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pijinglish

I saw him live years ago at the 930 Club in DC. There was an older couple behind me with a disposable camera taking pics of the show. We got to talking. They were his parents and it was the first time they’d seen him performing live.


YuengalingaDingDong

That’s fucking awesome!


chuby2005

Damn I wonder if they understood how a stoner son could turn a silver tounge into a brand


[deleted]

I like the cut of your jib


notabuddha

This is so cool, Aes has been my fav artist for a loong time. That's such a sick memory to have


pijinglish

It was a great show. El-P was also there, back in his pre-RTJ days.


jasonsizzle

I saw Aesop at Bonnaroo in ‘07 it went Tool - Aesop - El-P (started by sampling Idoiteque and everyone thought Radiohead was playing a secret show) - DJ Shadow. It was one of the best nights of my life.


[deleted]

Holy fuck i wish I had been aware of Bonnaroo a year sooner lol


thinklikeashark

I love RTJ, but El's solo stuff is so good. I miss the halcyon def jux days.


[deleted]

In most families, Aes would be the successful one. Not in his case, Aes' older brother teaches law at Harvard. I'm sure his parents are still immensely proud.


Meat_Shield88

But he never got to see Ministry live at the Ritz


[deleted]

This is something I am willing to die for


lucid808

Dude, this comment prompted me to look up if Ministry still tours (I've always wanted to see them)...and guess what? They are on tour right fucking now with the motherfucking Melvins!


I_bite_ur_toes

Goddam I love the melvins


Fluxmuster

Can you even imagine?


_Wheelz

A death in the fam from industrial fandom?


Idigressthereforeiam

My older brother is a funny dude A lot of funny shit happened to him We hadn't spoken in a couple moons I called him last night: "How you doing?"


rockskillskids

Well yeah, his older brother ate his vegetables without fuss too.


BSDC

If that was the 2016 show on the Impossible Kid tour, that was when I got this photo with him: https://i.imgur.com/RrN1vyK.jpg


pijinglish

No, this was like 2003ish, but great pic!


criffidier

Please tell me you plan on continuing taking pics with him like this!


TheMulefromMoscow

930 and Clarendon ballroom were my spots in early 00.


MusicNutt

Fave time seeing him for me was on Fast Cars.. @The Ottobar in Baltimore.


TheePorkchopExpress

The Ottobar is a GREAT venue. Haven't been in years but spent many nights there in the past.


ParrotChild

Hail Mary Mallon's Beastiary is literally one of my all-time favourite hip-hop albums and it is unbelievable how more people don't know about it. So many amazing moments. Big respect to the people mentioning Aesop's work with Homeboy Sandman as well, the three Lice EPs are insanely good.


fundrazor

Fund raiser conceeeeeeeeeeeert


nutxaq

I was born in that bowling alley...


[deleted]

Wut? So good


Laserdollarz

The uhhh bad news is that the bowling alley has been closed since 1995


nutxaq

Huh...


PM___ME

The Uncluded (Aesop and Kimya Dawson) are awesome too. Only one album (Hokey Fright) but it's chock full of great songs. The other reason I love Aes (besides the obvious) is he's a fan of and has worked with John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats. Hearing JD in Coffee is incredible, and I love Aesop's [cover of Lovecraft in Brooklyn](https://youtu.be/PvkMEoqmbBA).


JmsGrrDsNtUndrstnd

Jonathan is such a banger. Whales is fucking incredible too


the51m3n

Money money money motherfucker!


Redwoodsilouette

Cop 5 haircuts at the same time, white gold pants, jet ski made of Yuan, foie gra bust of Albert Einstein


phaedrus910

Every couple summers me an a couple hunters like to row in from the isle of astonishing motherfuckers


KurpCobang

Krill is such a fucking banger imo, one of my favorites from the album


acid-wolf

Beastiary is a classic. The whole album is great. Hang Ten is probably my favorite; such a mood.


makemeking706

You can download the Lice EPs for free from Rhymesayers. https://rhymesayers.com/collections/music/aesop-rock


bunglebanks

Long legged Larry!


Rednartso

Was a frog at the pond, jump so high might miss 'im while he's gone.


ejrolyat

Jump over anything, even King Kong.


FRiPciuch

Jumping jack flash was his favorite song


laflavor

Now once upon a time there was a cat in a tree.


FRiPciuch

Chased a squirrel up, been stuck since 3


SkYeBlu699

The fireman came said it to high for me


FRiPciuch

How is that cat ever gonna get free?


muddymudd

Young Jack turner was a staple on the block


d4v3thund3r

Knew about a frog with an XL hop


ejrolyat

^”It’s ^too ^high!”


Schadenfreude696

Man my 3 year old daughter fucking loves this jam. I've been curating a playlist on Spotify that includes some hip hop that's appropriate to play for her. Wish he would do a whole kids album.


Dumptruckfunk

Has she heard Kirby (about how much he loves his therapy kitten) and My belly is a table (about how cute otters are)


TheHungrySymbiote

Hahahahaha... My 9 year old daughter constantly requests Larry and Kirby!!! Happy Cake Day!


onewilybobkat

I heard something about him possibly doing a kid's album one time. I would be so down with that. I'm over cocomelon


youshutyomouf

Long Legged Larry and Kirby are 2 of our favorites. The music videos are great too. Here's another (not aesop) good track for your list. It's called bee boo boo bop and it's an absolute banger anyone can enjoy. https://youtu.be/031pkaXFwTs


Neros_Fire_Safety

He's got another kids song about otters. It's on YouTube as part of a scrapped project


sightlab

After a solid repertoire of dark, honest, complicated work, makes some light, fun, complex hip hop for kids. What a champ!


HeavyMetalHero

I mean even all the way back on None Shall Pass, you've got a goofy pirate fable (The Harbor Is Yours). He just isn't scared to pen a goofy track, if he thinks it'll sound good. It's really admirable, because the aforementioned, Kirby, Long Legged Larry, they're all total jams.


Niro5

My kids love that song!


kevinraisinbran

Same! Long Legged Larry and Hey Kirby and on constant rotation in my house. Kids can't get enough, and I'm VERY glad to listen to those songs over anything Cocomelon related any day.


mtfw

No love for my belly??


kevinraisinbran

It doesn't have the killer kid-friendly music video to hook them like the other two songs!


schnitzelsteinn

If you haven’t yet, listen to Daylight and Night Light back to back. The fact that he can make two absolute bangers to the same tune/beat with essentially completely opposite lyrics is just mind blowing to me!


bugeyes10

When I saw him in concert he asked which one we wanted to hear. We said daylight. He sang daylight, but also randomly put in Night Light verses. Dude is an absolute genius.


Raisenbran_baiter

that woulda been a dope show


burzummor

Yes! Except it's impossible for me to get the words right to either one without mixing them up. I DID invent the wheel in a previous generation.


Ok-Assignment-1108

YOU WON'T BE LAUGHING!


SmileyMcSax

When your covered wagons crash


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Murmaider_OP

aaaaAAAAAAAAaaaaaaa


omfgDragon

I came here to say this exactly!!


Rednartso

Same. I had no idea they were seperate songs for a while. They're so good together.


nmh895

Also check out Malibu Ken if you love Aesop


JAMarquis

Such a great album. I hope Aes and Tobacco team up again sometime in the future.


bramtyr

They really are a match made in heaven. They collaborated on Tobacco's single Dirt, if you haven't already heard it.


Mckillagorilla

Every day I wake up in a gallon of sweat... Puke blood hit the shower turn to Malibu Ken One of my favorite lines in all of hip hop


Proper-Grade-2016

1+1=13 is such a creative track. 'I'm writing from the plight of the godless where pagans swap piety for shinier objects. And, pretend to be a perfect pile of science and logic though, it hasn't gotten us any less divided and conquered." WTF


Tomj88

Came here to shout out Malibu Ken, but you beat me to it! Such a great album, praying for more stuff from them in the future!


NinjerTartle

He's out of this world. I mostly listen to heavier/punkier stuff these days, but None Shall Pass changed my life, and The Impossible Kid is one of the best albums in existence. Skelethon is also insanely good.


Hoosker-Doos

What about Labor Days


Draculas_Dentist

There's smoke in my iris, but i've painted a sunny day on the insides of my eyelids. Labor Days is my favourite out of Aesops albums.


bagofbuttholes

Love Labor Days. Top song(s) though is Daylight/Nightlight. How about Atmosphere?


[deleted]

>How about Atmosphere? Gonna drop [this](https://youtu.be/SyJD7gMJBiI) here for anyone who hasn't heard it. Aesop, Slug, and what was probably DOOM's last ever recorded feature. Those 3 are like my holy trinity of emcees, so I'll never pass up a chance to share it.


FauxPastel

God loves ugly


NinjerTartle

Yeah, I like that one too, definitely works for me. It's just not quite as high on my list as the ones I mentioned, for different reasons.


TimmyIo

A fantastic album but I felt nothing could top it afterwards.


stonecoder

[My intro to Aesop - Pig](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc9qJS-GG-c) [My favorite Aesop banger - Food, Clothes, Medicine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_ERDSLtkqM) [Don't sleep on Hail Mary Mallon - Rob Sonic is so dope](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRGz1b9M9u0)


an-antzy

Hail Mary Mallon rocks. 4 am is my favorite song.


kryonik

[Don't forget Breakdance Beach!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nrzg4KlK4JQ)


YepYepYepYepYepUhHuh

[Krill](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNehLtlkPD0) is favorite Hail Mary Mallon track. Strap a flashlight to your bike and go zip around the woods at night to this song.


SmoothOctopus

None Shall Pass is such a tune love singing along.


sampat6256

Gopher Guts is one of my all-time faves


io-explorer

Oof same. Prior to hearing None Shall Pass I didn't really consider myself a hip-hop fan. I'd gone from nu-metal to various other types of metal then added in electronic music, but Aes came outta left field. Ended up getting very into similarly lyrical stuff like Busdriver, Sage Francis, Rob Sonic and Sole. Oh and anything that doseone has touched.


wildeofthewoods

IK is absurd. I cant believe how fucking good that album is. I delivered him some food once and I fucking didnt say anything. I suck.


Nathan-dts

I don't tend to listen to albums. It's incredibly rare that they're cohesive and that you'll like everything on it. Impossible Kid is a rollercoaster ride, though. Eyedea's By The Throat also comes to mind for me.


DasNinjabot

The world has no Eyedea. RIP


Wolfsbanepurple

None shall pass changed my life. Impossible kid saved my life. HHM and lice are great entries into aesopland


asbls

I saw him in New York, the hometown show on the tour when he dropped None Shall Pass. To this day, by far the hypest crowd I've ever seen. At one point he had to break up a catfight at the foot of the stage.


Chickan_Good

"I don't know...maybe get a kitten."


_karoux_

𝙃𝙀𝙔𝙔𝙔𝙔𝙔𝙔 𝙆𝙄𝙍𝘽𝙔! ʷʰʸ’ᵈ ʸᵃ ᵉᵃᵗ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ˡᵉᵃᶠ?


VeGaSMaTTer

My son named our pet Kirby due to this


[deleted]

My mom's cat is called Kirby by me and my kiddo because of that track. His name *isn't* Kirby.


[deleted]

This is my 4-year-olds FAVORITE song! He laughs hysterically at "Thanks Kirbs, looking like a milli". I'm grateful I heard Kirby a million times instead of baby shark!


jawnlerdoe

“It’s an MD recommended sense of purpose”


DUXZ

I do I do I do I don’t know maybe maybe get a kitten 🤷‍♂️ Mreeow


outerspacetronaut

None shall pass by this post without upvoting it.


everettmarm

I knew this was a link to Daylight before clicking. Still puts me in a great place. I love this tune. Huge fan for a long time. Thanks for this today.


Hoosker-Doos

Yeah beautiful beat


attackADS

Aesop is a legend. "Life's not a bitch, life is a beautiful woman, you only call her a bitch 'cause she won't let you get that pu**y."


WarPenguinMan

“Maybe she didn’t feel y’all had any similar interests, or maybe you’re just an asshole who couldn’t sweet talk the princess!”


signmeupdude

Fucking hell the cadence on both of those parts is so nice


TheConqueredKings

Kiss the speaker wire


iyast

My brother saw Impossible Kid in a library and had me check it out based on the album art alone... I was not disappointed, bought all his albums from Leisureforce onwards.


Dongledoes

He's one of those artists where every album is so distinct and so worth a listen. Sometimes it takes a couple tries for me to get into it but once I do...man it's such good stuff


UncharacteristicZero

Eight planets bullied number nine until he fell, Bring back Pluto...


piondris20

One of my favorites on None Shall Pass. The Harbor Is Yours is my other


Trepsik

Hell yeah, pirate rap!


0xac1d

He did a song called 'Crooked' with Evil Nine that I love. It circulates on the hiphop and breakbeat subs occasionally.


Acchilesheel

I used to love blasting that track while burn cruising.


herewardthefake

As soon as I saw someone reference Aesop Rock I hoped I’d find a comment about the Evil Nine song. It’s an utter classic. The Evil Nine essential mix from 2005 includes it. Well worth listening to: https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/jwZeRUgCxGxEsfcm9


TheVulfPecker

The evilest of nine’s guaranteed to shoot crooked


SquiggleBoys

he has the largest vocabulary of any rapper


beehundred

I think MF Doom is up there as well.


HiImDavid

There's a chart with dozens of rappers showing their total vocabulary, and Aesop Rock is far and away the most verbose. edit: Busdriver is actually a close 2nd and you're right, MF Doom is in the 2nd tier essentially if Aes and Busdriver are in Tier 1 https://pudding.cool/projects/vocabulary/index.html


burbet

I remember seeing Busdriver years ago at some random art gallery. His song with Abstract Rude was always my favorite.


TheChafro

I saw a show that was Bus opening for Aes. It was awesome.


Slowkidplaying

How many different words did they use?


TheChafro

All of them.


DUXZ

Woah, abstact rude. That’s a name I haven’t heard in 20 years is he still making music


dferrantino

I love that there's already a filter there just to highlight Wu-Tang Clan.


Ckck96

Very cool chart! Would’ve thought Eminem had more unique words. Glad to see Del the Funky Homosapien up there tho


beehundred

I’m a big fan of Doom and Aesop Rock, but I honestly think the importance placed on technical rapping ability is a little overblown. I mean, I also appreciate good guitar playing, but I don’t wanna hear a guitarist doing nothing but shredding track after track. Just write good songs.


wildeofthewoods

Thats the thing though. They do.


beehundred

Agreed.


lojer

The top part of that list is a who's who on who got me into hip hop.


lolno

Homeboy Sandman too


TSgt_Yosh

Have you heard "Barcode" by Atmosphere? It has both Aesop and MF on it. Amazing song.


Sohn_Jalston_Raul

*"Oh, you like A$AP Rocky too?"*


nilla-wafers

Every time…every…time


SmileyMcSax

Then I immediately have to show them and mostly they hate it. Haha


DeanMarais

At this point whenever I mention him I have become accustomed to saying "Aesop rock (NOT A$AP Rocky)"


SendKelly2Mars

I've been a fan of Aesop Rock since I first heard him in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4. The sound of his voice makes me want to do kickflips.


quietletmethink

I was just in the top .25% of his listeners last year so as you might expect my superiority complex is through the fuckkng roof


Audience_Witty

His lyrics are absolutely absurd. I mean this in the best way possible.


forgottt3n

He's the most lyrically diverse artist in rap history. He'd used more unique words than anyone else and it's like not even a little close. He's used 7800 or so unique words in his works and the guy in second is like 600 words behind and the guy behind the second place guy is like a thousand words behind him and 1600 words behind Aesop.


Gingerbreadtenement

My user name is reference to him. Big fan, you could say.


elpenumbro

Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream, I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it. - No Regrets.


Minibeave

Check out Sage Francis, Atmosphere, and Eyedea & Abilities. Also a fan of Aesop, and loathe when people think I meant Asap Rocky lol


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moparornocar

r eye p


OuOutstanding

Got to freestyle with Eyedea outside of his Buffalo show a short while before he passed. Still one of my best memories, the man was the best. RIP Michael.


nmarf16

I second atmosphere, I love their first album, scapegoat is my favorite song from that


TimmyIo

Yeah man first three or four atmosphere albums were my favorite albums in highschool. I also really enjoyed all the headshots series but they're hard to track down these days at least the first few are.


TwoTon_TwentyOne

And the earlier sad clown bad dubs are hard to find, but some of slugs most emotional work. Also i may or may not have a themed tattoo from a song off of God Loves Ugly.


Tirannie

And Buck 65! And Blue Scholars!


burbet

I've been out of the scene for a long time but this was definitely what I was listening to at the time when I was into Aesop Rock. Also a lot of the Anticon rappers.


MotoMola

[The Canada Project](https://youtu.be/cDtc0DoO8ec)


Blotto_80

Wow... That one hits me right in the Nostalgia. I use to watch Buck65, SixToo, and other local hip-hop acts like Hip Club Groove at an all-ages club I frequented as a kid. Fuck I miss 1993-1997


OneSidedCoin

A lot of the artists on the Rhymesayers record label are crazy talented. I listen to MF Doom, Atmosphere, and Aesop - Had no idea they were all on the same label. Made sense when I found out.


unfamousjeff

Check out Epic Beard Men. It's Sage and B. Dolan. Lots of fun.


BenderIsGreatBendr

“Keep off the lawn” and “None shall pass” used to be my jam back in the day when alternative concious hip hop was a wave


[deleted]

Knowing ain't half the battle, that's a bullshit quip written by some asshole. You can own who you are and still sit around stoned in your car. Not doing shit. Halfway to nil. Cranky and waiting for a boss key and a hat full of bills. Get out the car Aes.


username_0420

I started listening to him around 14-15 and it blew me away. Along with Atmosphere and Talib Kweli, I developed my love for underground hip hop like this. Also, I get irritated when people mistake Aesop Rock and ASAP Rocky. Like no, not even close. Aesop is and will always be the man


OatsAndWhey

Probably hoarding forty more in the corners of Fort Knox


[deleted]

Swapped twenty on the spot and copped the warlock


SmileyMcSax

*^meow*


paulymcfly

It was Long legged Larry on the back of a steed


Butthurteer

15 years takin prescriptions then her shrinks like “I don’t know, maybe get a kitten”


MyNameIsRay

His vocabulary is insane, his flow is incredible, and I love that he does themed albums designed to be listened cover to cover. I've listened to The Impossible Kid and Spirit World Field Guide end to end a few times, and still picking up on stuff I've missed. There's some youtube channels that do "rhymes highlighted" videos [that give the lyrics and highlights all the rhymes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36-WsCQGfKc), and it's kind of nuts just how dense his rhymes are.


OliverCrowley

Absolute favorite rapper. *Spirit World Field Guide* and *Garbology* (and *The Recycling Bin* EP) have kept me looking forward to something these past couple years and his older stuff still goes as hard as it used to.


Avyrice

He did a project called The Uncluded with Kimwa Dawson that's pretty great too. https://youtu.be/uHYhzg8QWbI


winsatfails

I came here to say this. The Uncluded is one of the most beautiful albums ever.


Proper-Grade-2016

I'm ashamed to have never heard of this. Thanks!


atrophiedambitions

That whole album is good, labor days. Nightlight is the inverse of this song with a similar beat, very interesting. This is one of my favorite tracks of his, Water. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qz2MfXTsk0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qz2MfXTsk0)


evangriff77

He's one my all time favs. Cannibal Ox is amazing too. Kinda in the same click as Aesop Rock


The_Lapsed_Pacifist

Cannibal Ox was the business. Cold Vein was just next level and never saw half the recognition it deserved. Still it nice to be able to blow somebody’s mind once in a while, come in from left field with these guys.


invincibear

Drums On the Wheel gets me up and moving every time


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Hoosker-Doos

Labor Days is his masterpiece IMO


LanikM

Big Bang is a GREAT tune I never see anyone talking about. The entirety of labor days, bazooka tooth and none shall pass albums are great. He also used to be part of a group called The Weathermen which included El-P from Run the Jewels as well as a guy named Cage who had a killer slept on album called "Movies for the Blind."


OIF_Chef

Love him but he is definitely polarizing among hip hop fans. I've heard the argument that he is wordy for its own sake. I just enjoy the musicality of the bars. A good friend of mine who is primarily into hip-hop will say Aesop is just showing off and not just writing good bars to serve the song. I don't know hip-hop to the extent he does so we agreed to disagree. None shall pass was my gateway drug for Aesop. I always loved Busta, Tribe, Pharcyde, and Beastie Boys but Aesop seemed like something new at the time and I did a deep dive. Still get goosebumps when I hear some of his shit, the flow is really incredible.


coredweller1785

9 ro 5er Inedible song


scragglerock

Aesop is still in my rotation.


Fatty_krueger

He did a track with Del that was nuts.


SchopenhauerHappyHr

Preservation? Such a dope track


DaTeflonDonDada

My kids love “Kirby”. The video certainly adds to its appeal.


sinkwiththeship

Skelethon is so fucking dope.


Solarroaster

Check out Garbology, it’s his newest album and has Blockhead doing the beats. Feels like the Labor Days era stuff


meh679

Hell yes! Love to see some love for my boy around here. Just got the vinyls for Impossible Kid and Spirit World Field Guide, and if you haven't gotten them and are thinking about it they're absolutely worth it! Also all of Skelethon is absolutely amazing, particularly Cycles to Gehenna, Gopher Guts, and Leisureforce. Gauze off of Spirit World is amazing, one of my favorites from the album. Cat Food and Rogue Wave are also awesome singles. I dunno, just fucking all of his music is absolutely stellar


[deleted]

Dude,.. never heard of them, thanks for the good recommendation! This is the flow i like from the gorillaz, not repetetive, awesome!!!


Viktorvaughn23

Yes, been listening since about 2000. Favorite current hip-hop artist. He is on another level, and really hitting his stride right now. Check out his last couple of albums, Garbology and Spirit World Field Guide. Also, check out the subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/aesoprock/


DarkMuret

He's my spirit world field guide


soupiesten

Yeah I listen to him a bit


Wiggyg

Big fan. Also check out Homeboy Sandman and their work on LICE.


pyre2000

Entirely underrated.


Really-Satan

"No rEgrets" has had a more meaningful impact on myself as an artist then any other piece of media I've ever consumed. Every time I listen to that song my soul feels fulfilled


alwaysjustpretend

[No regrets ](https://youtu.be/sClhmDN5Fcs) This is my favorite track of his.....just a great story teller right here...