Dr. Octagon
Moosebumps


3.2
good

Review

by Trebor. EMERITUS
April 9th, 2018 | 34 replies


Release Date: 2018 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Time to deliver a pizza ball

Kool Keith and Dan The Automator sound old. Keith’s voice, of course, has been affected by his 40+ age - lower in pitch and less attack than in the 90s. Dan’s beats sound about 20 years old, artifacts of the 90s, complete with operatic flair and a heavy dose of turntables. But more importantly, they sound tired. This could work to their advantage if it was in a self-referential and thematic way like Danny Brown’s Old, but instead you have dude’s in their 40s trying to replicate something they did 20 years ago. And that’s not to say Moosebumps is a bad record, it’s simply a more polished rehash of a fantastic record from another time.

When Kool Keith, Dan The Automator, and DJ Q-Bert teamed up for Dr. Octagon they paved the way for alternative hip-hop. We likely wouldn’t have the likes of Madvillain, Deltron 3030, or Brockhampton if Kool Keith hadn’t decided to rap as a time-traveling mass murdering gynecologist. After Dr. Octagonecologyst dropped in ‘96, Dan went on to produce bigger, more mainstream projects like Deltron 3030 and the first Gorillaz record, two groups that owe a great deal to Dr. Octagon. The man himself Kool Keith decided to stay in the underground, making weird and eclectic albums under a handful of different monikers. Considering the track record of these guys Moosebumps is just a little too tame. The sexual assault jokes from Octagonecologyst would not hang today, but regardless this project is missing grit. Hip-hop’s resident weirdo Kool Keith slings nonsense non-sequiturs like “I was writing octagon in an octagon hat / With octagon underwear taking an octagon bath / With octagon soap, my octagon motorcycle made / By octagon bikes / Stand up late in octagon heights living that octagon life / Wiping the girls off with octagon baby wipes” at a rapid pace, but his lower energy hampers the feel of the bombastic beats. All criticism aside, Dr. Octagon has just enough fuel left in the tank to make a functional and enjoyable record. Maybe hip-hop is a young man’s game, but Octagon is a nice change of pace from the trap beats and MCs too young to buy alcohol that is dominating the mainstream right now.



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user ratings (46)
3.1
good


Comments:Add a Comment 
Trebor.
Emeritus
April 9th 2018


60054 Comments

Album Rating: 3.2

Hit major writer's block with this one. I feel like I hardly had anything nice to say about it, but it is an enjoyable record

Frippertronics
Emeritus
April 9th 2018


19570 Comments


Dude bird up

Skoop
April 9th 2018


2201 Comments


You successfully boosted my morale

DoofusWainwright
April 9th 2018


19991 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

Very 3.2 album

Gyromania
April 9th 2018


37552 Comments


Oh man! I love Dr. Octagon. Keep meaning to relisten to Octagonecologyst

Avagantamos
April 9th 2018


9052 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

I'm probably trying too hard to like this, but I can't bring myself to rate this lower than a 4 when Kool Keith and Del tha Funkee Homosapien are on a track together produced by Dan the Automator.

DoofusWainwright
April 9th 2018


19991 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

Keith’s vocals sound NOTHING like the original and it kinda breaks the spell for me



Most of the time I find him just ok here

Avagantamos
April 9th 2018


9052 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

I think it sounds like typical Keith, but definitely missing the fire that was on the debut. Listening to his solo stuff from between '96 and now has also probably familiarized me with the way his voice has changed over the years, so it doesn't sound very off to me.

BeyondCosby
April 10th 2018


2781 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Sound tired? Dude... did we listen to the same album?

Winesburgohio
Staff Reviewer
April 10th 2018


4180 Comments


goddamn it now i have that sketch stuck in my head

what's up ramadan steve

someguest
April 10th 2018


30205 Comments


My favorite Kool Keith track is "Diesel Power".

Heh.

Frippertronics
Emeritus
April 10th 2018


19570 Comments


oh man it's Mellow Mike what's up Mellow Mike

Trebor.
Emeritus
April 10th 2018


60054 Comments

Album Rating: 3.2

I don't trust like that

Skoop
April 10th 2018


2201 Comments


Investigate 311

Lavair
April 10th 2018


963 Comments


The Return of The Return of Dr. Octagon

BeyondCosby
April 10th 2018


2781 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Use your octagon ears to listen to this octagon music. Nod your octagon head and octagon groove along.

JasonCarne
April 10th 2018


1184 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

This was super boring.

TheFantasticDangler
April 10th 2018


2059 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

Keith lost his magic a long time ago, not sure why I thought he could get it back here. His hooks on a few songs remind of old Dr. O, but his verses are mostly whack. Area 54 he sounds dope, I'm not sure why he couldn't put as much effort into his verses as he does on that song. Dan doesn't sound spectacular, but theres some dope beats on this.



DrGonzo1937
Staff Reviewer
April 11th 2018


18523 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

nice rev. agree wholeheartedly

frigyourgenre
April 11th 2018


4461 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

Kinda underwhelming



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