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)
Take It Off
Kool Keith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take off your clothes (Strip!) [3x]
Out the shower, we butt-naked
Cash and ass, we don't fake it
Measuring tape, by four she'd take it
Mouth is open, nuts you ate it
Player on the side, I know he hate it
Fuck high-class, we move low-graded
Last night what, she masturbated
Hit the club, my last dance got rated
Switched girls, every time we traded
Call girls, we always date it
Mascale, we always state it
No weave, we like it braided
Girl, you don't know me
[Chorus: Repeat 2X]
Maxin' hoes
Rollin' Vogues
On limousine Cadillac's
Get in and get ya booty smacked
Come in cowboy like we western
Naughty girls you learn your lesson
Spanked, whipped, or Smith & Wessoned
Feel your breasts, bite your chest and
Shit on ya shirt, pee on ya dress and
Tossin' salad, face all mess and
Superman, big shirts with the S and
Every eastern, Charleston Heston
Go to church, Bible blessin'
Here for ya talk, and tell a confession
Audience clap, we still guessin'
Tripost camera, back to the session
Move all panties, we progression
Promised sex, so we protestin'
Filthy sheets, ice cream made a messin'
Come upstairs, ring the bell keep pressin'
[Chorus: Repeat 2X]
Remove your clothes
Take off your clothes (Strip!) [2x]
Remove your clothes
Take off your clothes
The lyrics of Kool Keith's "Spank-Master" describe a scene somewhere between a strip club and a brothel, with the singer encouraging a woman to strip and offering her cash and sex in exchange for her services. The language used is crude and lewd, with references to oral sex, sexual submission, and bodily fluids. The singer is clearly enjoying himself and the power he holds over the women, but it's also clear that this is a transactional relationship based on money and objectification, rather than any kind of romantic or emotional connection.
At the same time, there's a certain humor and self-awareness to the lyrics, as the singer portrays himself as a kind of ridiculous figure - a "master" of spanking who wears alligator shoes and trades in low-grade women. It's possible to interpret the whole song as a satirical commentary on the commodification of sex and the way that men in positions of power exploit women's bodies for their own pleasure.
Overall, "Spank-Master" is a challenging and potentially offensive song, but one that rewards careful listening and interpretation for those willing to engage with its complexities.
Line by Line Meaning
Remove your clothes
Take off your clothing
Take off your clothes (Strip!) [3x]
Strip yourself of your clothing
Out the shower, we butt-naked
After showering, we are completely naked
Cash and ass, we don't fake it
We have both money and attractive companions, and it is all genuine
Measuring tape, by four she'd take it
She measured herself and would take four inches
Mouth is open, nuts you ate it
You performed oral sex on me
Player on the side, I know he hate it
I have a romantic partner on the side who dislikes this behavior
Alligator shoes, I'm tailor made it
My shoes are made of alligator leather and tailored specifically for me
Fuck high-class, we move low-graded
We prioritize being down-to-earth over being high-class
Last night what, she masturbated
She engaged in self-pleasure last night
Hit the club, my last dance got rated
My last dance was scored or judged at the club
Switched girls, every time we traded
We frequently change romantic partners
Call girls, we always date it
We regularly date sex workers
Mascale, we always state it
We make a point of stating that we have an expensive firearm
No weave, we like it braided
We prefer natural hair that is styled in braids
Girl, you don't know me
You do not have an accurate understanding of who I am
[Chorus: Repeat 2X]
Repeating the chorus
Maxin' hoes
We are spending time with multiple romantic partners
Rollin' Vogues
We are driving around in cars with Vogue brand tires
On limousine Cadillac's
We are driving around in luxury limousine Cadillacs
Get in and get ya booty smacked
Get in the car and prepare to be physically assaulted
Come in cowboy like we western
We are acting like cowboys from the Western genre
Naughty girls you learn your lesson
Women who misbehave will be punished
Spanked, whipped, or Smith & Wessoned
Punishment can come in the form of spanking, whipping, or being shot with a Smith & Wesson gun
Feel your breasts, bite your chest and
I will touch your breasts and bite your chest
Shit on ya shirt, pee on ya dress and
I will defecate on your shirt and urinate on your dress
Tossin' salad, face all mess and
We will engage in the sexual act of anilingus, resulting in a messy face
Superman, big shirts with the S and
I am like Superman, wearing a big shirt with an S on it
Every eastern, Charleston Heston
We are comparing ourselves to the actor Charlton Heston
Go to church, Bible blessin'
We attend church and receive blessings from the Bible
Here for ya talk, and tell a confession
We are here to have a conversation and hear your confessions
Audience clap, we still guessin'
We are guessing about the reactions of the audience, even though they are clapping
Tripost camera, back to the session
The camera is mounted on a tripod, and we are returning to the recording session
Move all panties, we progression
We are advancing sexually by removing all undergarments
Promised sex, so we protestin'
We are so confident in our promise of sex that we are protesting any doubts
Filthy sheets, ice cream made a messin'
Our bed sheets are dirty, and we made a mess with ice cream
Come upstairs, ring the bell keep pressin'
Come upstairs, ring the bell multiple times until we answer
Remove your clothes
Take off your clothing
Take off your clothes (Strip!) [2x]
Strip yourself of your clothing
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: SCOTT SANTOS, ESHAM N SMITH, KEITH N THORNTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@acriss77
Respect ✊🏾💪🏾👊🏾
@nitrorichmond230
That beat knocks
@DimiGem
Yuuh people can't fuck with old beats now a days though. They ain't open minded enough
@justadev____7232
This ain't it chief. Need Dan The Automator back
@hobokeegan
u don't even know