The Return of Dr. Octagon

The Return of Dr. Octagon

Kool Keith has been bugging out since the '80s, when he was down with pioneering New York crew Ultramagnetic MCs. But his 1996 reinvention as Dr. Octagon (on the classic Dr. Octagonecologyst) introduced him to a whole new audience and cemented his status as one of hip-hop’s weirdest dudes. Produced by the Automator, KutMasta Kurt, and DJ Qbert, it was a landmark record embraced by listeners who’d mostly never heard of Keith. He killed off the character on 1999's First Come, First Served but revived him for this mysterious project, which hit the scene in 2006. Mired by delays, personnel changes, and contractual conflicts, the finished product is a different beast than the first Dr. Oct joint, mostly due to the unpredictable electro production from the One-Watt Sun crew. Keith's rhymes vary from on-point sci-fi storytelling to stream-of-consciousness wordplay. As always, there’s some great material on here (“Ants,” “Don't Worry Mz Pop Music,” and “A Gorilla Driving a Pickup Truck”). It's well worth a listen, especially if you're a Kool Keith completist. 

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