Aesop Rock

Editor's Review:

Labor Days, the long awaited fourth release from the mighty Aesop Rock, is an amazing collection of beats and rhymes that epitomize a new, independent direction in hip-hop; a direction in which words are considered and carefully crafted before they’re incorporated in rhymes and beats that strive to stray from the pack and forge new territory.
Aesop’s mastery of the English language and its usage in rhyme is so staggeringly deft, the content and delivery of his raps raise him far above the bling-bling jiggy sound of status quo hip-hop. Labor Days’ insightful rhymes beg to be relayed en masse, though sadly, space is limited. Aesop’s vision of the world is indeed unique, and is expressed in songs like “Daylight”: Life’s not a bitch, life is a beautiful woman / you only call her a bitch ‘cause she won’t let you get that pussy / maybe she didn’t feel y’all shared any similar interests / or maybe your just an asshole who couldn’t sweet-talk the princess. Themes don’t follow the banality of bitch-hoes and blings, but they stick to reality and even snap back at pompous indie hip-hoppers who claim to be saving the art form from perpetrators (“Save Yourself”): Next time you wanna be a hero try saving something other than hip-hop / and maybe hip-hop will save you from the pit stop.
The beats on Labor Days are equally amazing - multi-layered and apocalyptic, with tons of deep and dark string accompaniment and ethereal melodic overtones that come together to create a pastiche of sound that not only builds an encompassing aural environment as well as a fitting backdrop for Aesop vocals.
- Max Sidman
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Record Label Defintive Jux Records Released October 2001

Tracks Labor Daylight Save Yourself Flashflood No Regrets One Brick The Tugboat Complex Pt.3 Coma Battery Boombox Bent Life The Yes And Y'all 9-5ers Anthem Shovel

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