Not to be confused with A$AP Rocky, Aesop Rock is probably one of hip-hop’s most underrated artists. Aesop Rock isn’t just your typical rapper—he’s a phenomenal wordsmith.
Aesop Rock is one of the many eclectic, underground rappers signed to the label Rhymesayers Entertainment. On top of that, he was previously signed to another label, Definitive Jux, the same label that EL-P of Run the Jewels is signed under. Comfortable being in the limelight, Aesop Rock has made eight solo albums since the early 2000s.
Aesop Rock’s one true defining feature is his colorful vocabulary — he should consider changing his stage name to Encyclopedia Brown.
Aesop Rock doesn’t have the typical rhyme flow that most hip-hop artists do, but that’s okay because his lyrics are practically genius. Aesop is probably the nerdiest rapper out there — who else raps about “Little Shop of Horrors?"
His music is chock-full of extended metaphors, heavily relying on word association. For example, "I bounce checks like a modern man/ sleep with one eye open while the other two drift together specimens from the promised land" from the song “Bent Life” off the album “Labor Days.”
According to a recent study, Aesop Rock has the largest vocabulary in hip-hop using over 7,000 unique words.
Okay, so he knows practically every SAT word that exists. Aesop Rock raps some peculiar and unusual subject matter. Apparently, not all hip-hop is littered with subjects like sex, drugs and money. A good example of this would be the song “Fryerstarter” off of the album “Skelethon” which describes what goes on in a donut shop called “Bob’s Donuts” which Aesop has been known to frequent.
Its not all fun and games — Aesop Rock does make some pretty dark and macabre tunes as well. Songs like “Zero Dark Thirty” and “None Shall Pass” are abstract but call attention to critical matters like political corruption and materialism. Another track where this is apparent is “Zodiacaccupuncture” off of one of his earlier albums “Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives.” "The hand cannons won’t ask ‘bout your zodiac boy.”
Wordsmith, philosopher, Aesop makes some poignant raps about clever outlooks on life like in the track “Daylight," “Life's not a b----! Life is a beautiful woman/you only call her a b---- because she won't let you get that p----. Maybe she didn't feel y'all shared any similar interests.”
The instrumentals on his albums are also noticeable. Trying his hand at producing, Aesop once made a 45-minute composition for Nike. These talents are apparent in his work, as most of the beats are fresh with electronica influence.
Aesop Rock doesn’t always operate alone. He’s also part of a hip-hop duo with Rob Sonic called “Hail Mary Mallon.” If you’re just getting into Aesop Rock, you might want to start out here. The instrumentals on their records are emphasized and well-thought-out, making it easier to uncover Aesop Rock’s talents solo.
In addition, they have recently released a new album, “Beastiary,” which like Aesop’s solo work, contains a lot of conceptual tracks, as well as some fun ones.
He also has been known to collaborate with artists that you would never expect, like singer Kimya Dawson, fellow rapper EL-P, and John Darnielle of the folk-punk band the Mountain Goats.
Sure Aesop Rock has received a lot of flack for his sentence fragment, haiku-esque flow, but without a doubt he is talented in the realm of production. He’s definitely worth a listen — a listen that will be an experience if nothing else.