Thoughts On Aesop Rock?
Just sharing my honest thoughts about his music, with all due respect.
i've listened to most of his work. At this point i've heard everything from appleseed, to labour days to malibu ken to even the latest Lice vol 4 with homeboy sandman... I really try to dig and understand the artist and their vibe.
tbh tho, I don't rate this guy as some god tier emcee. He's just ok to me. like 5.5-6/10 kinda rapper.
The production, vocals and lyrics are just not hitting. A lot of cheesy lyrics like "Banana slices over captain crunch, thats whats up" or word salad like on the track "The Yes & The Y'all" The beginning is just extremely corny lol! I actually bursted out laughing how silly that song sounded.
Also annoying production like a lot of the beats on "I heard its a mess over there too" Full House Pinball being one example. Also I am not a fan of the random song titles like Potato Leek Soup or Himalayan Yak Chew, it feels forced... like it's trying to scream how creative it is. It like he's making novelty rap and not going for an actual hip hop record.
Even though his albums are conceptual and sonically cohesive, (the beats blend together for that given project) the beats themselves just are meh or forgettable for me.
Biggest Flaws - His voice and beats are his biggest issues for me. Also some of the stories he's rapping about are just way to specific and in context. Like "Alex up the street called, said he saw a bob cat!" Or "A kid that worked at the local baskin robbins..." It's way too in context, and you gotta know all this backstory to dissect the bars. That doesn't make it lyrical...
I don't think he has one hip hop record that could hold its own against a song like Boom by Royce Da 5'9". That shows me he's not in that conversation yall put him in. What's Aesop's signature record? Daylight? Because I am not really a Royce Fan in particular. But he's got an undeniable hip hop banger in "Boom". I am wondering does Aes have an undeniable? (i dont think so)
For the record, I do not think Aesop Rock is trash or bad at what he does. And I'm not trying to slander him. I have a lot of respect for the guy and his craft. He definitely a wizard in his own right. I just don't think he's that incredible either... What do you guys think?
Best Songs - Mars Attacks, Frijoles, Catfish (Lice Single), None Shall Pass (The beat is cool, don't like the rapping too much), Zero Dark Thirty (Best beat he's spit on imo), Gopher Guts, Blood Sandwich (I have brothers so this song is hard), Get Out The Car, Shrunk, Bazooka Tooth (Intro)
Best Project - The Impossible Kid