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)
Dark Vadar
Kool Keith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have two tickets to the NAACP Awards
The Image Awards
Secret Servicemen, you can sit down
My seats are in the front row, I hate to be so arrogant
But I am..
I have two tickets, Keith, and Esham
And also, backstage passes
[Kool Keith]
Black starship control, walk like I'm Darth Vader
My green limousine, purple Maury alligators
Glow in the dark Pele jacket
Shoes shine in your face accurate
Never seen a leather jacket with lights in the back of it
Custom made by the kids who sew and makes clothes for Prince and Sisqo
I'm 2004 beyond the average club music and disco
I take cities by storm
Drop deep like hills in San Francisco
Cookout with hoodrats and fried chicken and Crisco
After dinner, girls come over in lingerie
Bake sugar cookies and ginger snaps from Nabisco
Even nighttime, we bust a night rhyme
Ridin fluently into the mountains with briefcases countin
millions and billions and zillions
And quintrillions, in mansions talkin to chameleons
Dark Vadar
[Chorus - repeat 4X]
Dark Vadar, watchin DVD's with his new fader
And may the, force be witchu
[Esham]
Back on the scene with a pocket full of green
And I'm speedin like I'm caffeine
Intergalactic, super tactics, sultan with this rapping
Pull up, tinted out limousines, in Detroit I am never seen
Plus I keep a motherfuckin laser beam
To blow away your motherfuckin pale team
Crazy as this shit might seem
Livin in a nightmare, not a dream
All my life I been a microphone fiend
You want the title? Step in the ring
You ain't tryin to hear me, get your ear bit off
May the force be witchu when I turn your shit off
Star Wars, me and Keith in the bar with scores of whores
And the tours for whores
Pimps push Cadillacs
Gorilla macks swingin the battle-axe
Since I was sippin Similak
But I wanna be breastfed by Princess Leia, playa
Me and Keith new millenium rhyme sayers
Too futuristic, for you to miss this shit
And if you do, may the force be witchu
[Chorus]
The first half of the lyrics is essentially a boast by Kool Keith about his VIP access to the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Awards, as well as his custom-made outfit and extravagant lifestyle. He compares himself to the fictional villain from the Star Wars franchise, Darth Vader, and flaunts his superiority to "average club music and disco." Keith goes on to describe scenes from his lavish lifestyle, such as hanging out with "hoodrats," enjoying fried chicken and baking cookies with lingerie-clad women, and traveling with briefcases full of money. The second half, featuring fellow rapper Esham, adds to the song's space-themed imagery, with references to laser beams, intergalactic travel, and Star Wars in general. Esham also boasts about his own musical talent and expresses his desire to be breastfed by Princess Leia.
Overall, the song seems to be a tongue-in-cheek celebration of excess and indulgence. The Darth Vader imagery, along with references to tech and science fiction, portrays the rappers as confident and powerful, able to achieve anything they desire.
Line by Line Meaning
Black starship control, walk like I'm Darth Vader
I am in complete control, in a power suit like Darth Vader
My green limousine, purple Maury alligators
I ride in style, with a fancy green limousine and purple alligator shoes
Glow in the dark Pele jacket
My jacket is extraordinary, it glows in the dark
Shoes shine in your face accurate
My shoes have a perfect shine that could blind you
Never seen a leather jacket with lights in the back of it
My jacket is unique since it has lights at the back never seen before
Custom made by the kids who sew and makes clothes for Prince and Sisqo
My clothes are tailor-made by kids who also make clothes for Prince and Sisqo
I'm 2004 beyond the average club music and disco
I am beyond the popular club music and disco of 2004
I take cities by storm
I make a huge impact wherever I go
Drop deep like hills in San Francisco
I glide into cities smoothly like hills in San Francisco
Cookout with hoodrats and fried chicken and Crisco
I party with local folks and eat fried chicken and cook with Crisco
After dinner, girls come over in lingerie
Women come over after dinner dressed in lingerie
Bake sugar cookies and ginger snaps from Nabisco
We make and eat delicious cookies from Nabisco together
Even nighttime, we bust a night rhyme
We rap all night, even in the dark
Ridin fluently into the mountains with briefcases countin
We drive smoothly to the mountains, counting money in briefcases
millions and billions and zillions
We count an excessive amount of money
And quintrillions, in mansions talkin to chameleons
We talk to chameleons in luxurious mansions with a seemingly endless amount of money
Dark Vadar
I am the Dark Vadar of the rap world, powerful and in control
Dark Vadar, watchin DVD's with his new fader
I watch DVDs with my new mixer, still being the Dark Vadar
And may the, force be witchu
I wish you nothing but success and power, just like myself
Back on the scene with a pocket full of green
I am back in the scene with a lot of money in my pocket
And I'm speedin like I'm caffeine
I am moving quickly like I am caffeinated
Intergalactic, super tactics, sultan with this rapping
I am swift and intelligent in my rap game, like an intergalactic sultan
Pull up, tinted out limousines, in Detroit I am never seen
I ride in limousines with tinted windows and never go unnoticed in Detroit
Plus I keep a motherfuckin laser beam
I carry a powerful weapon with me
To blow away your motherfuckin pale team
I will destroy your weak team with my weapon
Crazy as this shit might seem
This may sound wild, but it's true
Livin in a nightmare, not a dream
My life is tough and not perfect
All my life I been a microphone fiend
I have always been passionate about my microphone and rapping
You want the title? Step in the ring
If you want to be the best, compete with me
You ain't tryin to hear me, get your ear bit off
If you don't listen to me, you could face serious consequences (metaphorically)
Star Wars, me and Keith in the bar with scores of whores
Keith and I hang with many women in the bar, like in Star Wars
And the tours for whores
Our tours are full of women
Pimps push Cadillacs
Pimps drive Cadillac cars
Gorilla macks swingin the battle-axe
Dangerous followers fight with battle-axes
Since I was sippin Similak
I have been doing this since I was young
But I wanna be breastfed by Princess Leia, playa
I have always wanted Princess Leia to breastfeed me, metaphorically speaking
Me and Keith new millenium rhyme sayers
Keith and I are setting a new standard for rappers in this millenium
Too futuristic, for you to miss this shit
Our style is too advanced and unique for you to ignore
And if you do, may the force be witchu
If you miss out on our talent and success, I still wish you power and success
Contributed by Ellie M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.