Blogged Drainpipe: 4th Grade Essay...Why Aesop Rock is my Favorite Rapper

The easy answer here is that he simply is a great rapper. Not only are his flow and lyrical aptitude impressive, his music reaches outside the box of mainstream rap and is both refreshing and plain great to listen to. But, in order to further elaborate on why Aesop Rock is my favorite rapper I prepared a few reasons.

First, he created my favorite rap album, Labor Days. Released in 2001, Labor Days was Aesop Rock's first release as part of the Definitive Jux label with production split between Aesop Rock and Blockhead, with one track produced by Omega One. The overall message of this album deals basically with the idea of labor, from pur

suing one's hobbies, to the modern worker's place in society. From beginning to end, Aes unleashes an earnest, intelligent flow laden with delicious nuggets of wisdom and sharp bits of wit over a diverse and changing soundscape. Sounds vary from plucking strings to guitar and bass to slinking jazz to haunting Asian melodies. The lead single, Daylight is my favorite track, showcasing some of Aesop Rock's greatest lyrical work over a warm bassline augmented by a watery organ, a lonely flute, and oddly juxtaposed horns. The result is a near-masterpiece and the cornerstone of the album. Other highlights include Labor, Flashflood, No Regrets, Coma, Battery, Boombox, and 9-5er's Anthem.

Second, he encourages us to get exercise. In a seemingly odd move for an underground artist, Aesop Rock partnered with Nike to create All Day, a 45 minute continuous mix designed to turn a workout into something much more. He accepted the job because he hadn't done something like that before and provided him a challenge which allowed and required him to work with new sounds. The idea was to make the listener feel as though they were moving through a landscape by adding in new sounds and layers as others faded out. The music had to remain new and interesting while continuing to motivate and propel the listener forward at a certain pace. It is fun to listen to and it actually made me want to run.

Third, he just goes beyond a lot of the stupid crap you see in rap music today. He doesn't rock bling and he doesn't slap ho's. He doesn't devote albums upon albums to self-promotion or stories of the thug life. To put it simply, he keeps it real while keeping it strangely surreal.