Aesop Rock
Artist: Aesop Rock
Hails From: San Francisco, CA
Musical Style: Underground Hip Hop, Rap, Indie
For Fans of: EL-P, People Under the Stairs, Gorillaz, Atmosphere
Why you should check them out:
Aesop Rock has been putting out innovative, genre blending Hip Hop albums since 1998. Through numerous collaborations and countless breakout successes, Aesop Rock has survived as a central figure and unique presence in the independant Hip Hop genre he has helped to create.
Background Check:
I love hip hop that combines the necessary amount of bass with a killer beat and adds in intellegent lyrics. It’s the perfect hip hop combination and a feat that Aesop Rock accomplishes in spades. While appealing to those with Indie Rock sensibilities through collaborations with The Mountain Goats and Tokyo Police Club, Aesop Rock pays homage to many of the early rap inventors through his distinct lyrical style and lack of commercialized choruses. Through two self-released albums, and one album on Mush records, the man behind the moniker, Ian Bavitz, soon found himself on Difinitive Jux records based out of his home state of New York. In 2001, Bavitz and collaborator Blockhead released Labor Days, an album that propelled Aesop Rock’s career to the forefront of underground Hip Hop, gaining high critical marks across the board.
Following the success of Labor Days, Aesop Rock has continually reinvented his sound, releasing four albums between 2001 and 2007, all garnering high praise and considerable fanfare. Often defined as a staple of the New York Hip Hop scene, Bavitz relocated to San Francsico in 2005 settling in as an influential force amongst both west coast and east coast hip hoppers alike. From his first self release back in 1998 to his 2007 success None Shall Pass, Aesop Rock has acquired a long list of collaborators and musical influences, all securing him as one of the most influential hip hop artists the underground scene has to offer. While Aesop Rock might not currently be quite as underground as he once was, Ian Bavitz and crew continue to maintain the independant sound and innovation that makes non-mainstream hip hop so attractive.
Where you can find them in cyberspace:
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