully understand it
Even if you absorb everything, I don't wanna add to your confusion
I don't want to make things even more confusing for you, even if you already know a lot about me
Everything I do outside of me is an off-branch
Anything I do outside of myself is like a separate entity or branch from who I truly am
I love classy wine, white collar shirts with cufflinks
I enjoy elegant wine and formal attire like dress shirts with cufflinks
I'm obsessed with fly slacks and pants
I have a strong and constant interest in fashionable pants like slacks
Go out to discotechs and watch ladies dance
I like to go to nightclubs and watch women dance and have a good time
King crab legs, with old bay season
I enjoy eating king crab legs seasoned with Old Bay seasoning
My salad dressing with blue cheese mixed with ranch
I prefer salad dressing that is a combination of blue cheese and ranch
You thought I would be a cartoon character
Some people may have thought of me as a very exaggerated or unrealistic character, like in a cartoon
I'm in reverse mode, you and your girlfriend do a show for me, let me laugh at ya
I'm currently taking a different approach and enjoying watching you and your partner perform or joke around, even if it's at your own expense
Can't handle my man life, the way I demand life
Some people may not be able to understand or handle my lifestyle, the way I want to live my life
Me and you will always stay six albums apart
I will always remain distant or separate from others, including you, by six albums, meaning six levels of personal or artistic expression
It's been that way since I wrote what you thought was yours personal
I have kept a certain distance from people, including you, and even when you felt like you knew me well, it was still not as personal as you may have thought
I meant that you can't think of what I listen to private
Even if you try to guess or find out what I listen to in private, you will never really know for sure
Write five albums a month, when you close your eyelids
I am able to write many albums very quickly, even when I'm not fully awake or conscious
Put the vocals out for high bids
I can sell my vocals for high amounts of money to interested buyers
Pump your tweeters and your mids
I can make music that sounds great on both high-pitched and mid-pitched audio equipment
Can you imagine who's real? A genius, can you guess everything I did?
Can you even fathom who I truly am? A genius who is accomplished and known for many things
Everything I put lyrics on now have to be big
Whenever I write new lyrics, they have to be influential or significant on a large scale
Whether you like it or not, you can't fight what I got
Whether you approve of my work or not, you cannot deny or diminish my talent and success
Collect this, I don't care, stay recordin like 2Pac
I don't care if you collect my work or not, but I will continue to create albums and music like the late rapper 2Pac
Record stash, you never heard them, come and tell me what's hot
I have a lot of recorded music that most people have never heard before, and I challenge you to listen to it and tell me what you consider to be the best
I wanna change your world
I want to make a lasting and meaningful impact on your life that will change the way you see the world forever
Contributed by Carson D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
bellydanza85
I miss these tracks.