Let's talk about how great Aesop Rock's new album is

And fuuuuuuck, "11:35" is brilliant multi-microcosm Altman storytelling writ tiny. (I'd big-up "Famous", too, but that's more of a "El-P surprises the shit out of me by coming clear and no-frills and making his pre-emptive 'Last Real Nigga Alive' move" thing than a Yay For Aes lauding and is therefore a DIGRESSION!)

Why don't you just call me racist and get ALL your idiotic strawman-burning tendencies out of the way right now?

What I want ILM to be is something above "hurr hurr uh like dude that suxx"; you seem to approach most indie rap in a tone that sounds like a hyperactive teenager on a Dew-and-crank bender lashing out against all those horrible critics who said bad things about "bling bling" in their big-up reviews of Stankonia or Labor Days.

Like I said, El's verse seems kind of pre-emptive. It'd be funny if he knew some piddling shit he was half-involved in (like the 7L and Esoteric vs. Weathermen feud that saw Esoteric take a sideways potshot at Cannibal Ox) was bound to blow up by the October release date but didn't want to be TOO specific. Or maybe he likes keeping his potential rivals paranoid (cf. the "To all of those who fantasize we’re dissing you specifically, stop, if that time ever comes, you’ll know" line on the back of the "End to End Burners" 12") and hope they flip and come out of the woodwork where they're vulnerable.

(Sorry for derailing the thread up there but you know how pointy sticks are)

FYI I heard that El's verse was about the 7L & Esoteric beef, but no need to fuel fanboy backpacker fantasies, right?

best line: "motherfucker you're not a vet you're just OLD!"

I broke down and bought the last Aesop album on super sale after hearing so many people rave about it. I like a few of the beats and dig his voice, but his lyrics just take more work to understand--to actually make out the words and to decipher the meaning--than I'm willing to put in.

Then again, maybe I should give up trying to reason with/explain anything to you, so you can just go right ahead and add my name next to Custos' and gygax's and amateurist's on your Enemies List for you to bring up almost non-sequitorially when you feel as though your heart has been hurt by corny indie fuxx (tm ethan padgett)

I dunno if it's the beat or what, but I hearing "oh, sick joke" in my head after this line.

Haven't heard the new one yet, but I love, love, Labor Days. Does Blockhead do many beats on the new one? He really made Labor Days great, partly by bringing back actual fucking basslines (and good ones too).

This album is finally starting to make sense to me. Random thoughts without any concept to connect them: the beat on "Freeze" is great. Party Fun Action Committee got slammed but I think they lighten up "Cook It Up" very effectively, reading backwards from their fun vocals highlights the humor that Aesop sneaks into his lyrics. Aesop's sense of humor gets overlooked because everything comes out in that serious-sounding growl. "We're Famous" is like a wake-up slap right in the middle of the album just when you're thinking you've got it all figured out! "This is for all those super-scientifical, uh, geniuses!"

Everything until the end is cool, but NY Electric's grimed-up Get Ur Freak On beat makes for one of the best tracks on the album (and def. the best Aesop-produced beat). I like Super Fluke a lot too.

At first I was really disappointed with the production and general lack of Blockhead on it, it made me realize how massive a part he is of Labor Days. My favorite song is still probably Babies with Guns, which could be a LD outtake (it's also got the most melodic hook, which I think has got to be the influence of the production), but the lo-fi stompiness of the rest of the tracks has grown on me a lot.

|ALERT| The new aesop rock record is terrible
|ALERT| The instrumentals are wack except the intro, it sounds like el-p hired a bad funk band with a distinct smooth jazz influence and bought some expensive keyboards
|ALERT| I got a little respect for your word aesop-- write me-- i got you with the instrumentals, and you just need a little workshopping
|ALERT| This album contains a wack cage verse
|ALERT| I am nostalgaic for float and that other record
|ALERT| I like track 10

This album is fire. I see it as a return to his glory days. It sounds like it could fit in with the classics of the early 90's hip-hop scene.

big LOL at this thread being started by roger adultry

http://www.thefetus.net/images/article-images/urinary_and_adrenal/urethral_meatus_agenesis_fuller_files/urethra3.jpg

sor-e wrong thread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lol

Actually, in my experience, slackers listen to Mars Volta
and Aesop Rock. Just one man's testimony.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Monday, July 17, 2006 8:36 PM (2 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

im an el-p stan but i thought his verse on this record was a bit too self indulgent. seemed like something he should have put either on his own album (or better yet, a one off promo so people can forget it ever existed).

other than that, really good album.

Anybody else still like this dude? I really like Skelethon, even the songs with Kimya Dawson (though I really don't want an entire album of the two of them). I think its nice to hear him go without Blockhead productions.

We talked about it in this thread

aesop rock C/D, S&D

oh shit, thanks, missed that one