Aesop Rock is Fabulist: Professor Skye Reviews "Spirit World Field Guide"

[@wfryco9246]

"My dream house is dead bolts, and less than no windows" is rather literal; i.e. Aes would prefer to be locked in a windowless room, isolated from the world. I was going to wait until I finished your video to respond, but halfway through, I got to this quote, so I'll say this: I don't think Aesop uses his verbosity to show off. I think he does it because the words are what interests him, what have kept him going for 20+ years. This is a bit of an inversion of what you proffered, "what is interesting about his music is his lyrics," in that, as an artist, he himself, is interested in using words for their sound, their cadence, their syllabic quality. He is an abstract poet groping for meaning from a perspective of despair, anxiety, framed by an awkward longing for isolation. Can it be overwhelming? Absolutely. But, are we really knocking a lyricist for using too many words? If you want to slow down, head to Labor Days, or None Shall Pass. Alright, I'll finish the video.

[@mrsir2378]

Spot on.

[@jessegettingcolorfuldelven8954]

yup. well said.

[@bigdog77]

juxie

[@tlingitsoldier]

Yeah, I'm surprised he didn't understand what that meant. Even not knowing Aesop's personality, it still seems obvious, at least to me.

[@kylejacksononice9051]

Great commment

[@ataridc]

"Can you really listen to this album over and over again" ...yes. that's how you listen to aesop. I can listen to the same song 100 times and pick up something new on the 101st.

[@sunflowersamurai10]

Thats what makes him so good, its way more relistinable when you are finding new things as if its your first listen, its almost like a really fun challenge at times, but i cam understand that it may not be for everyone.

[@Brian-ic8db]

I don't get bored listening to Aes...ever

[@apatternedhorizon]

You should do the none shall pass album, the skelethon album AND the impossible kid album.

[@Martymcfly98]

Malibu Ken would be awesome too

[@probablynotian]

Impossible Kid would be great. That’s an album that carries a lot of themes.

[@gqfiend]

Agreed, agreed, and agreed.

[@jacobdagenhardt5300]

Labor days and Bazooka tooth would be great as well

[@refusingtoconform]

Labor Days, Skelethon, and Impossible Kid is his most essential listens. I'd also recommend checking out his collaborations with Rob Sonic under the Hail Mary Mallon name, specifically Bestiary, and his track on Bazooka Tooth with El-P. Many of his singles are worth listening; top singles being Rogue Wave, Klutz, and None Shall Pass. There's a lot to dig into this artist and as someone who's in their younger 20's, he's like listening to a older sibling or an uncle.

[@Lebowski55]

Sorry man, I have to disagree with you that Aesop’s flow isn’t good. Yeah he’s not Blackthought or anything. But his delivery is much more dynamic and interesting than the majority of the current rap landscape

[@livelikelarry0017]

Agreed, his flow really is something else for example on the 2nd verse of The Four Winds, impeccable

[@na-dm6jb]

Aesop flow is excellent just different.

[@richweber7118]

​@Boof Lord The goose bumps I got for the first 6 months I'd listen to the cadence in the second half proves it was a successful one. The pacing around these lines - "They'd talk of his adventuring and call him things like salty dog, he freed like a bajillion people from some secret haunted bog"

[@SinReality420]

Yea i think his flow is incredible

[@snaustin44]

@Boof Lord got a hot dogs tattoo so I'd have to think it was successful

[@jackjohnson691]

For me, the long songs keep me coming back to decipher the meaning. The 'aha' moments can come after two days, months or years of listening. That amazes me.

[@williamwolf5071]

word, I've been listening to Aesop for about seven years and I STILL come back and find myself realizing new information I had previously glossed over completely.

[@ataruparagon]

🐐

[@Giganfan2k1]

And since it is so dense... You can really get lost in the walk through the song.

[@durere]

Professor Dude, that Fables/Funyuns moment at 13:50 perfectly encapsulates what Aesop Rock is all about.

[@karabomasibi2331]

exactly

[@woodscrow1]

Fr though

[@THEGMH1998]

Your channel was made for Aesop Rock albums haha. Great review, loving the reviews. The Impossible Kid or Labor Days could also be a really interesting review

[@PrimordialBias]

He actually went to school for visual arts. The man is insanely talented in sketching, and a lot of his music videos contain his own artwork. I've always kind of had the opinion that that is one of the reasons he can describe his thought process with such vivid imagery, he just replaces his pen with his voice.

[@Y0PPS]

The mood of a lot of his drawings and other visual media are some of my favorites.

[@apatheticviewer234]

He used to work in art museum before he started rapping too

[@PrimordialBias]

I didn't know that, thats really cool. That also makes sense with his opinion on a lot of artists and why people make art (i.e. his Impossible Kid mini show he did when he released that album where he talks to his psychologist bear in the woods)

[@santiagomartinez-gallardo5466]

Sadly he considers himself a failed visual artist. Like dude, you invented a new paintbrush

[@SPELTMUSIC]

every year or so i go through a period where the only artist i can listen to is aes for like a couple months. i’ll go through his whole discography multiple times and constantly find new things and really try to listen to other artists but it just doesn’t scratch that same itch. no one is like aes

[@theyumblat5420]

fr. Eyedea is the only other artist I can put on the same level as him

[@ApatheticNomad]

To answer your question, yes, i can listen to this album 3 times, every day, all week, i love the word density and appreciate the effort and love for his craft every time

[@octahedrons]

Interesting to hear such an in depth review of this album from someone that isn't familiar with aes. To answer your question about the drugs/psychedelic aspect - aes has said he doesn't really do much aside from smoking weed.

[@professorskye]

thanks for the answers

[@blakejerggens5802]

Pizza Alley is about taking ayahuasca in Peru!... He is NOT straight edge, but none of his songs glorify gratuitous drug use, however, he does reference all kinds of drugs in his songs. "Drugs & fucking is part of growing up" AR.

[@jacobdagenhardt5300]

He definitely did a lot of LSD in his early years, so he's experienced.

[@jacobdagenhardt5300]

The greatest pac-man victory in history def glorifies lsd

[@thevoiceofthelost]

There's definitely a lot of stuff about addiction to pills, like ketamine and such. I recall a line about him spending summer puking pills behind the dumpster, and being the biggest pez dispenser. He does have a few songs about drugs, but it's never glorification, or the like. In that song with the line I paraphrased, he most certainly isn't bragging about it xD

[@apatternedhorizon]

Also Aesop has a song with busdriver called Ego Death

[@franksonjohnson]

That absolutely slaps.

[@thecatalystpoet]

Good track. I'm convinced there'd be no Busdriver without Aesop Rock.

[@DevAngelo]

You would probably enjoy like Aesop Rock's album "impossible kid". Also the song TV on 10 he did as part of the uncluded is great at painting an evolving scene.

[@jackjohnson691]

Tv on 10 is one of my favourite uncluded songs. Jambi Cafe is second

[@d0onut]

Shoutout to Organs. Become a donor today!

[@4some2joe0]

Jambi Cafe....daredevil skater TV on 10....abt his friend Jeremy's Fish's mom

[@dalecollins581]

He actually isnt just the "hip hop artist with the most unique words" hes the artist with the most unique words in any genre which was also com po ared to historical artists and works such as Shakespeare and the bible....pretty amazing for a "rapper"

[@beanMosheen]

"can you listen to his album over and over?" yes! I listened to SWFG for a month straight. The thing you may be missing about ace is it is overwhelming the first couple of listens because it's so foreign. It becomes more and more comfortable as you take in the meanings. I love it.

[@somedudeonyoutube1605]

Same, thats what keeps someone coming back to aesop rock. Is really listening and deciphering his work

[@Astroboy131]

One of the best comments on here!

[@dirtiestdevil6669]

Then there is the fourth level. This is where you know the lyrics and can recite entire songs from memory. Once you reach this level Aesop invades and inhabits your body and mind in his spirit form.

[@Astroboy131]

I would like to know more about this 4th level.

[@AStrangeHill]

This is a good place to be. Words flowing like water downstream over the edge of a waterfall when they drop. This is the imagery I get with the lyricism. Our man Ian is dope!

[@StarvingAutist]

He's my favorite rapper, I listen to them all the time. I don't think I can rap the words to one of of his songs. I haven't listened to Eminem much in years and can still recite a ton of his songs exactly. This is one of the more impressive things about Aesop to me, I try, but can't remember his lyrics, that's how complex they are.

[@_Jake.From.Statefarm_]

Dead bolts and less than no windows talks about his isolation and his introverted and depressive state. Like on malibu ken. "I don't even like horses, I like wild orchards and neighbors with wide orbits." He likes to be isolated and this album was his way of getting out of his shell. Note. The impossible kid.

[@_Jake.From.Statefarm_]

Btw from San Diego and have sciatica after a bad accident (along with ptsd and insomnia) anyways thought it was interesting haha

[@jackjohnson691]

Pets that pretty much ignore us We headbut in the morning and report to separate corners. Classic

[@jamesoblivion]

I talk like it hurts to talk, mascot of Murphy's law From the claw game at the Walt Whitman mall To the worst curb cuts of the urban sprawl To what stirs in the purple moss, which world Make a perp less scurred of his quirks and flaws Or make it okay to learn how you are, no jury Instead of all insecurity, no mercy

[@rhayzedreadbringer878]

@ 32:08 you called him "ASAP Rocky." Good review though.

[@doublehsword6508]

Aesop Rock is the best abstract writer I've ever read. It's just so interesting for me personally. think hard to get anything out of his music that is. Even though it's an exhausting experience. I mean, he meant it to be like that as he said. He want people to give so much energy and time to wrap there heads around his lyrics.

[@ericthordarson7557]

Can you listen to this album on repeat? Hell yeah I can bröther! Ive listened to it constantly since it dropped haha

[@philtorrez4198]

Kodokushi is a recurring theme in a lot of Aes’s work. Dorks on The Impossible Kid he has a line where he questions “will the neighbors smell my corpse before the cat eat my face?”

[@Giganfan2k1]

"I used to floss the albatross like Daddy Kane with the chain"

[@mindlessfool42]

Who knows how far down the rabbit hole I've fallen since 2002 when I first found this artist. Listening to Aesop Rock is as (un)comfortable as looking in the mirror. On repeat, every week.

[@Astroboy131]

OK this is got to be one of the best comments on here!

[@Dayglodaydreams]

Busdriver is great.

[@Y0PPS]

100% agreed. What'd you think of electricity in our side?

[@sLipLeftdEftly]

'never mind the moth eggs; i'm warm and the t.v. is on, always.' = 'worry not that my coat sees so little air the moths have laid their eggs within it's folds; for my abode is warm and the company of my television is ceaseless.' also 'fables and funyons' is now my chosen colloquialism for 'dungeons and dragons'.

[@chaosinorderrr]

Review more Aesop album!

[@madeyeatreides4055]

I love Aseop because he gives you so much content that you'll be unpacking it for years. It's cool to have something that you've been listening to for years and still are able to take away something new everytime. I wouldn't want every artist to be like that but I definitely appreciate it from Aseop. Idk if you take suggestions here but if I could put one in, Drogas Wave by Lupe Fiasco is a great album and I enjoyed your breakdown of House by him 👍

[@MilestheMechanic]

"Never you mind the moth eggs I'm warm and the TV is on always" For me, this is a reference to the state of his home. Saying, don't mind the dirt and decay. I'm fine. I keep warm. As for the TV being on always... This, I think, is reference to the state of society being hypnotized by mainstream media. I almost imagine a person hold up in a blanket staring blankly at a fuzzy television in the dark. Aes is an incredible artist.

[@manyasterisks]

I think the TV always on is also a sort of "don't worry we ain't starvin" Rundown but the lights are on

[@txrizzy3014]

about your TV comment: “Television, all hail grand pixelated god of fantasy, murder scape and perspective fuck a sore channel changed digit I sit with a nasty network intervenes plan with a stable diet of my cable pirate” from his track Basic Cable. i think you're pretty spot on.

[@jakestampfl2667]

Definitely one of my favorite albums by Aesop. All the things you complained about are the reasons why I loved the album. Its so dense and lyrical that you can come back to the album for years and never get sick of it. If you're looking to listen to an album that is more conventional this is not the album for you. This is more for people who like to study the wordplay. Its like solving a puzzle in that you can individually understand small portions of the lyrics but it takes time to put them all together. Once they all fall into place the picture is revealed and you're able to finally visualize what Aesop is trying to say. That's what keeps us coming back.

[@JC-fg2jz]

Busdriver has a fantastic flow, though as his fan I'm happy to hear him name-dropped.

[@B-Nice]

"Can you really listen to this album on repeat, over and over again"?? Yes. Yes we can. For months.

[@federaliomally391]

Idk which age old song of Aesop rock... It goes... I'm gonna have Walt Disney rolling in his grave... And another, anyhow You look like Milo thatch from the Disney movie Atlantis. 🖖🤕

[@brennaneaton4734]

Every time I watch one of these review videos of an Aesop Rock album, I am left confused. Why do people not get Aes Rock? Is it me? Is it us fans>? sigh..... In my world there is no one above Aesop Rock as a hip-hop artist. I really connect with his music. I just wish people could get what i do out of his music.

[@al4385]

It's requested because he is underrated and we don't know why because he's on a different level. That's the basis. It's been that way since the 90s. "AWOL Spaceman" is fitting.

[@keninadrequre2152]

Despite your vast education, you're ignorence is showing. If you're able to truthfully use the words "psychedelic" and "boring" without "not" between them, I dont suspect you have ever had a good dose. Nothing wrong with not takeing them, you do you, but calling psychedelics boring without ever experimenting with them is a lot like saying that france is smelly without ever having visited. Psychedelics saved my life. Not all drugs are created equal.

[@Giganfan2k1]

9:20 *Just the other day* I called my dog a lopey ass fucker. You know I was ostracized for my vocabulary. It was very alienating as a kid, and being autistic, this is how I think, it is the only way I know how to "talk normally".

[@TheDonLemonSnickety]

Incredible analysis, especially considering this is your entry point into Aesop Rock since it’s a pretty tough entry point lol I’ll just throw two little assumptions I have that might differ....looking to other work by Aesop rocks other work, I can’t help but think Dog At The Door is a way to make clear, not that there really was a trap, but that he’s an “unreliable narrator” and paranoid to the bone lol and then this isn’t a criticism but just to know a key to most lines that are hard to understand; he uses so many either obscure references like obscure even to academics. I wouldn’t be surprised if he pulled a line from some apocryphal Dead Sea scroll gospel or something but then end the couplet with some mundane pop culture reference to White Castle or Watergate or god knows what but it never seems to be nonsensical or nonsequitors and seem to be stylistic postmodern-ish choices of pulling concepts that deepen his ideas or at least give them texture at least in his mind based on how his seemingly endless mental resource of tropes, aphorisms, and cultural references going back throughout history as far as Strabo or who even knows. He’s definitely the autodidact book lovers rapper, that’s for sure. But typically if there’s a line I’m unsure of, it usually seems to be like from the last chapter of Infinite Jest or something I just never made it to (and don’t plan on) lol I think my knowledge of comparative religion and mysticism even the history of alchemy has been super helpful in grasping lots of his lines! Never has a rapper or any musician forced me to go through my “minds files” so deeply while at the same time made such beautifully simple and down to earth wisdom and even gives such a metaphysician quality to the most mundane daily pedestrian events. It’s just amazing to see what can be done with hip hop and the opportunity to be so verbose in a short burst and therefore getting into so much diverse content style and commentary on the human experience.

[@DavidBryantsTranscendent]

This review... Is splendidly mansonian. (I wish I could see the reaction of people who figure out that reference in real time, but I might not live long enough for them to find their way to that genre.) Reviewer describes the feeling of being ridiculed for a an unmalicious honest verbosity... Misses the entire feeling of an album which covey's it's outcome with layers of humility. Did you not listen to the warning? Imagine what it feels like to be a real life goodwill hunting poet in a school that even rich kids can't buy their way into. In real life the people where you come from aren't nearly as supportive of your intelligent insights when the overwhelming reality is... At least we don't take ourselves to seriously down here. It builds character to say the least.

[@virgilstraker5211]

Dog At The Door is a crazy cool song. My daughter heard it and instantly loved it... she's 6 years old by the way... the song is catchy and the only curse word is in the very end so I stopped it before. I rather my kids hear this than all the other mainstream rap. Only person to rival him in terms of depth of vocabulary is the late MFDOOM

[@federaliomally391]

Ae of Aesop is the aegis, tribute to Zeus, the symbol of the Roman army is more solid than a prescription.

[@randallwilson4088]

Aesop Rock fan here! Been a fan since 2004 and he has so many albums, his first in 1997. It is a wildly different Aesop than we see in his newer albums, he has evolved with the times so well. Please please please watch him with Kimya Dawson in The Uncluded. They have a beautifully ugly harmony? There is totally some content there for you haha And no it's not a drugs album lol! It's Aesop! Watch his song Shrunk, 1 of 4(this is an important one), Cycles to Gehenna(you will have a field day with this one), Kirby and Long Leg Larry(you will like these, too cute!). None Shall Pass, his super hit after Daylight... Both bangers you should do! Or anything off both those albums haha Oh and you said he was trying to "Keep his highest vocabulary" but honestly who is close? 1997-2021 with new music almost every year... Dude is the most inspirational depressed guy ever. ❤️

[@federaliomally391]

Listen to jinx planet for kicks and stair climbers.

[@johntorri9172]

Marsha Marsha Marsha

[@michaelprue7454]

Yes I thoughts that what the green post it says on the left.

[@Giganfan2k1]

You have to actively listen to get it. After that, you can start to listen to it less actively. You eventually get to the point you have a vocabulary experience. You can start get get into other albums. His lyrics are an HD experience, and don't go stale. I still get or rediscover stuff from None Shall Pass.

[@mindsurfer101101]

As a fellow Outlander, I will say that Ian (Aes) is a person who wants to belong but never has. He was probably smarter than most or all of his friends. He was also too rebellious and intelligent for regular school and a "normal" career. Combine this with mental issues like anti-social disorder or social anxiety. Add some interest in drugs, spurred by peers, mixed with natural curiosity and thirst for knowledge, eventually leading to psychedelic drug use. Most of his lyrics are metaphoric and/or hyperbolic. This comes from always feeling like you have to translate your thoughts for consumption. This results in the best hip-hop artist of all time and a poet of the era, whose value may not be realized until some distant future when humans have evolved to more easily understand each other. Sorry if that was a little jumbled. Hopefully it helps. Peace. P.S. also He has recently fled the city life for more rural life, hence all the references to wildlife and so on. Almost sure he has no children, being in his 40s this is cause for existential dilemmas. His "normy" vocab use is probably dual use for fun/humor and also to give that look of "I am still like some of y'all" to his music. Much love

[@GardenBoat]

I wonder if your feelings on the album as an overall concept would adapt any if you listened to his preceding album "The Impossible Kid"? I think that SWFG was partially made in the context of the prior work, as it generally details the pit fall and dark times of his life and his climb from that to contentedness and rebuilding (among so many other things, it is an Aesop Rock album).

[@telcomachine2334]

Great review, was looking forward to it. Aes in his 40’s, he’s not a drug guy, smokes weed I think, but he’s said the album wasn’t influenced by psychedelics. DJ Zone does the scratching. He raps much more pronounced and in the pocket/on beat on his last 2-3 projects. I’d be interested in what you thought of his albums from nearly 20 years ago like Float, labor Days or Bazooka Tooth.

[@_Jake.From.Statefarm_]

I agree labor and float woukd be right up his alley. Much more difficult as well.

[@professorskye]

thanks for the explanations

[@richweber7118]

Where'd he say it wasn't influenced by psychedelics? On his insta story he said he didn't write any of it while on psychedelics, but it's clearly thematically inspired in part by psychedelics and Pizza Alley is full of direct references to a him doing ayahuascua in Peru

[@d0onut]

@@richweber7118 he said he didn't write while tripping on his stories

[@richweber7118]

@@d0onut Yeah, that's what I said. There's a difference between writing while under the influence of psychedelics and being inspired by a psychedelic trip or even psychedelic culture in general, though

[@brandongorin7978]

Aesop Rock lyrics are like Mst3k riffs it’s okay to not get all of them and have weird stuff just sort of jangle in your head. Also this is a weird album to start with. I really like this album but it is sort of a hard mode cut.

[@dadity9142]

I genuinely wish I was there to discuss this album with you because there are so many points I agree with and disagree with but all of them are great points. The video is too long sadly for me to really hash out every point in a youtube comment section so I'll try to stick with an overview. I can agree with the 3 levels of listening but I personally can listen to him anywhere at anytime just for his flow and beats. I work at a golf course and on the day it dropped I put the album on repeat for about 5 hours while I maintained bunkers. I love listening to Aes for various reasons, one of which is his ability to create songs that you can just listen to without trying to peel through the layers, but those layers are there for when you're ready to do a deep dive. I love his ability to write serious songs about social commentary or just general anxiety or being severely depressed. One of my favorite songs by him is Get Out the Car and my favorite line from that is "Hounds at bay but they just won't stay" and that's genuinely how I feel. I considered suicide at the age of 4 due to sexual and mental/physical abuse and while it's never something I'll do I still have to deal with that severe depression and it's like I'm constantly holding the dogs at bay. Whether he meant it like that or not doesn't matter to me, it's how it resonated. But I also love how he's able to write silly songs about the same topic, or even completely different topics. The very next track on the very same album as Get Out The Car is Kirby, a song about a cat his therapist suggested he get just doing cute cat things like messing about in a hamper. I personally think he writes the songs he wants to write using words he wants to use not to be pretentious or snobby, but because he just likes how they sound and he enjoys seeing how they fit together. There's so much more I want to talk about but it would require way more comments and I've written enough LOL

[@dadity9142]

P.S I'll check out that album you suggested in the video, I loved the video and subscribed I'll be excited to hear more of your thoughts. If you ever do another Aes album I would recommend The Impossible Kid

[@grantpichla]

This album was called a Field Guide, and at 17:30 - you're attempting to apply the Hero's Journey structure to it. It's a loose guide to a spirit world, not a character arc/story/hero's journey. His name has to do with Aesop's Fables and storytelling, but at this point in his career, it's odd to assume this album MUST follow the Hero's Journey of storytelling structure. Listen to The Impossible Kid for lyrics that are a bit more digestible and probably his greatest album IMO. He had a crisis, moved to an empty barn, isolated himself and came out with an incredible work of art. Gotta be the most conscious and original hip hop artist working today. PS - yes his albums are constantly on repeat! The joy is discovering each song's meaning and the beats are sick. To say he's using big words just to keep word count up (?)... that really undermines his talent as a writer. Not my favorite of his albums but it is growing on me.

[@edensdreams2890]

Super interesting review; had to subscribe as soon as you referenced clipping. as well, great group!

[@mystichash]

Little late, but the way to listen to this album is stoned many, many times.

[@chicNstu702]

great review! and to answer your question, aesop only smokes weed now and then, doesn't drink, and said he's done mushrooms twice in the past 20 years. though the song pizza alley describes his ayahuasca experience in peru

[@mpchead621]

he said he didn’t do any drugs to inspire this album. i get the sense that he was inspired by the culture and mythology of the Peruvian people rather than having actually taken ayahuasca there

[@chicNstu702]

@@mpchead621 "screen door pimpled with frogs and lizards, when high as hell they may as well be mothras and godzillas"

[@mpchead621]

​@@chicNstu702 there were a few references to being high and also ayahuasca. he might have been smoking weed out there but i don't think he did ayahuasca. his response to the question "how many psychedelic trips inspired this album", was "0.0..". but many lines in that song would lead you to believe he did. i was definitely convinced of it until i heard his response. having been to peru and the amazon though, its an incredibly trippy place even without ingesting the actual entheogens. its like they're in the air without you having to take them.

[@chicNstu702]

@@mpchead621 that's a good point. Aes is trippy enough sober, no enhancements needed

[@cheiflitterbugmakinhimself9035]

Seriously? He was on benzo for years.. as someone who was on xannax as well as everything else.. thats as hard core a drug and drug habit there is.. just getting out alive is amazing

[@Deraldgjr]

10,000 deadbolts and

[@53N53L355]

So.... you're the squirrel guy? You got that book in the background and tell really fascinating fables about them. Your spirit animal must be a squirrel 🐿️

[@АнгелЦветилов]

Aesop has been in the underground for 30+ years at this point other artists remind you of him, not the other way around. He is like Captain Beefheart, you can't start with Trout Mask Replica, you need Safe as Milk to ease you in.

[@exiiex2947]

Fables & Funyuns sounds like a sick album

[@morgruff]

12:40 No, been listening for years and he's 70% of what I listen to even still. I love the thoughts and ideas, and metaphors within metaphors. It sparks joy

[@federaliomally391]

The "too longs" are life savers, without a shadow of a doubt. White holes in a multitude of universe of dilemma.

[@carpo719]

It's an absolutely wonderful album, he's highly intelligent. I'm 45 years old and I still love good rap.... hes a step beyond

[@EmptyGoat]

Aesop spent some time in isolation, living in a barn in a forest. It's my understanding that SWFG is his reentry to society. The Spirit World is the real world. If you're curious about that isolation, it resulted in The Impossible Kid.

[@gqfiend]

Also, The Impossible Kid is an easy album to digest. I love it.

[@jamesoblivion]

If you don't think Aesop's flow stands out, try listening to him on any collaboration or feature. It's not just the words, no one sounds like Aesop Rock. Check out Busdriver's Ego Death, since it's a comparison you draw...Aes is on that, and their flows sound NOTHING alike.

[@davidweiss2099]

I think the coolest thing about dissecting aesops lyrics is that you could go in so many directions the simple act of trying to understand forces you to create. its awesome, my favorite rapper since '99! Good review, P.

[@kopas9498]

Aesop Rock is an art legend. I'm really enjoying this new lofi hip-hop artist who goes by Iron Gallery. Check out his new Dope Shroud EP.

[@lucid3944]

Aesop fan here. I've had this album on repeate since it came out haha my fiance pokes fun at my KZbin watch history

[@MarySaunders931]

Fables and Funyuns, Aesop’s next album.

[@na-dm6jb]

Is it bad that I want more already?

[@Y0PPS]

Gotta listen to Green Funyuns by Wrekonize.

[@jambulance]

I could see his project Lice doing an EP called that

[@gestalticavia322]

You can passively experience it for sure. But... Let me give you a fourth way since you have worked to learn the lyrics. Mighr be worth a follow up video. This is the major arcana tarot in song form. Both as an artistic thematic structure, and as a framework that narrates the disjointed narrative. I'll give you a key. Button Masher is 3, The Empress. The song deals with his struggles with getting clean and sober, finding love, and conceiving a child. Perfectly in line with thr meanings of The Empress. Check it.

[@gestalticavia322]

You have to assume that 0 The Fool is omitted, perhaps thr listener. In some interpretations of the Major Arcana, the sequence is a journey the fool takes on the path to realization... The spirit world journey. The cards are a guide, which may not always cover what your need, which may cover things you dont need to know.

[@gestalticavia322]

It's a magickal undertaking. Lots of deep secrets. He writes cryptograms at all waking hours. From the croc in the moat To the gold in the chest Notice I don't program any actual way to progress To convey and effect... There is Croc in the Moat- both danger in the alleged security, and the illusion of security itself. To the gold in the chest- The hero's journey is usually to find a treasure to bring back to society. But when the moat of safety is a croc, that chest of gold is an illusion. You have to drop the illusion (allusion) to gleen the truth.... The Gold in your Chest... Heart. It's exquisitely crafted.

[@BATvg]

re: 12:30 As a fan, yes, but not always, and not with every track. Personally, every new album gets 2 or 3 listens back to back, then it goes into the rotation with other things I'm vibing. The real gems in his discography will stick. I have listened to Daylight hundreds of times, and I'll still catch something new every few listens. Hardcore Aes fans are a weird bunch.

[@BATvg]

also, re: 19:25 no, its very not about drugs, in a Q&A on Instagram, he made it very clear he barely drinks and barely smokes weed. All of this album is 100% creativity and imagination, you're spot on.

[@KnightfallofMari]

After watching, I'm glad that you got so much appreciation for Aes' style without knowing much about his background. He's been making music for like 30+ years. With lots of other big names in the underground scene. Check out some of his work with El-P. I'd also strongly recommend looking at The Impossible Kid for more accessible lyrics along with the token fantastic production. Malibu Ken with TOBACCO is amazing if you like synths, and the Hail Mary Mallon albums with Rob Sonic are just an intricately woven maze of cryptic words and themes.

[@emotionalcontentmediaunltd2267]

This is by far my favorite Aesop project! The reason for that, isnt rap at all. I believe Aesop truly just showed us Aesop. But he gave a message at the very beginning if anyone cares to listen. What you take from it will be exclusively for you. It can only be a reflection of you. There is no order but the order you assign. He mentions all of that as I said. If you have a linear mind, clearly you do Skye, you perceive it linearly. He explains this as well. He also explains the levels are infinite. I honestly dont believe many people will see to the core of this, because they will not see past their own perception of the events they are perceiving. Which is also discussed. But its not referencing the spirit world just because it is. However, self reflection and having a reflective mind state is such a rarity these days. I cherish this project as the risk Aesop takes here is immense. The vulnerability you have to have putting this out is wild, you only briefly touched on that with your story of high school. Also your insecurity at being an intelligent person. Funny world we live isnt it? What we do to intelligence to regulate our own emotions. Very thorough review and I am grateful to get to know you better!! I def come for the thick loquaciousness of your breakdowns!! They are fantastic and truly what I believe to at the heart of music critiquing!!

[@brewsreviewship-hophops5981]

I like your take on him ending verses with one simple word and using onomatopoeia to be more relatable and break up his verbosity. I thought on The Gates, for example, that he was saying "I mean, dude!" and phrases like that almost in a joking way like, "I know your following all of this."

[@SomethingImpromptu]

“My ideal house is deadbolts And less than no windows” has a pretty clear, concrete meaning to me. Deadbolts- his ideal house is secure. And “less than no windows-“ in his ideal house he doesn’t feel exposed the way you do when you walk by a window in your home that’s open (blinds drawn) to the street (at least you do if you’re a bit neurotic like me). He’s painting a perfect picture of the introverted & anxious drive to isolate. Also I don’t get the hostility towards psychedelics. Psychedelics & imagination go hand in hand- they’re two sides of the same coin. Psychedelics essentially bring the deep subconscious imagination to manifestation around & within you. This can be extremely profound, inspiring, etc., and if those experiences inspired this incredible art then I can’t comprehend why someone would think that devalues it in some way... The psychedelic experience has been a part of the human experience for millennia, practically since we’ve been intelligent beings. Reconcile with it. It doesn’t have to be for you, but it’s not something shallow or phony or over-valued or something... Both in terms of the profundity of the states they can induce & in terms of the therapeutic value many of them have been scientifically proven to have for anything from PTSD to death anxiety to alcoholism & opioid addiction (depending on which ones we’re talking about)... I just don’t understand why someone would so desperately want not to believe psychedelics were an influence here. If they were then they seem to have been a good one based on the way it came out... But yeah, what psychedelics do is centered around your imagination & your sensory experience of it... It’s not like “sober imagination valuable & authentic. Tripping imagination not valuable or authentic.”

[@iesika7387]

I've been listening to Aesop over and over for about 20 years and no, I never get tired.

[@Cabesandia]

Aes talks about drugs a lot but never in a "Drugs are great" way. It's more like a "Yeah, I did drugs. My experiences were ridiculous and now that I look at them sober, probably not as meaningful as I thought they were" way. He has this song called "the greatest pacman victory in history" in which he talks about how he used to do LSD, and another song called "get out of the car" where he references his drug use to cope with depression. Also "Acid King" references a lot of that but in a very obvious, not flattering way.

[@rubyrayne8]

I love that you reviewed this! I’ve loved Aesop since the late 90’s and he just keeps doing it and doing it and doing it well. But many ppl don’t go in depth enough when the review him. Nice job.

[@The_Salty_Siren]

Pretty sad to think you were sat wondering where the drugs, money & hoes were & if they were actually disguised as beautifully written spells, I mean words. Conditioning at its finest. Really? You pride yourself being a smart man but in what degree? Conditioned Repetition? Nailed it. Oh the irony 😂😂😂🎭 All jokes aside, yes he is in his 40s google him. He’s been dropping gems for decades. You definitely need to expand in this genre. Perhaps venture into the true alternative underground. You’ll wonder how you ever existed without it. Feel free to check out my Wonderland music playlist if you need suggestions. I’m still discovering new music worth listening to for life every day.

[@brewsreviewship-hophops5981]

"My dream house has 10,000 deadbolts and less than no windows" is eluding to how much of a recluse he is. That is why he has bonded with the Spirit World because he like to retreat and not always participate in the real word.

[@Giganfan2k1]

18:15 "Less than no windows"... The dude is basically in a coffin. Which also pairs with the 10k dead bolts... Nothing is getting in or out of his house.

[@DecalDen]

I think you need to take a deep dive into Aesop's work to really appreciate what he's doing artistically. The notion that he's just throwing random words in to fill space or keep his place at the top of the vocabulary chart is shortsighted and dismissive. Maybe the unexpected vessel of delivery has caught you off guard. If this was delivered as a book of poetry from a high class university would it garner a different analysis? I suggest checking out "Lucy" and "Long Legged Larry" (just released) they both use simple vocabulary but still demonstrate a high level of craft.....the craft being wordsmithing, not rapping. Dr Seuss wrote books at a grade 2 vocabulary level but is studied in universities as a master of his craft because it's not the words themselves it's why the words are there, syntax, pattern, rhyme, etc.....but of course you already know all this. I encourage you to explore more with the mindset that everything is put in it's place with a purpose and you'll see Aesop is not just verbacious but a modern literary gem.

[@sbccmichaelkelly]

He is also Native American and bringing that voice. I recognized the perspective as an Indigenous person myself. Some of the animal representation and perspective are more Native. Native people have often been forced to integrate into White American society, while we often feel like we have our own thing and would like to be left alone. We all speak English to some degree, and instead of letting it be a colonizing force, Aesop has grasped the English catalogue and become a force using the language. If you just speak English and think your a general American it’s just a thing. If you know the language was forced upon your Tribe, you see the importance of using it against those who oppress your people.

[@thedexterbros]

Check out Lupe Fiasco's summary of Aesop. He helpfully contextualizes Aesop as the Jackson Pollock of hip hop

[@MiLKSOP]

Dude you're too new to Aesop. Start with an earlier album like Float. This album is a lot to digest. He's been doing this for 20 years and you're on his most recent release. If you're more familiar with his work, you can get what he's doing and what he's talking about.

[@cosmikronic9353]

On your question about druggy content in Aes' music, he has a much older song ("The Greatest Pac-Man Victory in History") about a summer in his late teens where he did LSD nearly every day, and how he is done with that. So his later work would seem to be grappling with the whole "acid casualty" mental health thing. Almost like a more functional Syd Barrett. The Garbology album feels to me like it's full of hints and subtext about being on the autism spectrum or even mildly schizophrenic, and the process of learning about that later in life.

[@mTspaceEvolves]

@3:37 "Catch more Z's than Rip Van Winkle's 12 Step Narcolepsy Seminar"--Aesop Rock Coma from Labor Days...a$ap rocky was chosen to be promoted to water down Aesop Rock's legacy. sucks to have to say 'not rocky' when suggesting aesop rock. now i just call him Ian Bavitz

[@federaliomally391]

Music for Earthworms Sneak attack on dry leaves, dunce... Spiders underneath, can't hear tha...

[@true_plays_games]

He’s a “fabulist” because he writes with depth? I don’t understand. He has the identity he has because of two decades of producing great music as a singularly talented writer. Stop calling him some dumb title and give him his propers.

[@brodyd9800]

FYI Aseop is older. He also has battled with mental health and if you listen to some of his other stuff, you may appreciate him more. A lyric from Kirby, about a cat...he says "15 years on prescriptions, doc says I don't know, maybe get a kitten." All about using care for another being as a coping mechanism. Sometimes he is heavy, light, hardcore, and emotional. Invest man.

[@theyumblat5420]

I listen to his music all the time in every situation. At work, driving, hanging with people, anywhere and wherever. His music is great because it sounds good and you can vibe to it without giving it thought, and then if you want you can dive deep into it and it's so much fun discovering the meaning behind each line. Aesop's music has infinite replay value, and is some of the best rap I've ever heard. This album and "The Impossible Kid" especially I listen to a lot. Also, fun fact: Lupe Fiasco, a highly respected top level lyricist who is currently teaching at MIT about rap, says he hopes he can one day be HALF as good as Aesop Rock. Aesop is on another level frfr

[@nabokafkaontheshore]

i stuck around for the whole video and i really wish i didn't. i really appreciate your obvious intelligence and the articulate synopsis of this album. It just sucks that this album was your introduction to his music. I'd love to hear an honest breakdown from you of some of his other albums like "Float" or "The Impossible Kid" or "Skelethon" or even just individual songs like: None Shall Pass, Daylight, Garbage, Commencement at the Obedience Academy, No City, Cycles of Gehenna. Either way, even though i didn't agree with your opinion about him stuffing words in-between well produced tracks just to flex his verbosity, i did appreciate appreciate the fact that you obviously took the time to sit and listen to the entire project before giving this review. You definitely have a new subscriber either way. cheers.

[@iShockGamers]

The line is "my dream home is like ten thousand deadbolts and less than no windows" he's from NY and there's lots of old cartoons and movies where someone has deadbolts floor to ceiling on an appartment door as a comedy routine. He's exaggerating that scene. "Less then no windows" again exaggerating isolating the inside for saftey or just to avoid people is his dream home. He just has social anxiety and like a dozen albums later he's looking for fun new ways to paint pictures of it instead of being repetitive on a core topic.

[@acsmith1771]

It's not a "Drugs are great" album. You ought to read the text of his interview about the album. His own answers about it would provide all the context you need. Agreed about the album unfortunately not sticking to its proposed theme very well. I don't think Aes is trying to avoid sounding pretentious by using onomatopoeias, words like "Dunzo," and "Wowzers." At this point, it'd be Kasparov walking into a state chess club with a nametag on that reads, "Kanye West," and attempting frivolously to hide his smirk. If the point of using those were to 'sound less smart,' the rest of his lyrics counteract that so decisively that I have to think Aes isn't using them for that reason. lol. I think he uses them because he likes to say things differently, and after this many albums, he's said everything every other way. (I mean, obviously not, but.) You said Hip-Hop is like a mix of poetry and spoken word, and then gave him negative points for having unnatural phrasing? I would think the mix with poetry justifies an odd choice of words, like "loped" in "Dog at the door." I was going to say, do we criticize writers in other mediums for being sesquipedalians? Yes, we do, but it doesn't stop some of them from dropping bombshell novels that inspire whole college courses to decipher. haha Great video, I enjoyed hearing your perspectives. (Also, he was born in 76) +21 points for having a Palahniuk book on the shelf behind you. ;)

[@jeffreyvanarsdall8080]

I took "my dream home is like 10,000 deadbolts/and less than no windows, I mean, shit" to mean he has no desire to view or interact with the outside world at large. His door is locked 10,000 times, and he can't even see outside. It's fairly common to Aesop's general aura of estrangement from society. He captures the same idea well in a song called Syrup with Homeboy Sandman and Open Mike Eagle: "...fridge full of black deli meat and dead air/still prefer it to the overbearing lensflare/and Death Stare Plinko and at risk eco-/-system, egos over peace, love, and wisdom" And to answer your question about whether or not I get tired of listening to Aesop albums front to back: No. Not one bit. There's always a metaphor I missed, or a punchline that slipped over my head at first to be discovered. As you said, he's a very dense artist, but for me personally, the more you pack into a record, the more fun I'm gonna have dissecting it.

[@Cave-Maam]

This album isn't about drucks are great - buuuuut - it certainly helps navigate it if you've happened to have gotten your toe nails curled once or twice previously.

[@iqbalofficialyoutube]

You will love The Impossible Kid. Thematically his most coherent album. Production wise his best as well.

[@MrMochi-nl1zb]

I love how Aes is called a fabulist when his name literally incorporates Aesop, who himself was known for his fables. That’s the goal; he is writing fables that can fit within the social confines of our current generation through lyricism. If Em can come show off with “music to be murdered by” with speed and lyrical content, why can’t Aes? SWFG is prolly his most approachable and accessible album to date just because that flow was so heavily focused on to fit tightly onto the beat. “Bad flow”? Shit, listen to Appleseed, the ‘99-2000 limited record, now re-released on rhymesayers label. I’d love to see how annoyed you could get with his older style of flow as it just slips and slides wherever it wants to.

[@michaeldjguardianmeans6281]

Love for you do review and breakdown the any of the Qwel albums such as Qwel & Maker- The Harvest… or Qwel & Meaty Ogre - Freezerburner … or Qwel and Jackson Jones - Dark Day. There is a lot for you to cut your teeth into… and Qwel has a lot to choose from. Also any other Aesop Rock album… they are all amazing.

[@nickmoranis2865]

Stewart Lee can do repetition and make it art. More importantly, funny. Saying funyuns constantly is irritating and pathetic. I’m amazed you haven’t said you couldn’t believe he was a white! A white rapper! It’s so low brow ‘DR’

[@ftsumnerwitchdoctor]

the ACTUAL lyrics, "professor" are- *my dream home has like ten thousand deadbolts and less than no windows... i mean, shit* the clearly obvious reference to desiring privacy over aesthetics is clearly clear. lol at least i got through half of this video. "professor" what tripe.

[@ADandyGuyInSpace]

Great review Professor! This is a pretty good album but if you really want to understand the genius of Aesop Rock, check "The Impossible Kid" its his best work & a super classic for sure :)

[@timadamson3378]

Why do we insist on calling our relationship to art consumption? I have never consumed music for a second in my life. It is not a thing like that. Consumerism is not a good way to talk about art.

[@xatu7058]

"Is this a 'drugs are great' album?" Yes and no. Aesop has a pretty intimate relationship with the filth and disorganization of life, Tuesday is a good song exemplifying this, but he never seems to hold drug use, whether psychedelic or not, in high or low regard. I DO feel that he praises the type of uncomfortable life journey that a drug addict may have and getting in touch with the fact that your pot smoking problem may lead to your inability to clean your house consistently, and the weird feelings that come along with a degenerate lifestyle at times.