After reading the detours about him early in the De La thread, thought i’d go ahead and make a thread for him. Probably one of the greatest underground rappers alive today and the guy that got me back into hip hop (along with Sage Francis and Atmosphere) around 2004/05 when I was most disillusioned with the state of mainstream hip hop. I don’t think he’s put out a bad project yet.
Some favourites…
Labor Days is a top five album for me. Absolute classic. I was feeling similarly tired of hip hop but it and The Cold Vein drew me right back in. The man has better bars than 99% of other MCs.
Only seen Aesop Rock live the once, but it was a great show.
Underrated producer too.
Basic choice, but Daylight is probs in my top 10 rap tracks ever
If I still thought lyric tattoos were a good idea I’d be sorely tempted to get “Kiss the speaker wire” done
Close to the top of my dream live acts A few years ago he out a, “does anyone in the UK want me to come back sometime?” tweet, later followed by, “guess not.” Heartbreaking.
would love to see him again, it was a long time ago.
I really like this recentish track with TOBACCO, good video too:
Some folks seem to really hate his production and want him to work with Blockhead permanently but I love his stuff. Stuff like this one is absolutely killer
“Here’s how the great escape goes
When you can’t take your dead friends names out your phone.”
His verse in this is absolute fire too:
The “y’all know the name, Aesop fucking Rock, ain’t a damn thing changed” is just perfect.
Just feels like he’s in a different lane to most rappers.
Wonderful wonderful rapper with a ridiculous vocabulary and a real sense of fun and depth at the same time.
This video breaking down his lyrics in None Shall Pass is great.
Labor Days is my favourite of his by far, but The Impossible Kid has been creeping close these past couple of years. Lotta Years and Kirby are probably in my top 5 Aes songs ever.
Blood sandwich is magnificent and indeed the whole Impossible Kid record is awesome. Still haven’t bought Skelethon, must rectify.
Seems to be getting better.
Wheeeeeyyy!!!
Is there anything to be said for another Blood Sandwich? 
Love that song. It’s cool how Rhymesayers have always been happy to spend money on loads of videos for him.
Can someone explain the El-P beef? A few digs over the years that must have passed me by.
This record was a good un too
There’s a brief mention of it in this interview with AR from a while back: An Interview With Aesop Rock | Empty Lighthouse Magazine
Doesn’t really offer a lot of info though.
love his work going all the way back to the weathermen, I listened to impossible kid every morning for a year whilst on the way to work, magic lyrics.
his guest spots are always a highlight.
Even the folky Uncluded collab with Kimya Dawson is pretty good
Rumour was Aes felt El-P was trying to make money off of his friend Camu Tao’s passing by putting out an unfinished album and merch and stuff. He’s never publicly called him out but there’s a bunch of vague allusions on Skelethon.