*OLD MAN REACTS* AESOP Rock - RINGS *REACTION*

[@mrc3885]

This old man is catching more bars than the kids do. The key to picking up on Aesop is having the ability to visualize what he says. Been mainlining Aesop for 20+ years and his lyrics are all pictures in my head now. Want to challenge yourself on Aes? (rings is easy) Give Cycles to Gehenna a try.

[@RemAtmos]

Really well-put. He’s painting pictures!! Look at them

[@randallwilson4088]

Cycles isn’t too hard when you have the idea in your head that it’s about motorcycles. But I agree it can be hard to figure out if you don’t even know what The Zen is…

[@mrc3885]

@@randallwilson4088 The imagery and speed of the changing scenes in Cycles is the level up from rings I was pointing towards. Its not just about motorcycles though, it's about one particular motorcycle on one particular night when one particular Aesop wasn't sure he was going to be around to park it at the end of the song. (darker than it might seem)

[@TheAlpineShepherdBoy]

Great reaction of an amazing artist. Aesop Rock is one of my favorites. He has the largest vocabulary in hip-hop and that is no exaggeration. He has used the most unique words of all rappers, and yes, that is something that is calculated for some reason. 'Daylight' and 'Night Light' are two of my favorite songs by him.

[@lucirmarvrasrockurd2029]

I’m glad my boy Aesop Rock still gets attention, been listening to him for years

[@ceetruth4709]

@@lucirmarvrasrockurd2029 Of course he does, now more than ever, as obscure as he still is. With the release of his two recent amazing albums "The Impossible Kid" and "Spirit World Field Guide"

[@elijahfranklin6074]

I consider it just a ten minute track.

[@desmaic]

Aesop is a rabbit hole that gets more intense the deeper you stare into the void. His genius lies in his ability to texture his lyrics with rich depth and character but it can be absorbed topically as well because his suggestions are strong enough to give you the gist. He is proper brilliant. Daylight, Big Bang, No Regrets, Shrunk.

[@TheGainsWizard]

I honestly think Aesop Rock is the best rapper alive. Certainly one of the best of all time. Dude's been at it a LOOOOONG time and is a fucking genius lyricist.

[@apatternedhorizon]

definitely is.

[@losxdescabezados]

He's been at it this long and hasn't stumbled once! He was amazing right out of the gate.

[@phytheshyguy]

Rip DOOM, Aesop took over after him.

[@Youtubecansuckmycock]

Agreed

[@GenericThomas]

Aes, Doom, and Lupe are definitely the holy Trinity for me.

[@tree_of_peace]

i always loved the line "aligning with the trials of the anti-midas" it ties in perfectly with another line he's said before "watch the Impossible kid everything that he touch turns promptly to shit"

[@The_Salty_Siren]

This! I was absolutely floored when I heard him incorporate that bc that’s what I’ve called myself my whole life 😅😅😅

[@shakazulu5665]

He also has an entire album titled The Impossible Kid Everything with Aesop is at minimum a double to triple entendre Its absolutely master class

[@sikksotoo]

Aesop has quite the rabbit hole. A study was done of about 150 rappers' first 35,000 lyrics and Aesop has the most diverse vocabulary of all time (7,879 different words) You caught a lot for a first listen, especially with the tempo of the verses. Hope you do more!

[@Majtzy]

And the best thing is that Aesop really understands what he's writing, often with double and tripple meanings. He doesn't just choose words to sound fancy, he's a master lyricist.

[@TheAutbomb]

It makes me so happy to see someone's face light up when they understand Aesop. Great review.

[@jackjohnson691]

Yeah when he first heard Bristol to baptize. You could see the cogs spinning 😂❤

[@krash1one]

"Bristol to baptize" was actually referring to Bristol paper (There are many different kinds, and Bristol paper is mostly used in drawing). So as for "baptize" part he meant that you will get it wet with paint or ink. Aes speaks in metaphors and his word play and lyricism are just insane.

[@jonboulden8024]

I love to see someone react to Aesop's material when they actually "get it." This is enjoyable.

[@jackjohnson691]

Aesop Rock has increased my vocabulary 💯

[@LetthaWrite1inn]

Aesop is one of the best lyricist alive across any genre of music

[@cicero7409]

Thank you Santa. Aesop is epic.

[@ark_revolution7660]

There has never been a song that I relate to more than this. I'm only 19 and I've already seen stuff like drawing float into the backround while life happens. I cry nearly every time I hear this song because it hits me so deeply

[@powk3444]

im 32 but bro those are my exact words dude i absolutely love music n have done so many dee dives on different artists, ive neverrrrrr found a song i relate to more

[@plumfable]

i’m 19 too and in art school, i discovered this because my prof included it (along with other songs) in an assignment. i resonated with it immediately because wasted potential is my worst fear. hold on to your passion tightly and try not to let life rip it away. all you need to create art is a pencil and paper, good luck :)

[@leoguy802]

One of my favorite Aesop stories is that he still considers himself a failed artist. He got his master's in art but never pursued that full time after college.

[@SensoryAlchemy]

Do more Aesop Rock! I like watching your reactions to him!

[@Earthworm59]

Great video, I appreciate your open mindedness and recognition of how intertwines history, literature, and his own life experience into his music! I instantly subscribed to your channel and I’m looking forward to see the other music you check out! I’ve been a diehard fan of Aesop Rock for almost 2 decades now and have loved hearing him grow as an artist. As someone who’s about to turn 30 it makes me so happy to see both the younger and older generations get into his music. Much love

[@lockelamora4184]

Finally, i stumbled upon a good reaction.

[@thelocusst]

I really appreciate that since you’re older you didn’t automatically say hip hop isn’t a form of art. Then you doubled down and understood it. Thank you for this.

[@bobdolemitepresents]

So many react artists get Aesop Rock wrong, it is very refreshing to see someone who gets the deep themes instantly and accurately. Aes is IMO the greatest living lyricist, and possibly more than that. The visuals he paints are without peer in what is becoming a creatively bankrupt industry. Great work, id love to see you breakdown more Aes

[@NeonFuzzleS420]

Glad to see you like this, definitely worth checking out his new song Mindful Solutionism!!!

[@lao5960]

Seen Aesop rock at a underground concert years back in los angeles !!!! He a rap master!!!

[@godsglizzy2232]

It's really awesome seeing someone from your generation actually taking time to listen to Aes Rock. In my opinion he the best lyricist living or dead. Please react to more of his music. This was great. ❤️

[@Giganfan2k1]

6:22 I love every artists reaction to this song. People say his lyricism is impenetrable. I think most of those people don't have the context, emotional emotional luggage to understand what he is about. 8:14 When you understand every bar what he is going for. You internalize the message you are hyper aware of what he is doing. It makes an emotional flip book out of a song that makes the song almost like a hallucinogenic experience as you follow what he is saying. Multiple viewings, going onto lyric genius, death of the artist analyzing... All makes this a very rewarding experience.

[@tristan8922]

Aesop is a real one. His ability to convey vivid images through his rhymes is what makes him so loved by many. This is a really good song of his to start with and i'm glad you pulled up the lyrics. Another worthwhile stop off the same album that is very introspective is the 3-parter: "Get out the Car," "Shrunk," and "Kirby" which delves into his journey through grief, depression and therapy but manages to keep a light touch to the heavy content. He's got so much good content it's stupid, and worth checking out if you're prepared to decipher his often cryptic lyrics and world class extended metaphors.

[@brianhansen6189]

Great reaction! A few more of his to consider “Pizza Alley”, “Gopher Guts”, “Blood Sandwich”, “Shrunk”, “Kirby”

[@Bedhead13]

Blood Sandwich is one of my favourite songs of all time

[@mrc3885]

Weak suggestions except for the last two.

[@turbo75kirbo]

Not a single word is wasted

[@The_Salty_Siren]

AES is the GOAT 💗

[@justmejoy124]

This guy's lyricism in another one I thought was phenomenal. I'm at the start so haven't caught this yet but it's sounding good so far

[@justinsignor7087]

Dude thank you for playing my song! I'm so supized you actually did.

[@SaltyReacts]

loved it

[@aleksisuuronen5969]

Aesop Rock can be SUPER dense to react to since he can use a word where you have to derive first what it means and then what the origins of the word means to get the full picture etc. 😂 (Like in one song The Gates he says: " My planet X, I might bleed green I'm what's under the uncut chia seed" and planet x is also like a hypotethical planet that's also called Nibiru which as a word then means like a crossing point/crossing equanox and he mentions "chia seed" where he means salvia that is often mistaken as psychedelic but is a dissociative but acts essentially like a psychedelic. So he is "under" the effects of it at the crossing point to the other world, salvia being Very hallucinatory drug. You can also take the chia seed as in him talking about his health because the word salvia is from latin and means towards that and the two bars kinda also speaks on it "I might bleed green" which also speaks on confusion/being under the effect and his mind is in in planet x aka with x you can take that not in a good place because it's somewhat the theme of the song. So it is like a bad trip on psychedelics. So 😂 All in all it can get Really confusing and dense opening the whole songs since that's just from two lines)(Then add metaphoras and niche references etc.). Still songs like Rings is the easier ones for reacting, other a bit older one that is very straight-forward because it is story-based and sooo good is No ReGrets. One where is still that cryptogrammig style of writing, but you get the overall message quite easily and it is one of his best songs is None Shall Pass.

[@doomtho42]

Congratulations, you’ve just stumbled upon [who I consider to be] the single-most technically skilled and creatively gifted writer and lyricist in all of hip-hop (if not all of music; if not all of art; if not all of humanity; if not all of everything!).

[@softsoundsCL]

Oh hell yes, Aesop is my all time favorite artist I've even covered a few of his songs. Sitting down and deciphering his lyrics is something that can take a lot of time but it's always so worth it

[@jamesoblivion]

Aesop's use of imagery and metaphor is at the very pinnacle of lyricism. He uses words to paint vivid pictures that explore myriad themes.

[@ptarushasagame8405]

Best react Ive ever seen

[@redheadedneighbor]

New artist for me

[@church1892]

This video got me to subscribe! Just to see you react to more of Aesop Rock. He's incredible. Check out get out the car, followed by shrunk followed by kirby. It's a story. Enjoy

[@Serjohn]

i love how much you love something that i love as well

[@F2PMegaGod]

I would say Aesop Rock is perfect for an "old man" and i dont mean that disrespectfully or in a derogatory way at all. More than knowledge and culture, to understand his lyrics one needs to have experienced certain things through life. Aesop Rock feels like a videogame in which sometimes you need a power-up (life experience) that you still havent unlocked in order to progress further in that direction for that level (song). The feeling of having heard a line over and over hundreds of times, not paying much mind to it but suddenly one day understanding what it is, and what he's talking about is one of the best music can give you.

[@giarogers]

A bit lost for a minute. Appreciate the insight! Hugz!! ❤🎵✌🍺

[@bryansmalley]

"Hang on a second I gotta hear that again..." said every Aes fan about every Aes song ever. Nice reaction, and keep up the good work Salty!

[@TexasGreed]

LMAO yep "DUUUUUDE" thats the Aesop effect

[@jackjohnson691]

I really enjoyed your reaction and analysis. I hope you review more Aesop Rock. I suggest Blood Sandwich.

[@bboyshotty]

one of the greatest lyricsist EVER..its crazy to say that this is one of his "easier" too decipher songs. It hits home to me as well being a dancer who has pretty much stopped as well. LOVED your reaction!

[@stuarthough9909]

When you said the stage name made you think of Aesop’s fables, it made me think of realization I had made that his song “Long Legged Larry” basically is a fable.

[@xtldc]

He’s obviously a smart guy - uses lots of big words, which most people figure out pretty quickly. But another (albeit indirect) testament to his intelligence - his older brother is a professor at Harvard Law School.

[@erikgilson1687]

That's fascinating that you did cuneiform in art class, we didn't do anything like that in the 90s/2000s but I wish we did

[@carmodaveable]

One of the greatest Aesop breakdowns I've ever seen. Thank you for this Salty!

[@jordanhyman9877]

seeing you bop your head to this and totally get and feel the lyrics warmed my heart a little today.

[@knutt81]

Bristol is also a type of canvas medium. But great seeing you react and catching lyrics first listen!🤗

[@chiefersutherland5609]

Amazing reaction! Love seeing people breaking down his lyrical genius! Whoever suggested him is a hero👏👏

[@wolframglsum4538]

This is my favorite song. Thanks for covering it.

[@dustinjones1346]

I second daylight and nightlight. They use the same flow and rhyme scheme with each other but they also juxtapose each other. Together, they and a hip hop masterpiece

[@GenericThomas]

I love this reaction. As an aspiring artist who finds myself lacking motivation now and than, this sound always hits home

[@apatternedhorizon]

So intricate, so verbose. Greatest rapper most people have never listened to. My favorite. He's Aesop and like Aesop's fables he always uses animal references. For another Aes reaction try "none shall pass" or "dorks"

[@ImmortalIdeas]

Truth!

[@tinasturgeon4730]

First time hearing! It was Awesome! Great reaction! Thanks ❤️ Much Love! #Hangovergang #Aseop Rock

[@christufts6787]

If you're really just discovering his work this is a reallllly deep rabbit hole to delve into. Check out more of his stuff though. It's worth the dive.

[@choochypoo]

Aes been doing it right for 20yrs! Great reaction, please check out his other tunes

[@adamobronzino7315]

As an aesop fan you have pointed out things I would have never thought of or understood until you broke it down by its meanings. Awesome!

[@dvancebum]

Check out his songs “ Jazz Hands” “ pizza alley “ & “not a wizard “

[@ImmortalIdeas]

He's like a book that when I start to read, My brain sticks to the imagery so much that I have to read the same page twice. If not more.;)

[@durere]

I see you're a man that appreciates real artistry, so I'd dare you to listen to Aesop Rock's Ruby '81. It's two minutes long, just one minute of lyrics, yet it makes me cry every single time, and if you check the comments on it, it's the same for most people. It's not sad, that's not what gets the feels out. It's a masterpiece, where he also paints with words and sounds in a way that makes you feel like you're there. It's also produced by him, and I believe this one is too.

[@scriptedsoul]

great reaction! digging deep into the Aesop Rock discography is going down a major rabbit hole, in a good way.

[@levih.8786]

Aesop Rock Is literally so talented and such an underdog to refuse to sell out.

[@jameseypoo]

this is great, would love to see more aesop rock reactions! jumping coffin is a good one

[@zak1998]

I love Aesop react videos, he is such a unique artist and people love or hate it. Super cool to see an old dude (zero offense intended) actually listen to it and pick up the awesome shit Aes does in his lyrics. Even current or younger gen people seem to skip over him because it is so dense. He is one of my favorite artists period because its so unique and so complicated.

[@SaltyReacts]

The dude is damn sharp, for certain.

[@Joseph-R]

One of my favorite things about Aesop is I learn so much from him. Plenty of times I hear his music and love the way it sounds, but I don't understand a large portion of the references so I find myself going down rabbit holes learning more about the history and definition of certain words he uses.

[@tonynittoli4792]

How can I not sub after this reaction. Refreshing to see an opened minded soul. Rare these days and the fact you kept up with the cryptic lyricism was jaw dropping.

[@aland5657]

bristol is also art paper. Aes (pronounced Ace) is the GOAT and a killer artist himself. nice work on the reaction!

[@christophermoore5774]

Also Bristol board is a heavy paper used by artists for ink drawing

[@SaltyReacts]

Oh my! I did not know that!! Thank you!!

[@Giganfan2k1]

Everyone usually learns one new thing from an Aes song. ;)

[@megatron696]

great reaction salty! aesop rock is probably my favorite rapper of all time, hes so good! we definitely need some more reactions of him 🔥

[@justmejoy124]

Salty I would recommend JUMPING COFFINS from this one

[@oddpotion5173]

Aesop Rock get's mentioned a ton for having the largest vocab of any artist and stuff like that but you really understood what Aesop Rock is best at. Imagery. The largest vocab in the world means nothing if you can't put the words together in the correct way.

[@wademedlin6831]

Keep finding out about this genuine genius.

[@dannyshallenberger9868]

I'm not mad at it.

[@SaltyReacts]

hahahahahahahahaaaaa!!!!

[@justmejoy124]

Hey now this guy's good not sure if I've heard rings yet but love JUMPING COFFINS

[@KillaKermit]

A reaction channel where the listener actually adds something to the experience, what a nice suprise - good job sir.

[@SaltyReacts]

Thank you!! Appreciate the comment!!

[@KillaKermit]

@@SaltyReacts you're welcome 👍🏻

[@CompletelyInadequate]

this guy is a national treasure, both Salty and Aesop, great video!

[@joeguy8030]

It's Aesop after Aesop's Fables. No coincidence.

[@ftsumnerwitchdoctor]

there is a few tracks on his album "spirit world field guide" that might deserve a second look. id love to hear your thoughts.

[@doognessmonster]

He’s the best on the world, hands down.

[@plmtoz9350]

Quicksand by Hatchie is a super interesting song, it is one of my favorites that it is rather unexplored (my other favorites are pretty standard; American pie, Vincent, Vienna, somebody that I used to know, rocketman and other songs you’ve probably heard enough)

[@knutt81]

A classic of his that's in rotation heavily for me is "No Regrets." There's even a video for it that an elementary school teacher had his class film. The song's somewhat of a rubric or "masterclass" of a piece. Cheers & Happy Holidays!🎉🎄🎆

[@RUSSIAN_SPY_INC]

Ace is my go-to artist, especially for walks. Great for walks.

[@jimz6850]

Aes is all about the ride not the destination which more often isn't where you expect to end up. Great reaction and keep at it! Keep digging into his catalogue!

[@Nohbdy_Ahtall]

Aesop Rock is the Alon Mor of my favey kind of Eyedea&Abilities-esque music. No srsly I have too much to say about Aesop's lyrisocity - I just love seeing other people explain it better than me, especially highlighting potential references I missed. This type of video is valuable for the comments alone xD

[@Nohbdy_Ahtall]

Eyedea is required pairing with Aesop IMO, or I think they complement each-other in differing ways. I mention Alon Mor as just someone who seems "deep" on the musical theory design or something, listen to some particular "Long Awaited Journey" songs. Too obscure for how good I think it is.

[@iesika7387]

bristol is a brand of art paper and sketchbooks as well, so "black ink after a bristol to baptize" means he has a pen/brush and he's looking for a canvas.

[@SaltyReacts]

Now I feel silly ...

[@6Qubed]

way back when I was that kid who was always doodling in the margins in class, and that very first line about "used to draw. hard to admit that I _used_ to draw" kinda stings a little. been ages since I picked up a pencil like that

[@eldenfindley186]

Glad you enjoyed it. Aes is a real one. Not for everybody. Not really a "club banger".

[@irethemark]

9 or 10 all day..... and now I need to BBQ this weekend. Hope you get into more Aesop Rock. This is one of the most commonly reacted songs of his, hope you hit up some of the less reacted to songs of his too.

[@thebigbadwolf2146]

I liked the reaction. You should check out some more Aesop. I recommend Kriby, Mystery Fish, Ruby 81, and Acid King (Malibu Ken)

[@whitevii1533]

Great reaction, Salty! This is easily one of my favourite Aesop Rock songs. This and "Kirby." I'd love to see you react to more comedy music like Flight of the Conchords (the early live stuff is best, Humans are Dead and Frodo, Don't Wear the Ring), Ylvis (Stonehenge and Massachusetts are hilarious) or even Lil Dicky (Pillow Talking is a great start).

[@CaliDBan]

Romanticism....that is Aesop. 😁

[@mr.santos5074]

Aesop is my favorite artist by far. His work has so much depth its astounding. Check out his recent work Garbology. Its a great listen.

[@dvancebum]

Great reaction.

[@lisaquiett1165]

Love your reaction.aesop is literally a thesaurus

[@babylonastronaut]

It's a warning. One day you wake up and realize you've ignored your passions for so long it's as if they didn't exist in the first place.

[@liftcontrol8453]

Aesop Rock reactions are plentiful but this is one of the best for sure!

[@michaelmaggio4923]

Dude I think you’re awesome. How you found Aesop is awesome. And the fact you’re willing to sit down and listen to it is awesome too. Keep it up😅

[@zombieinjeans]

Highly recommend his song Shrunk off the same album. You'd definitely like that if you liked this.

[@Phanzkd]

Check out no regrets by aesop rock. Also prof - fire lessons