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)
Varoom
Kool Keith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Kool Keith]
Whassup baby, this is Keith
I want you to take this picture
Want you to stand right over there
That's right, turn around
Alright, spread your legs
Yeah poke it out like they doin Black Tail
Show me how you poke it out baby
Alright, lean it over, let the thong show a little bit
Honey loves to play with herself, lay in the bed with the toys
at heavy masturbation level, that's most beyond treble
The Vaseline abuser, the grease seducer
Holdin her whole butthole open with the springs under her bed broken
With tight thongs, she pump back
I ride her horse ass like an aqueduct racetrack
Straddle your underwear like a jockey
Sixteen inch TV screen butt, with handlebars like a Kawasaki
Motorcycle helmet over my head - motorcycle helmet over my head
[Chorus: Kool Keith]
Varoom! Tear that thang up {*repeat 3X*}
[Kool Keith]
Motocross ride her shirt from the back like a dirtbike
Her bed is the highway, her vagina flash a green light
Her buttcrack expands, she show me them chrome anal pipes
Apple cheeks I bite; watch your pubic hair
like a gas man in the basement with a flashlight
Girl don't be stiff you gotta move your ass right
Turn over like a piece of chicken when the fork stick in
Put on your gloves and mittens, purr out your cum like kittens
[Chorus]
[Kool Keith]
Awkward with the SCUBA diving suit in your waterbeddy
50 thousand panties spin in the dryer with Tampax inserts
Don't laugh, you're not ready
STP fuel, your weave gotta stay on the road
150 around the track
I know the speedway like Al Unser's son
You get your engine checked at Getty
With truck tails in my face, I watch buns jiggle
Back up into the parking space
I pull up to the side of the grey bra, like a racer triple X
Rev up the RPM and say let's race
Let's race baby
[Chorus] - 2X
{*woman keeps moaning to the end*}
In Kool Keith's song Varoom, he plays a character that is sexually explicit and vulgar, directing his lyrics towards a woman he wants to have sex with. The opening of the song comprises him instructing the woman to take a picture and then moves on to describing her as someone who enjoys playing with herself and masturbating excessively. He then paints an image of her in lingerie, with her thong pulled up while he straddles it like a jockey. In the chorus, he repeats the phrase "Tear that thang up" while making references to race tracks and motorbikes.
Later, he describes having sex with her from behind, comparing himself to riding a dirt bike and her bed to a highway. He mentions her "apple cheeks," biting them, and watching her pubic hair like a gas man with a torch. Keith continues the motorcycle metaphor, describing how he revs up his engine during sex and promises to race her. He concludes the song by repeating the chorus, with the woman's moans intensifying throughout.
Line by Line Meaning
Honey loves to play with herself, lay in the bed with the toys
The woman enjoys self-pleasure and uses sex toys while lying in bed.
at heavy masturbation level, that's most beyond treble
The woman's level of self-stimulation is intense and beyond normal levels.
The Vaseline abuser, the grease seducer
The woman uses Vaseline or other lubricants to enhance her sexual experience.
Holdin her whole butthole open with the springs under her bed broken
The woman uses broken bed springs to hold her anus open during sexual activities.
With tight thongs, she pump back
The woman wears tight thongs and moves vigorously during sex.
I ride her horse ass like an aqueduct racetrack
Kool Keith describes his sexual activity with the woman in a vulgar and graphic way, comparing her buttocks to a racetrack.
Straddle your underwear like a jockey
Kool Keith compares his sexual position to that of a jockey riding a horse.
Sixteen inch TV screen butt, with handlebars like a Kawasaki
The woman has a large buttocks that Kool Keith compares to a TV screen with handlebars like a Kawasaki motorcycle.
Motorcycle helmet over my head - motorcycle helmet over my head
Kool Keith wears a motorcycle helmet during sex, emphasizing his graphic descriptions and fantasies.
Varoom! Tear that thang up
The chorus repeats Kool Keith's desire for raw, intense sexual activity.
Motocross ride her shirt from the back like a dirtbike
Kool Keith compares his sexual activity to riding a motocross bike and tearing off the woman's shirt from behind.
Her bed is the highway, her vagina flash a green light
Kool Keith continues his vulgar descriptions, comparing the woman's bed to a highway and her vagina to a flashing green traffic light.
Her buttcrack expands, she show me them chrome anal pipes
Kool Keith describes the woman's anal area in graphic and objectifying terms.
Apple cheeks I bite; watch your pubic hair like a gas man in the basement with a flashlight
Kool Keith describes biting the woman's buttocks and inspecting her pubic hair with a flashlight like a maintenance worker.
Girl don't be stiff you gotta move your ass right
Kool Keith instructs the woman to move her body more during sex.
Turn over like a piece of chicken when the fork stick in
Kool Keith compares the woman's sexual position to cooking a chicken and using a fork to flip it over.
Put on your gloves and mittens, purr out your cum like kittens
Kool Keith continues his vulgar and objectifying language, instructing the woman to make a kitten-like noise when she orgasms.
Awkward with the SCUBA diving suit in your waterbeddy
Kool Keith describes a bizarre and uncomfortable sexual scenario involving a SCUBA suit and waterbed.
50 thousand panties spin in the dryer with Tampax inserts
Kool Keith describes a large quantity of women's underwear spinning in a dryer, including tampons.
Don't laugh, you're not ready
Kool Keith warns the listener not to laugh and suggests that they may not be prepared for his graphic descriptions.
STP fuel, your weave gotta stay on the road
Kool Keith uses a car racing metaphor to describe the woman's hair, suggesting that it needs to stay in place during sex.
150 around the track
Kool Keith continues his car racing metaphor, suggesting that the sexual activity is fast-paced and intense like a race.
I know the speedway like Al Unser's son
Kool Keith boasts about his sexual prowess, comparing it to the skill of a famous racecar driver's son.
You get your engine checked at Getty
Kool Keith makes a reference to a well-known oil company, implying that the woman should take care of herself sexually.
With truck tails in my face, I watch buns jiggle
Kool Keith describes watching the woman's buttocks shake while she is on top of him.
Back up into the parking space
Kool Keith uses a car metaphor to describe the woman's movement during sex.
I pull up to the side of the grey bra, like a racer triple X
Kool Keith describes approaching the woman from behind, comparing her bra to a racer's outfit.
Rev up the RPM and say let's race
Kool Keith uses more car racing metaphors to encourage the woman to engage in a more intense sexual activity.
Contributed by Emma B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.