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)
Iraqi Verse
Kool Keith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah...
I'm finished workin on the project already
The hype prolonged it, you couldn't handle the deadline
Your team wasn't ready, you tried a pop direction
That wasn't yo' section
We looked over your chorus and yo' rap bars
Analyzed your music, those happy-ass keys
I decided to listen, I turned the music off
Becaue the melodies were cotton candy, the music was soft
I heard too much pantyliner stuff
Too much model and whack-ass designer stuff, no masculine touch
Adolescent, let the guy know his tracks is whack
He won't be back
Disrespect yo' production, producer credits
Receive the B stain on the form
Now face the two inch, reel gettin warm
Drop the top of your head
Drum machine gets smacked up beside your face
With a six-pack of beer
I urinate on you Pro Tools mix in your ear
Yellow hats wearin construction gear
Tear down the knobs, off the manly
Set the focus right on fire
You better call the cops and hide behind the Stanley
Studio booked up, New York power play, Unique tried to ban me
Type of guy to bring Texaco gas in the vocal booth
Light a match, burn up your whole family
You're just a big talker, you're not a man to me
Pulled the wires out the back of the amp
Defecate on your drum pads with a maxi
Brown sheepskin, black execution mask
Brass out your Yamaha speakers, shotgun I missed three
other speakers I got one, with great danes, chewin out your amps
You won't be able to duck for long, seen niggaz in summer camp
With men-e-strual cramps
Watch the black afro in the corner with the Huggies
With the diaper rash around your pelvis
Drivin a green Volkswagen buggy, you know Muggy
7 foot 7 orangutang baboon face
From Baltimore, Maryland notorious comin up the turnpike
To move your SSL board out to Richmond, Tony Pissman
In the stationwagon, your engineer's scared to mix the record
down, next to my cousin Bucky
Just eight other computers destroyed
The B-room is still there, your clients are lucky
In Kool Keith's song "Iraqi Verse," he seems to be speaking to someone who submitted work to a project. Keith is not happy with the submission and feels that the person's team was not ready and tried to take it in a pop direction. He critiques the person's lyrics and music, calling them "cotton candy" and "pantyliner stuff." He feels that the person's music lacks masculinity and the rapper should never rap again. Keith even goes as far as to urinate on the person's Pro Tools mix in their ear to express how much he dislikes it. He then pulls the wires out the back of the amp and defecates on the drum pads with a maxi pad, showing how disgusted he is with the work. The song is essentially a diss track about someone's bad submission to a project.
Overall, "Iraqi Verse" seems to be a harsh critique of someone's artistic work. Kool Keith seems to be frustrated with the person's lack of quality and masculinity in their music. His lyrics are vulgar and graphic, showing his extreme dislike for the content. The track embodies the spirit of a diss track, calling out someone for their lack of talent and artistic expression. It is a reminder that artistic work is subjective and critique will always exist.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah...
A casual introduction to Kool Keith's song
I'm finished workin on the project already
Kool Keith has already completed the project
The hype prolonged it, you couldn't handle the deadline
The exaggerated expectations delayed the project and the other party failed to keep up with the deadline
Your team wasn't ready, you tried a pop direction
The other party's team wasn't prepared and attempted to include pop elements
That wasn't yo' section
Pop isn't Kool Keith's style
We looked over your chorus and yo' rap bars
Kool Keith and his team reviewed the other party's chorus and rapping
Analyzed your music, those happy-ass keys
Kool Keith scrutinized the music, particularly its overly cheerful keys
Made you softer than ever, rap some more you should never
The music had become too gentle for Kool Keith's taste and shouldn't be rapped anymore
I decided to listen, I turned the music off
Kool Keith was fed up with the music and decided to stop listening altogether
Because the melodies were cotton candy, the music was soft
Kool Keith found the melodies too saccharine and the music too easy-listening
I heard too much pantyliner stuff
Kool Keith found the tracks too feminine
Too much model and whack-ass designer stuff, no masculine touch
The music lacked a strong male presence and was full of tacky, trendy elements instead
Adolescent, let the guy know his tracks is whack
Kool Keith called the other party's tracks bad, in an immature way
He won't be back
The other party won't be given another chance
Disrespect yo' production, producer credits
Kool Keith thought the music was a disrespectful to the production and the producer
Receive the B stain on the form
The other party received a lower grade
Now face the two inch, reel gettin warm
The other party was now in trouble and Kool Keith was ready for action
Drop the top of your head
Kool Keith will attack the other party's head (physically or metaphorically)
Drum machine gets smacked up beside your face
Kool Keith is about to attack the drum machine next to the other party's face
With a six-pack of beer
Kool Keith is holding a six-pack of beer during his attack
I urinate on you Pro Tools mix in your ear
Kool Keith pees on the other party's Pro Tools mix while it's in their ear
Yellow hats wearin construction gear
Kool Keith and his team are wearing construction gear, including yellow hats
Tear down the knobs, off the manly
Kool Keith and team destroy the knobs and other manly things in the studio
Set the focus right on fire
Kool Keith sets the focus on fire
You better call the cops and hide behind the Stanley
The other party should call the cops and hide behind a Stanley tool during Kool Keith's attack
Studio booked up, New York power play, Unique tried to ban me
Kool Keith is booked up in a New York studio and a powerful music executive named Unique tried to ban him
Type of guy to bring Texaco gas in the vocal booth
Kool Keith is the type of guy who brings Texaco gas into the vocal booth (possibly to ignite it)
Light a match, burn up your whole family
Kool Keith threatens to burn the other party's whole family by igniting the gas with a match
You're just a big talker, you're not a man to me
Kool Keith thinks the other party is all talk and not a real man
Pulled the wires out the back of the amp
Kool Keith and his team pull the wires out of the back of the amp
Defecate on your drum pads with a maxi
Kool Keith poops on the other party's drum pads with a maxi pad
Brown sheepskin, black execution mask
Kool Keith is dressed in a brown sheepskin and a black execution mask
Brass out your Yamaha speakers, shotgun I missed three
Kool Keith shoots and destroys the other party's Yamaha speakers with a shotgun, although he misses three times
other speakers I got one, with great danes, chewin out your amps
Kool Keith still has one speaker, guarded by Great Danes who are chewing on the other party's amps
You won't be able to duck for long, seen niggaz in summer camp
The other party can't avoid getting hit for long, as Kool Keith has seen guys in summer camp who were good at hitting targets
With men-e-strual cramps
Kool Keith and his team mock the other party for being weak and having menstrual cramps
Watch the black afro in the corner with the Huggies
Kool Keith points out a black afro in the corner wearing Huggies
With the diaper rash around your pelvis
The afro has a diaper rash around their pelvis area
Drivin a green Volkswagen buggy, you know Muggy
The afro drives a green Volkswagen buggy and goes by the nickname Muggy
7 foot 7 orangutang baboon face
The next person mentioned by Kool Keith is a 7 foot 7 orangutan with a baboon face
From Baltimore, Maryland notorious comin up the turnpike
The orangutan is from Baltimore, Maryland and is known for traveling up and down the turnpike
To move your SSL board out to Richmond, Tony Pissman
The orangutan will be the one to move the SSL board to Richmond, with the help of Tony Pissman
In the stationwagon, your engineer's scared to mix the record down, next to my cousin Bucky
The engineer is afraid to mix the record next to Kool Keith's cousin Bucky, who is probably just as threatening
Just eight other computers destroyed
Kool Keith and his team have already destroyed eight other computers
The B-room is still there, your clients are lucky
Despite all the destruction, the B-room is still standing, and the other party's clients are lucky for avoiding the attack
Contributed by Lila H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.