Aesop Rock - Zero Dark Thirty (Official Video)

From "Skelethon"
Available on iTunes: bit.ly/LguVzs
Available at Fifth Element: bit.ly/IRjQnX
Connect with Aesop Rock
Twitter: bit.ly/9lbWiJ
Facebook: on. UNPjiY
Fifth Element: bit.ly/SEaZxh
Rhymesayers: bit.ly/S2wqZe
Download "Zero Dark Thirty": snd.sc/InSPth
Behind The Scenes photos: bit.ly/KrwhLI
Director: Isaac Ravishankara
DP: Kevin Hayden
Producer: Brooke Kennedy
EP: Danielle Hinde
Editor: Isaac Ravishankara
Artist: Coro
Production Company: Doomsday Entertainment
Lyrics:
Unsigned hype, front line aeronauts flurry, zero dark thirty, zero friends, minotaur-fugly stepchild, evoke lunch jumped over plunging necklines, up, beside tongue-tied hungry enzymes, devolved into mothmen munching textiles, punisher, out past go-time, back 10 fried worms chubbier, brown grass both sides, canned food, manmade tools, Lanacane, band-aids, mandrake root, bindle on a broom stick, pancaked shoes and handshake-proof campaign, can't lose, can't gain, smoke out moles like a force of nature, pray fortune return to his favor, swiftly, maybe in the form of a nest egg, maybe in the form of a tesla death ray, or a solid gold scene with something better to celebrate than powder on your face like a flat foot on jelly day, m-m-moral compass all batshit, spinning in the shadows of immoral magnets, are we supporting the artist or enabling the addict, I mean, I guess it matters to me, I wish it mattered to you, how a thousand virtues, kick the same bucket like chinatown turtles
Roving packs of elusive young, become choke-lore writers over boosted drums, in the terrifying face of a future tongue, Down from a huntable surplus to one
(check his own) Breakneck pulse over colors in a drain that emote sugar skulls in the rain, flower-eyes melting, guided by a levy made of bath tiles tilting, quarter up and headed for the kill screen, no corner cut, no build team, only a particularly menacing, angle perpendicular to everything, boys room cherry bomb, boy/goon very much runnin' with the devil in the mellotron, hello, here's where a tale of caution, pounds coffin nails to bootlegs of Hawkwind, saw tooth, nevermind straw to gold, spin hearts on sleeves into heads on poles, arm in the maw, fish out pith like a business card from a jar at the mall, A-alike androids dreaming of carbon applause get stuffed with cartoon cigars, cold pack, neti-pot, home to roost, around folk backed into what they most lampoon, shook to the fevered brow and broke ankles, daisy, declawed pound, no thank you, fade me, failed all basic training but I spent a couple groundhogs days with a changeling, silouhette the god last cigarette, anything less would be re-god-damn-diculous

[@gonglefuhrer2969]

"I don't like seeing people who don't like my music dismiss it as "gibberish" or "nonsensical." It quite simply isn't. I get that the wordplay and overall verbiage can be pretty swelled up, but to dismiss it as nothing because it isn't for you is a bit strange" - AESOP ROCK

[@amberlee4536]

me, finding out people think it's gibberish: okay first take off that fall out boy shirt you fucking hypocrite

[@12201185234]

Aesop's lyrics are anything but gibberish. He conveys more meaning in one bar than most rappers do their entire careers.

[@tbdwoods]

it is gibberish until you understand it...then its fuckin profound

[@pandorahopeseaclearly2718]

@@12201185234 right on. They start on you before birth to get you that way. backfires. time is always on one way or others'

[@pandorahopeseaclearly2718]

People get threatened when there are too many words sometimes...and they have to study the stuff to get the multiple layers of meanings of stuff and over time of course things change.

[@caprisun4851]

1:58 Aesop: "Hello!" *English subtitles: "Hello! :3"*

[@jumalakohtuotsus4174]

>w

[@Clint_Beastwood]

; w;

[@gator8868]

Can anyone acknowledge that one line that is brilliant? "Moral compass all batshit, spinning in the shadows of immoral magnets." Thats incredibly deep.

[@Nathanfx2006]

One of my faves, also enjoy his delivery of the line.

[@user-db4oe6wq4e]

Rly!

[@pranaykarkera6334]

So many unbelievable lines like that in the song!

[@rostheferret]

I think my favourite from this is: "Beside tongue-tied hungry enzymes, Devote one into mothmen munching textiles" So little says so much. He's describing the US military as enzymes; entities fit for a single purpose which speeds up the rate of reaction, converting one thing into another. Converted into mothmen, chasing a light with futility. I don't understand what he's talking about half the time tbqh, but i never think he's spouting nonsense.

[@SCriBBledUpMinD]

Fish out pith like a business card from a jar at the mall ...

[@rayh966]

Every lyric is like 5 references, most of which are obscure. I think I've found my favourite artist.

[@juniorc1521]

they need a love button for some of these comments

[@pandorahopeseaclearly2718]

@@juniorc1521 mm.ust.possess.skelethon.cd.gnggngngngngngngngnnnn

[@EsoStoicInjun]

Lmao, listen to das racist, it really twists your perspective when aesop rock is held to the high standard of lyricism that he is. I came to appreciate the stupid, it's just a facade. lol. I can listen to Kool AD all day.

[@xvaiking3158]

Is he still your favorite artists?

[@CarlosOrtiz-lk2th]

I've been listening to him by for years he's so underrated. I love Aesop Rock

[@aschemusicreations]

"Failed all BASIC TRAINING, but I spent a couple GROUNDHOG DAYs with a CHANGELING" -- He references 3 80's films in 2 bars, holy shit.

[@birdrustler]

+Urine Denial FUCK I NEVER NOTICED THAT I figured it was a line about a failed long-term relationship ... but, y'know, it's Aes so of course it's gonna work on multiple levels......... damn

[@loomhancok]

unless the Changeling remake A Jolie was in that later 90s if my memory right. if not...f it

[@aschemusicreations]

im talkin the original with George c scott

[@sparkleburnout]

+Curt Nix Groundhog was the 90s too, no matter, still impressive.

[@jenkkko]

Nice Aphex Twin picture; great minds think alike :D

[@DrCommaBarber]

that moment you absolutely love his music but you're just a little too dumb to understand what he means... Aesop Rock is one person I'd love to sit and just talk with.

[@kingclutch21]

true

[@umbra1016]

Sometimes it might be like Beck, not meaning anything but sounding great. Although, I kinda doubt it.

[@barbariandude]

There's a gigantic amount of meaning packed into each line, that forms a coherent narrative. The TL;DR is that he's astonished at how bad the mainstream rap scene has gotten (which he's recently expanded on further in Dorks off his new album) and feels like the whole thing has devolved into violence and alcoholism (hence the Hawkwind play on words with bootlegging). For a line-by-line analysis, check out RapGenius, really excellent site: genius.com/697932

[@DrCommaBarber]

barbariandude, I could tell it was about frustration with something. thank you very much though, he is one of my favorites but now that I have a way to get what I'm too dumb to puck up on, that may be the nail in the coffin to make him my favorite.

[@barbariandude]

He's absolutely my favorite rapper :) If you really want to be impressed, go check through the lyricism of Daylight and Nightlight, where in Nightlight he's essentially portraying an asshole version of himself to contrast with the optimism of Daylight while still maintaining almost exactly the same rhyme scheme, structure, and flipping around all the wordplay.

[@TheLastSliceOfPie]

Thank God for Rap Genius

[@giovannifb2001]

TheLastSliceOfPie same

[@nizmojoeblows]

TheLastSliceOfPie if people need a thesaurus to look up what you mean, are you really reaching anyone? Being intelligent doesnt mean using big words. It means getting your point across with the most simple and mundane, so that anyone can understand it. If you can do that, youre truly gifted. Anyone can write something and change every word to something more complex. It doesnt mean anything though.

[@Ben-rz9cf]

nizmojoeblows If you can communicate a complex idea to an idiot then its not really a complex idea

[@MonstrousChamp]

+nizmojoeblows Do you mean dictionary instead of thesaurus?

[@jacobp7945]

+nizmojoeblows you think mundane is gifted? the complexity of what he is saying match with an amazing rhythm and flow is what it means to be great. Aes is on the top end of the spectrum. He is saying stuff in the most unique way, other rappers are good, but this guy is a goddamn acrobat flying through the air doing all sorts of flips and shit miles above other rappers.

[@vinny5638]

The fact that I listened to this 24/7 when it first came out EIGHT YEARS AGO is tripping me out right now, damn. Still just as fire as the first listen honestly.

[@nicholaswilliams4598]

"Time waits for no man" I feel you

[@NicholasKramas]

So true. Everyday to and from work plus lunch.

[@Nomad_Skateboarding]

Still and always 🙂

[@aidenbouc3314]

Part of what makes aes great imo is that his beats are always incredible, his voice is great, his flow is impeccable, his vocabulary is massive, and he looks very normal/average to me which makes it all hit home a lot more like "woah, this is a real person"

[@DubsStop]

I can't remember how long ago it was but it was determined through some kind of algorithm he has the largest vocabulary of any rapper/emcee.

[@DeathInANuse]

Fuck me, it's been 4 years already...

[@jenkkko]

I didn't notice until I saw your comment, jeeeeeesus. I remember the day it came out!

[@GH1996]

dude, wow, i was 16 back then...

[@Wunel]

G H I was 20, it blew my mind then and the way he writes still stuns me now. Aesop is a rapper for all ages I swear

[@bloodmoonphoenixrising8049]

just 18 forever ago

[@vinny5638]

I was 15 when this came out, put this shit on listenonrepeat.com for days.

[@MrEpic-qe2tt]

I don't need a dictionary when I listen to Aesop. He IS the dictionary.

[@smashfam1]

hes a fuckin genius, im shocked.....i recently knew about him

[@youngandsuccessful22]

this guy is a 1000 years ahead of his time bruh

[@AnonymoudKid]

He 1000 years old

[@_Jake.From.Statefarm_]

@@AnonymoudKid Died a 1000 deaths

[@argentino39]

@@_Jake.From.Statefarm_ He dies once a year??

[@UnEv3n]

@@argentino39 No he did em in a row at the start

[@argentino39]

@@UnEv3n He died 1000 times, then was born 1000 years ago, and made music more recently?

[@BrandonTedrow]

Aesop Rock is always a go-to for me. It ages well and never gets "old". One of my favorite songs. His humility and assertion are like yin and yang. Dualities forever vying for the spotlight.

[@johnnyviking8152]

"His humility and assertion are like yin and yang. Dualities forever vying for the spotlight." That's heavy bro

[@jackcravford8744]

He sounds like he holds all the knowledge and understanding. Which creates a paradox; the more abstract and cryptic he goes, more things makes sense for my point of view. The amount of gravity he can bring into simple words is really captivating.

[@johnnyviking8152]

Hello Brother, Ive been focusing on my humility to be the best version of myself and I want you to know that the notion of my humility battling with my assertion as been heavy on my mind since I first read this statement a few months ago

[@FlipKnowlessk8]

Em's vocab and poetical potency has nothing on Aesop This man is the shakespeare of rap.

[@poopydoodoo7575]

Are you mad?

[@FlipKnowlessk8]

hi troll :)

[@FlipKnowlessk8]

***** not the shakespeare of hiphop. shakespeare of rap - there is a difference. one is a movement and a way of living, the other is an artform of expression. second i know shakespeare and i am refering to his poetic talent

[@MakaveliEngaged]

+Zeefu M we have a real Hiphop head here

[@glazeron33]

+Zeefu M not similiar to Shakepeares style at all, hes more like James Joyce of rap.

[@Eziokilla9595]

Shouts out to Aesop Rock, Slug, El-P, Sage Francis, and Brother Ali for keeping it real. And, of course, R.EYE.P.

[@hybridcypher]

Shout out to the whites

[@MrKillerswamp]

hybridcypher i used to think eminem was the only good white rapper but cage, EL-P and brother ali proved me dead wrong.

[@hybridcypher]

I think Everlast was always pretty sick. When i heard Aesop rock "Abandon all Hope" i thought he was the greatest rapper...period...those verses are from the next dimension.

[@Eziokilla9595]

No one is making you like Eminem. I think first three albums (Infinite, SSLP, and MMLP) are brilliant, and everything after has sucked. If you don't like him, you don't have to. Aesop is great, but the single greatest rapper? Try again.

[@hybridcypher]

Nit picking comments on comments and miss reading are we? Very Naughty

[@Esonar]

Wikipedia says this guy has been active since 1996? Ashamed I haven't ever known of him until now. Entire track is heat, Half tempted to buy large portions of his catalog just based on this track alone, but Im deadass broke after Christmas here, so I had better pace myself.

[@SkySeesSTALKER]

Youre here because of watch mojo huh

[@Esonar]

Don't know what mojo is? I found this from a link on a forum.

[@SkySeesSTALKER]

Watch Mojo put up a video including him

[@RealTrachta]

+cipherrrr he has a fantastic catalog, I would start with Skelethon (this track is on it and its my personal favorite album by him) or Bazooka Tooth/Labor Days which are his most acclaimed/best projects

[@pauldykes1459]

You keep up with Rhymesayers, you'll hear the illest shit!

[@butterdrawls]

This guy has literally found his way in describing life in his songs better than anyone else.

[@axtekk2406]

I honestly don't get how people can say this song is mysterious. A lot of Aes's stuff is, but this is just incredible, melodic, deep, true poetry over an insane beat.

[@Xavier_Coogat_the_Mambo_King]

Zero friends minotaur-fugly stepchild Evoke lunch jumped over plunging necklines Up, beside tongue-tied hungry enzymes Devote one into mothmen munching textiles Punisher Out past go-time Back 10 fried worms chubbier You don't understand this song. You just want to pretend like you do to sound smart

[@jchaz904]

@coreyholt3338 Poor hungry kid in hand me down clothes getting sick of people looking down on him. It's not that hard.

[@zach8265]

@@jchaz904 Man really roasted himself there lol

[@dr.ligmahnutts2993]

I cant be the only one who understands this song? he's writing about himself and flaunting his natural talent which is poetry, don't assume the fact you don't understand something it has no meaning that's ignorant.

[@lockquiz2107]

He's the rapper we deserve...

[@alvarodrum22]

Dave Berg But not the one we need right now... LoL

[@Raphael4722]

People who think aesop rock raps poetry don't understand what poetry is. Contrary to what school may teach you poetry isn't usually cryptic or hard to understand. Most of it is quite relatable one way or another. Aesop rock's streams of esoteric symbolism don't qualify as poetry.

[@farmerbobhack]

I know a lot of people that don't get Aesop... And I can somewhat understand their standpoint. Personally I think his lyrics are untouchable as far as flow and depth as well as vocabulary... But that being said they're also pretty inaccessible at first glance. For some people this is a major turn off because they listen to it and can't decipher a black and white, clear cut message on their first listen and are left saying "What the fuck is he on about?" . To me, and many other people that appreciate lyrically heavy hip-hop it only increases its longevity because I'm able to pick out something new and profound with each listen. He can describe normal and even mundane everyday occurrences and concepts that pass most people by in a way that...well.... passes most people by. That in turn forces the audience to actually listen and think about each word before coming to a conclusion about what they've just heard. It's the sign of a true lyrical genius. Especially in a genre overflowing with absolute bullshit. OK I'm done sucking his dick for now. This song is dope, yo.

[@AngelDust2383]

farmerbob hack Honestly, I went to french school and i have no clue what the fuck he means, barely ever. I'm far from stupid and i do read his lyrics and make a real effort...so i think a lot of people who have a hard time, may not have english as a first language or are really young.

[@jackcravford8744]

The beat reminds me of what Mike Shinoda was doing with Fort Minor. Complicated drum schemes, odd bass, beeping keyboards.. i love it, the instrumental is just mind blowing. And of course, Aesop and his concrete like flow and expressive voice.

[@MasterovD.Skies42_411]

Underrated fuckin' comment

[@thistime1483]

I listen to mostly metal and rock stuff, but this is honestly one of the best things I have ever heard. I immediately liked it. I have nothing but respect and admiration for Aesop Rock.

[@Woodsballer209]

The true story behind this song is sad and incredible. This one has a heart kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqjSqqJmh9lneNk

[@ryantillotson1179]

Welp, I've hit the pause and rewind about 100 times in 3 minutes, must be an AES song. This man is a genius from a different planet

[@Beeeefcheese]

glad i found that rap study I cant believe Ive never heard of this guy hes good!

[@brandonadams999]

I slept so hard on Aesop that I don't even know if Im even awake. Stoked I found him this year but feel like I robbed myself of watching the growth of such a eclectic and talented artist.

[@baronmind954]

Ayyy I really respect seeing someone say this here so much- that said would you be willing to tune into someone (me) who's only really starting with taking it on seriously full time though I've technically been rhyming and backpacking around on it on and off almost a decade now...? The channel with all the albums is there for you and anyone else for $FREE.99 Can also get me on social media to see some photo-op stuff and if you got any questions- Also if you end up hating it and me just make sure to let me know how much 🙏 #THEENDISNEAR!!! #MAKEART ~{{#PsYcHoKiNeTiCs!¡!}}~

[@granto425]

My god his vocabulary is just voluminous. The intricate design of his lyricism astounds me, I don't even listen to rap that much but god this is great

[@folter9766]

"Aesop Rock is the Picasso of Rap." -theneedledrop

[@Nouta1]

Aesop rock is the Shakespeare of rap.

[@brittanyewashkow9479]

Kills every line, every time. Genius.

[@charismaticthabs3681]

I can't believe thise dropped 9years ago🔥🔥

[@egno2169]

Truly amazing visuals. The strength of his vocals combined with a fast-paced beat, the dynamically changing background compared with the calm he keeps throughout the video altogether make an amazing effect. One of the best impressions a music video ever gave me I think.

[@baronmind954]

Go watch every single other one of his now 😭

[@GAS.MASK1]

8 yrs later this song still slaps

[@Nomad_Skateboarding]

Still 🙂

[@GAS.MASK1]

@@Nomad_Skateboarding forever

[@ssoare3864]

It goes on

[@GAS.MASK1]

@@ssoare3864 yes

[@ishaking6278]

10 years my dudes

[@werewolfassassin655]

This song still gives me goosebumps

[@bricriu]

this video embodies everything about my life i don't have the words to express.

[@wild-radio7373]

The internet is so wierd. To be able to see what he looks like after just hearing him for all these years. Just huge how good you are. Bangers every time.♡ love you Aesop.

[@Kevinjoseph12344]

When this song came out i was 22 now im 33 and still watch this on youtube regularly

[@IfYouInsist]

💯💯💯🔥

[@DrCommaBarber]

Dude, me too. This is still on my rotation constantly. Now that I'm older and things have played out like they have, this song hits differently and still gives me chills.

[@GSCSTRYDER]

This song got me into Aesop Rock

[@aesopbricktop]

me to and it just got suggested, i remember the fucking MOMENT, hip hop took a different form that night holy fuck stay up brother.

[@saintd_ii]

Skelethon is excellent entry-level aesop

[@iesika7387]

the "Hello :3" in the cc made me grin.

[@beejork2320]

I love how Aesop Rock's videos attract more intellectually insecure numbnuts than a Modern Art gallery

[@TheLankyGamer98]

RileyBlackfox hahaha^

[@Mrgloworm23]

RileyBlackfox hahahahaha yes!

[@Magnegro]

RileyBlackfox lmao

[@gerardoacosta5283]

weak aha

[@p4n1k49]

+RileyBlackfox hahahah u right bruh.

[@dannybenoit]

Thank You Asop

[@anthonyourbrother]

This is what's called artistry.

[@oldchanneloftaylor]

I guess Im not the only one who was brought here by an article on large vocabulary

[@k3n12ock]

Nope, you're not.

[@mazc4887]

same

[@gleipnirrr]

We are in this together, my friend

[@billaa49]

We are the first of many

[@algerchenlavernkordom3151]

yeeep...and i am watching this when i am suppose to study for software engineering :/

[@user-jt6si4hb3f]

This is my all-time favourite rap song

[@chelsea6671]

ill admit that while i never had listened to a full Aesop project until The Impossible Kid ( which is my album of the year currently) i first heard him a year ago on the hook of Mr Lifs Success ( i know I Phantom came out in 2002 but im REALLY late with hearing music) and thought he was dope as hell. So once Kid came out, i took my time to listen to some of his other projects ( Labor Days, Daylight and Skelethon) and i think this guy is one of the most brilliant and forward thinking rappers out right now. Him, Slug Ali and EL-P are keeping my faith in hip hop alive along with Lupe and Kendrick.

[@ETericthomas]

I don't have enough thumbs to so my appreciation of the CRAFT

[@TroyRudd]

7,392 brought me here.

[@blairo32]

haha me as well

[@crazyglue80]

Blair Davis lol Me 3..never heard of this dude before..but thats dope!

[@mitchleblanc]

Bob Farts This article has been making the rounds, so tons of people are discovering this guy's rap. rappers.mdaniels.com.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/

[@jetpilotband]

Yeah, the 7392 impressed me too!

[@slovoflud]

Next link: iTunes

[@Vendeteran]

I've been stressed out of my mind for finals. Last night I listened to Skelethon start to finish, and wrote a verse on what I think about the current state of hip-hop, with the stress that I had. I don't think I have ever been as influenced by any other artist, ever. Aesop is Hip-Hop. I find solace when this man speaks, it the few years that I've listened to him he rapidly climbed my list which brings me here "Down down from a huntable surplus to one" I hope Aes comes to New Zealand.

[@agustinberriel2145]

"Evoke lunch jumped over plunging necklines" another way to say he vomited. This is just an example, maybe you prefer other type of lyric but that doesnt mean it doesnt make sense, for me this are the kind of lyrics that make you think, doesnt give you everything pre-digested, and is open to your very own free interpretation.

[@sketchum777]

I can't even begin describe my love for him and his musical impact on me everyday

[@zachgilmore1407]

Back when rap was poetry and not bragging about material objects.

[@michaelduarte4041]

This is real hip hop right here. This guy is incredible. This shit hits like water flowing down a mountain.

[@tgms177]

aesop rock looks like jimmy fallons older brother

[@factory1980]

+tgms177 I had to scroll way to far to find this

[@jensbrinkmann1255]

+tgms177 Not like his older brother. - He looks exactly like Jimmy Fallon, just with longer hair and a beard

[@GtaRockt]

+Andreas Mejer Plot twist: He IS Jimmy Fallon

[@dadaluma13]

+Andreas Mejer Aes has green eyes, Jimmy has brown.

[@kidloki612]

Aesop Rock looked like me when I was in my 30s.

[@j.dubyou]

Indisputably, the most authentic and original MC in Hip-Hop history.. The way Aes constructs his rhymes in the raps/stories he's spittin is just too beyond the level of, not all, but most, rappers of all time. You really have to listen to each track several times over to actually get the message behind it, but, to me, I think that's dope as hell. Genius creativity. Mad respect.

[@IttaPasta]

It would take me quite a research to fully appreciate it, but from what I got from the go I can tell that lots of people just won't understand how dope this actually is.

[@RiceChrispy0527]

Not only is the music on point but he's always got some awesome visual art in his videos.

[@vijaygarv]

I really like Aesop rock’s music although it’s something difficult to understand but it’s damn good

[@Abigail-ns2fk]

Been loving Aesop for years

[@trevorv4151]

Aesop is a mad man O_O how does he come up with this stuff?? It's incredible! A true lyrical genius!

[@spencerclark4850]

Roving packs of elusive young become Choke lore writers over boosted drums In the terrifying face of a future tongue Down down from a huntable surplus to one

[@un3kn3own0]

*hundred plus surplus to one

[@TheCursedJudge]

The original guy had it right, it's huntable. Check Genius.

[@negative6442]

@@ceetruth4709 It means there used to be a whole lot of them, but now there's only one left

[@jonathanpower1851]

Almost every aesop track makes me feel like I've watched a quality movie in 4 minutes

[@user-qn1pd8un4t]

Очень круто звучит, и речитатив рифмованный хорошо, жирный речитатив и Хип Хоп во всей композиции и клипе. Благодарю всей команде, успехов и процветания Вам

[@gray4709]

I listen to a whole lot of music, but after every couple of weeks or so I always end up back at this song. My favorite Aesop Rock song to date.

[@scaredfolks5923]

Glad to see his music is reaching more people. I remember when you couldn't even find his stuff unless someone else showed you it. I've been up all night praying he would re-release Music for Earthworms ;)

[@JakobyGermsheid]

i think this is one of the only Aesop songs there's really controversy over people not understanding. most of his work other than the skelethon album is i suppose a lot easier to grasp. guy doesn't take a god damn dictionary & throw around a bunch of big ass words really fast. he's well educated, poetic, & quick. while i can't always catch everything on the first take, i've found & been able to apply more meaning in aesops discography than all of the rap I've heard combined. even if it is just a massive conjunction of tiny metaphors & such. admittedly, he visualizes some ultimate comupins :P gangster rap is boring & repetative

[@TheCursedJudge]

This is one of the easiest songs by him to understand the message of: it's him feeling as if he's one of the only true rappers left in a game of diluted, money hungry rappers that have sold out.

[@cielewilliams6618]

@@TheCursedJudge him and the entire label of rhymesayers and doomtree records

[@daviddobarganes9115]

Comeuppance, but yes

[@DubsStop]

👌

[@SCriBBledUpMinD]

Unless you're British you'll never understand how hard this track goes...

[@cortos_9733]

love this album. previously I've only spent time listening to 3 or 4 songs off the album but now bothered listening to the whole thing through and started appreciating the rest of it a lot more. I do that a lot with Aesop's music. It takes a few listens in a different mood before i start enjoying a number of other songs

[@croutonscarf]

"I guess it matters to me; I wish it mattered to you, how a thousand virtues kicked the same bucket like Chinatown turtles."

[@Nanology101]

I got the privilege to see this man live in Chicago years back, still my fav.

[@mohamedtarquijalloh1620]

I come watch this video every so often. The imagery vs the beat vs the lyrics!!! Woah!!!!! Each can be taken apart and still feel like a whole. 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@reppinseattle7974]

This dude is a fuckin lyrical MONSTER!!!

[@westlypbe5112]

All of Aesop rock's stuff is artistic and creative I wonder if he directs his own music videos

[@paulwillis592]

Good question 4 real

[@PweezyG81]

His delivery has improved so much, he's no where near as monotone as he was in the beginning of his career.

[@seasalt5627]

a little less than two years ago i listened to this track and could not believe that it had not hit million of views and now that i am back watching/ listening im glad the 1 million plus could enjoy the creative mind that IS Aesop Rock

[@bobgnarly1312]

God, still love this song so much Aesop is an artist in its truest form nearly every emotion he has is expressed in musical and artistic form so complexly and articulately beautiful bumping Aesop through headphones loud enough to burst your ear drums is the best part of any day

[@ollicron7397]

If you don't understand what the lyrics mean he's singing about zero dark thirty (like the actual event that happened more so the helicopter crash), hence canned food, manmade tool, and how it relates to someone wanting to be alone or being outcasted. There are a few spins to his childhood referenced here, about trauma and seeing death, but for that you have to know more about him.

[@jackcravford8744]

Actually it seems like he is rapping about hip hop itself and what happened to mainstream music. Moral compass is all batshit, when it is spinning in the shadows of immoral magnets is like saying that everything is also subjective and even the most garbage artists have their own fan base. Most of these modern rappers are spitting about the drugs and lot of people don´t even care so he is asking if we are actually supporting the artist/the art or enabling the addiction within? He cares about this unlike other people. "choke-lore writers over boosted drums" everyone is rapping into these awful trap snares with cheap hi-hat and are choking lore of the genre or interesting topics, like the lyrical content is piss poor.

[@InebriatedSmurf]

I've been listening to Aesop since '06. He still got it!

[@maysic9527]

I think we all need to take a step back for a second. Art can be anything. Art can be typing at a computer all day, cleaning, arranging furniture, etc. Art is what the individual makes it. Art is so much more than painting, writing, dancing, singing... The sooner we realize that the more we can appreciate it. To say something is not "art" is ridiculous! Anything can be art! And you have to be a little crazy to make art, in any form. And we all have an art, so we're all a little crazy in that sense I guess. Art means many things. Art. ART.

[@junker154]

I definitely recommend "Eyedea & Ability" for anyone who looks into deeper lyrics but that are less confusing and irritating to understand. Most tracks of Eyedea are far more relatable. Got to love Aesop and Eyedea, both are amazing.

[@jordanvanderkuyl6729]

irritating???? cause you'e not smart enough or patient enough to decipher it?

[@junker154]

Not everyone likes deep and sophisticated lyrics and prefer something more relatable to listen to. Which is totally understandable and fine. Also for anyone who likes to get into deeper lyrics, Eyedea is the perfect gateway.

[@jordanvanderkuyl6729]

***** Not THAT hard, dude. I studied poetics and poetic theory in University... No harder than any Joyce or Wordsworth. lol

[@junker154]

It is a matter of preference if you like sophisticated and deep lyrics and furthermore not everyone is privileged to go to university and study poetic. Albeit you do not really need to study poetics to understand this.

[@thevade]

Most of Aesop's lyrics are like abstract art. They'll mean different things to different people. Don't bother trying to decipher the songs like they're some hidden code with only one correct translation. Just listen and take it in for what it means to you. You don't need to major in English to enjoy it.

[@petercheese7202]

They did not know how long they had been there They did not know how long they had been there They did not know how long they had been there They did not know how long they had been there They did not know how long they had been there They did not know how long they had been there They did not know how long they had been there Look Unsigned hype Front line aeronauts flurry Zero dark thirty Zero friends minotaur-fugly stepchild Evoke lunch jumped over plunging necklines Up, beside tongue-tied hungry enzymes Devote one into mothmen munching textiles Punisher Out past go-time Back 10 fried worms chubbier Brown grass both sides Canned food Manmade tools Lanacane, band aids, mandrake root Bindle on a broomstick, pancaked shoes And a handshake-proof campaign, can't lose Can't gain Smoke out moles like a force of nature Pray fortune return to his favor Swiftly Maybe in the form of a nest egg Maybe in the form of a tesla death ray Or a solid gold scene with something better to celebrate Than powder on a face like a flatfoot on jelly day M-m-moral compass all batshit Spinning in the shadows of immoral magnets Are we supporting the artist or enabling the addict I mean, I guess it matters to me I wish it mattered to you How a thousand virtues Kick the same bucket like chinatown turtles Roving packs of elusive young become Choke-lore writers over boosted drums In the terrifying face of a future tongue Down down from a huntable surplus to one Down down from a huntable surplus to one Down down from a huntable surplus to one Down down from a huntable surplus to one Check his own Breakneck pulse Over colors in a drain That emote sugar skulls in the rain Flower-eyes melting Guided by a levy made of bath tiles tilting Quarter up and headed for the kill screen No corner cut, no build team Only a particularly menacing Angle perpendicular to everything Boys room cherry bomb Boy/goon very much runnin' with the devil in the mellotron Hello Here's where a tale of caution Pounds coffin nails To bootlegs of Hawkwind, saw tooth Nevermind straw to gold Spin hearts on sleeves into heads on poles Arm in the maw Fish out pith like a business card from a jar at the mall A-alike androids dreaming of carbon applause Get stuffed with cartoon cigars Cold pack, neti-pot, home to roost Around folk backed into what they most lampoon Shook to the fevered brow and broke ankles Daisy, declawed pound, no thank you Fade me Failed all basic training But I spent a couple groundhog days with a changeling Silhouette the god's last cigarette Anything less would be ri-god-damn-diculous Roving packs of elusive young become Choke lore writers over boosted drums In the terrifying face of a future tongue Down down from a huntable surplus to one Down down from a huntable surplus to one Down down from a huntable surplus to one One One One One One One One

[@cky6918]

Once it clicks, you will spend the rest of your life attempting to piece together an infinite and subjective puzzle. The art that this man has bestowed upon us is unparalleled.

[@kayahuasca]

His music is the best I've ever heard! Especially this song is so magical and dark..

[@DeathColdBeer]

im 2 years late? dammit. all metal here. my brother told me about this dude. i dig it. Just in case of rough waters...i wanna put one up for my brother."

[@lisakarson3279]

Fuck.. this guy is beyond brilliant. I challenged myself to journal every word I don't know the definition of, for this song alone, and I got 20. Some of these words/things are concepts or nouns etc I've never even heard before..wow...

[@andysutherland4731]

its crazy how this one can write his songs or poems (whatever u want to call them), produce almost all of his own songs, rap on them really well and be an amazing urban artist all at the same time

[@1995yuda]

This guy has the game under his boot for years and he's still slept on FML

[@danielfuller35]

This dudes brilliant holy fuck.

[@enertiahd1352]

just got finished listening to chief keef. i came here to replenish my brain cells

[@DeliciouslyHarmfulProductions]

the productions always so crispy with aesop rock. this track is wicked

[@MrSteezedisease]

wow this came out almost a decade ago.. where does time go

[@brandonluco]

Pray fortune return to his favor Swiftly Maybe in the form of a nest egg Maybe in the form of a tesla death ray Love these lines.

[@peterdonato5880]

It's pretty absurd to say Aes's lyrics don't make sense. I mean, if you're five and you don't know what a word means does that make the word meaningless and senseless? No, it's just means you don't understand it. But with patience and actual thought you come to understand it, rather than just dismissing it immediately. I'll admit that this song in particular is pretty hard to figure on it's own(I think it's about the rap in general, though I haven't looked to closely into it), but the rest of Skelethon is actually Aes's most easy to interpret Album cause most the songs follow a pretty specific theme: Leisureforce is about isolation described through dark fantasy and the interiors of his home ZZZ Top is about learning through the music that you listen too (fuck school) Cycles to Gehenna is about motorcycles (specifically riding one through Gehenna) Fryrestarter is about having a religious experience in a donut shop Homemade Mummy is about making a homemade mummy Racing Stripes is about haircuts And there you go, explanations that make complete sense if you go and read the lyrics. Aesop Rock's genius isn't just him having a large vocabulary, it's him ringing endless amounts of description out of the seemingly normal and regular. He doesn't ever describe something as what it actually is, and that's where the confusion sits. That's not called being senseless, it's called having a creative alternative for literally EVERYTHING. Once you get that his lyrics become a lot easier to figure out what the fuck he's actually going on about. He's on some T.S. Eliot and Ginsberg shit, and I bet will one day be studied by linguistics and poets of the like.

[@jaydunn699]

Almost 10 years old. How amazing Aesop.

[@jimkay9676]

for sure, he has a heavy use of metaphors. I don't catch much when I'm listening casually, but if I've smoke weed and I take some time reading through the lyrics, everything clicks and I'm really blown away.

[@rodneyr7139]

this hole video went right above my head

[@David-hu3yu]

The best lyricist in the game...

[@bigriz7021]

Came across this man couple years ago and i just feel blessed. Dudes amazing

[@KTM625Girl]

Seen him live a few times, kills it EVERY time. Love Aesop :)

[@aesopbricktop]

I was high on a couch going through alot of things a long time ago, and this song popped up. my first introduction to aesop rock. the best rapper alive or dead in my opinion. my ilfe was literally changed after this discovery.

[@SCriBBledUpMinD]

This is his best track too

[@FlipKnowlessk8]

aesop. this man's lyricism in rap is legendary.

[@sirHeezah]

This dude deserves Asap Rocky's fame Rocky deserves to be working at the fucking mall.

[@gfbc264]

facts

[@DigitalFire5000]

I admit I didn't like it when I first heard it BUT NOW IT HAS TAKEN OVER MY LIFE!!! 😍😭😍👌👌👌🎤🎵🎶👑

[@basiccraig87]

This is one my favorite videos of all time. Absolutely captures the nature of the song.

[@GtaRockt]

This got a special meaning to me, man. This was the first track my buddy Alex (he passed away way too young since, RIP bro) by Aesop send me and I'm hooked ever since.