by Dr. Octagon, 1997, Dreamworks

the sound: How does one describe the surreal aural odyssey that is “Dr. Octagonecologyst”? Previously known throughout the hip-hop underground as Kool Keith, Dr. Octagon is a musical sci-fi creation that nearly defies explanation. Listening to the semi-sensical lyrics, we learn that he’s an extra-terrestrial surgeon with a specialty in gynecology, but with highly dubious ethics and medical competence. “Earth people, New York to California / Earth people, I was born on Jupiter,” he warns in “Earth People.” Doc Oc’s music is as unorthodox as his surgical procedures. Most of the album’s 20 tracks are wildly inventive, stretching the boundaries of hip-hop beyond Earth’s atmosphere, with some humorously juvenile sketches mixed in. Produced and co-written by sound master Dan “The Automator” Nakamura, the album includes some mesmerizing loops and samples. Contributors like DJ Qbert, DJ Shadow, and Prince Paul help create a dark and spacey sonic atmosphere filled with robots, aliens and bizarre spaceships. Meanwhile, Octagon sputters stream-of-consciousness lyrics that rarely make sense but often include mind-bending rhymes and psychedelic colors. Probably the disc’s strongest track is “Blue Flowers,” which exemplifies the artist’s musical brilliance and lyrical inanity. “Dr. Octagon, paramedic fetus of the East / With priests I’m from the church of the operating room,” he raps.  

the background: It’s popularly believed that Keith Thornton came up with the Dr. Octagon alter-ego following a stint in a mental institution, although the verity of that tale is questionable. Regardless, his imagination takes a strange, hallucinatory sojourn on “Dr. Octagonecologyst,” his first album under the alias. It was a solo debut for Thornton, who blazed a trail in the ’80s with the hip-hop collective Ultramagnetic MCs. His new venture delved deeper into the genre’s experimental side, incorporating elements of horror, sci-fi and even pornography. Those looking for danceable hip-hop beats should steer clear of this one, but those craving auditory space exploration are encouraged to tune in. 

the significance: “Dr. Octagonecologyst” marked a ’90s revival for Kool Keith, who has continued to record prolifically ever since, producing some 25 albums under a variety of names. Dreamworks also released an instrumental version of the record, bringing into focus the innovative sound work by Nakamura and Qbert. This was one of the first full-length CDs The Automator produced, and it paved a clear path for some of the other ambitious projects he helmed over the next few years, such as Handsome Boy Modeling School’s “So... How’s your Girl?” and Del the Funky Homosapien’s “Deltron 3030.” The influence of both The Automator and Dr. Octagon is evident just about anywhere experimental hip-hop is heard.