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)
Lyrical King
Kool Keith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Everybody know that) the lyrical king
(Everybody know that) lyrical king
(Everybody know that shit) the lyrical king
(Everybody know that) lyrical king
(Everybody know that)
Little kids get scared
That's why I shit on Austin Powers
Watch niggaz get souped up and comfortable like the Plymouth Prowler
No homerun bastards, I line up everybody like a fouler
Like they mix baking soda and pasta
Only thing these motherfuckers touch, is Tide and soap powder
(Fuckin soap powder!) Microphone perpetration I see through
I want my vocals up louder
Bitch I write some verses with high octane curses
Popeye and Kentuck' sponsor
I turned down deals with Church's
Y'all fucked up cause the Colonel made the purchase
I can't no longer support 50 thousand MC's, homeless and worthless
The shit department, I thought you was a delivery
Packagin, I put you in charge, alright supervisin piss
My messages get across state to state when I shift doo-doo
Out on freight, I take a break
Laugh at you assholes, with club soda and lemon cake
Listen close, examine is that the star flow?
While you talkin baboon shit on the radio
I cancelled seein ducks at the magic show
I know some Mexicans that shit through, the custom sunroof
Butt-naked in Barstow
With bloodhounds on the back of the graffiti Air Force Nikes
That bark low, remember you fuckin with somebody pro
I shake the piss off my dick, on your album intro
Next time you tell the engineer to bring it in slow
Toy-ass niggaz, I been past niggaz
Test crash dummies, I know people that work with these, crash niggaz
For the last 6,008 months I've been hearin trash niggaz
With fucked up paparazzis
That think they clownin big-head motherfuckers
Hot vaginas under they crotch
I like when they bullshit on the mic, and play hopscotch
Touch the controls, adjust your platinum and gold
Put the coke all up in your fuckin nose
Don't sleep you better take that No-Doz
Ain't no motherfucker pushin kilos
Ask the motherfucker next to you, he knows
Raggy-aggy, wear your pants baggy
In front of your used Jaggy
You ain't 24 track you still macky
Opposite dress that's tacky
Y'all fuckin with Jonathan Braggy
Basket of bread you grabby
Your fuckin sides are overweight, can't come in here lookin stupid and flabby
LYRICAL KING~! (lyrical king)
LYRICAL KING~! (y'all know, lyrical king)
LYRICAL KING~! Motherfuck it
[voice lowered:]
Lyrical king
You know the lyrical king when you see him
I don't have to reveal myself to motherfuckers nowhere ever
When I walk in the room, you rip your motherfuckin papers up
You shut the studio time down
You get that motherfucker out the booth
You tell that nigga he's whack
You let motherfuckers know, who's in the motherfuckin back
You serve that coffee, you serve that tea
You let a motherfucker know he's comin out the fuckin teepee
Fuck you motherfuckers, and all you whack-ass motherfuckers
You know who the motherfuckin lyrical, motherfuckin king is!
Suck the dillz
The song "Lyrical King" by Kool Keith is a boastful track where the rapper proclaims himself as the best and most skillful lyricist in the game. He starts by saying that everyone knows that he's the lyrical king and that little kids get scared of him. He then describes himself as someone who is capable of defeating any monster and someone who shits on Austin Powers. He also claims that he can see through the microphone perpetration and wants his vocals up louder. Kool Keith mentions that he writes verses with high-octane curses and turned down deals with Church's. Furthermore, he mentions the shit department and how he can't support the 50 thousand MCs who are homeless and worthless. Also, Kool Keith claims that he shakes the piss off his dick on your album intro and has been hearing trash niggaz for the past 6,008 months. He finishes his verse by taunting his haters and stating that they can't come in looking stupid and flabby.
Line by Line Meaning
(Everybody know that) the lyrical king
I am the best rapper and everyone knows it.
(Everybody know that) lyrical king
I am confident in my abilities and everyone recognizes my talent.
(Everybody know that shit) the lyrical king
I am so respected that even using a curse word doesn't diminish my status.
(Everybody know that) lyrical king
My status as the best rapper is universally recognized.
(Everybody know that)
The phrase emphasizes that I am the best rapper.
Little kids get scared
I am so intimidating that even children are afraid of me.
I smack the shit out of a monster when I devour
I am confident and powerful enough to defeat anything in my path.
That's why I shit on Austin Powers
Even famous people aren't safe from my ridicule and disregard.
Watch niggaz get souped up and comfortable like the Plymouth Prowler
Some people get too comfortable and complacent, they underestimate me.
No homerun bastards, I line up everybody like a fouler
I am not easily impressed, and I judge people based on how well they perform.
Like they mix baking soda and pasta
These people are not even competent enough to cook basic things.
Only thing these motherfuckers touch, is Tide and soap powder
These people are not skilled in anything except for doing laundry.
(Fuckin soap powder!) Microphone perpetration I see through
I am so perceptive that I can see people's intentions when they approach me with a microphone.
I want my vocals up louder
I demand attention and want my voice to be heard.
Bitch I write some verses with high octane curses
My raps are intense, shocking, and full of obscenities.
Popeye and Kentuck' sponsor
I am so popular that major companies want to associate with me.
I turned down deals with Church's
I have so much power that I can reject business deals from major corporations.
Y'all fucked up cause the Colonel made the purchase
The previous line means that Church's Chicken wanted to work with me, but I turned them down, and they made a mistake in doing so.
I can't no longer support 50 thousand MC's, homeless and worthless
I am successful, and I can no longer support people who are not contributing anything original to the rap game.
The shit department, I thought you was a delivery
Some people are not competent enough to do their job properly.
Packagin, I put you in charge, alright supervisin piss
I am putting someone in charge of a job that is so easy that even someone who is taking a bathroom break could do it.
My messages get across state to state when I shift doo-doo
My message spreads quickly and widely, even when I am not actively promoting it.
Out on freight, I take a break
I am so busy that even taking a break during my work is noteworthy.
Laugh at you assholes, with club soda and lemon cake
I am so successful that I can afford to laugh at people while sipping my fancy drink and eating my expensive dessert.
Listen close, examine is that the star flow?
My rapping style is so unique and distinct that people can recognize it just by listening carefully.
While you talkin baboon shit on the radio
Other rappers are so unimpressive and unoriginal that they sound like monkeys chattering when they rap.
I cancelled seein ducks at the magic show
I am too important to waste my time on something uninteresting or insignificant.
I know some Mexicans that shit through, the custom sunroof
I am so powerful that I know people who can do anything, even obscene things like defecating through the sunroof of a car.
Butt-naked in Barstow
I can imagine anything, even very strange and inappropriate things like a naked person wandering around a desert town.
With bloodhounds on the back of the graffiti Air Force Nikes
I am so creative that I can come up with bizarre and wild imagery like bloodhounds chasing graffiti-covered shoes.
That bark low, remember you fuckin with somebody pro
I have been doing this for a long time, and I am so good at it that you should be careful when dealing with me.
I shake the piss off my dick, on your album intro
I am so confident and unashamed that I will urinate on someone else's work just to show how little respect I have for them.
Next time you tell the engineer to bring it in slow
Other rappers should take their time and be more precise, instead of rushing through their work carelessly.
Toy-ass niggaz, I been past niggaz
Other rappers are so unimportant that I can dismiss them with the label 'toy' and claim that I have already surpassed them.
Test crash dummies, I know people that work with these, crash niggaz
I am so influential and powerful that I can get other people to do my dirty work, like using human subjects to test dangerous products.
For the last 6,008 months I've been hearin trash niggaz
I have been doing this for so long that I have heard countless mediocre and unimpressive rappers.
With fucked up paparazzis
Even the people who are supposed to report on and support famous rappers are unreliable and unprofessional.
That think they clownin big-head motherfuckers
Some people are not competent enough to understand or appreciate the work of successful rappers.
Hot vaginas under they crotch
Some women are so sexy that they are always wet and aroused.
I like when they bullshit on the mic, and play hopscotch
I enjoy when rappers are not genuine or honest and pretend to be something they are not.
Touch the controls, adjust your platinum and gold
Other rappers are focused on material possessions and status symbols like platinum and gold records.
Put the coke all up in your fuckin nose
Some rappers are so addicted to fame and money that they will even do cocaine just to maintain their image.
Don't sleep you better take that No-Doz
Other rappers need to stay alert and focused to compete with me.
Ain't no motherfucker pushin kilos
It is impossible for anyone else to surpass me.
Ask the motherfucker next to you, he knows
My status as the best rapper is so universally recognized that everyone knows it.
Raggy-aggy, wear your pants baggy
Some rappers are so uncool and untalented that they dress poorly to try and be trendy.
In front of your used Jaggy
Other rappers try to show off their wealth and success by driving fancy cars, but they are not as successful as me.
You ain't 24 track you still macky
Other rappers are not as skilled at recording music as I am.
Opposite dress that's tacky
Other rappers have bad fashion sense and dress poorly.
Y'all fuckin with Jonathan Braggy
Other rappers are trying to compete with me but they are not even close.
Basket of bread you grabby
Other rappers are so greedy and selfish that they will take anything they can get, even a basket of bread.
Your fuckin sides are overweight, can't come in here lookin stupid and flabby
Other rappers are not in good physical shape and look bad on stage, which is unacceptable if they want to compete with me.
Lyrical king
I am the best rapper.
You know the lyrical king when you see him
My status as the best rapper is so obvious that everyone can recognize it just by looking at me.
I don't have to reveal myself to motherfuckers nowhere ever
I am already so famous and respected that I do not need to introduce myself to anyone.
When I walk in the room, you rip your motherfuckin papers up
Other rappers are so intimidated by me that they will destroy their own work just to avoid being compared to me.
You shut the studio time down
Other rappers will stop recording their own music just to give me priority and respect.
You get that motherfucker out the booth
Other rappers know that they are not worth recording when I am around.
You tell that nigga he's whack
Other rappers will insult and belittle each other just to try and compete with me.
You let motherfuckers know, who's in the motherfuckin back
I am so important and respected that everyone else is relegated to a lesser position and is always aware of my influence and status.
You serve that coffee, you serve that tea
Other people who work in the music industry will do anything to please me and help me succeed.
You let a motherfucker know he's comin out the fuckin teepee
Other rappers need to be aware that I am the one in charge, and they are just followers or supporters.
Fuck you motherfuckers, and all you whack-ass motherfuckers
I am so successful and powerful that I can insult and disregard anyone who is not on my level.
You know who the motherfuckin lyrical, motherfuckin king is!
I am the best rapper, and everyone knows it.
Suck the dillz
This is an obscene insult aimed at other rappers or anyone else who is not on my level.
Contributed by Dylan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
oneVikkelsoe
Thanks for the music!
Sooo nice.
JoshJamesification
Who is Jonathon Braggy?