Unless you were one of those middle school kids who listened to college radio at 1 a.m. on a Friday - you know, the program that stars a burnout DJ who chucks up the most indiscriminate east coast hip-hop that anyone can find - you probably have no clue as to who or what Aesop Rock is about.
But while TRL's Carson Daly was metaphorically dry humping the latest boy band before our own eyes, Ian Matthias Bavitz (a.k.a Aesop Rock) was chalking up some of the most scatterbrained rhymes known to man, compiling them in his 1997 debut album Music For Earthworms.
It took Aes two more albums to percolate into a genuine force in the underground hip-hop scene, where the release of Labor Days officially put him on the map alongside the likes of Atmosphere and Percee P.
Aes is known for being a dizzying lyricist who has the unique ability to tell a story and evoke a thousand different images in just one breath.
While his style may come off as confusing or off-putting to some hip-hop listeners, Aes' newest album None Shall Pass presents a different formula from his previous releases - using more complex, layered beats to feature Aes as a multi-talented musician instead of one-trade MC.
Not to say the lyrics take the backseat to the beats on this album, but there is definitely a sense that Aes was making a conscious effort to produce a crisper album musically than his previous ones - and for the most part, he succeeds.
The opening song Keep Off The Lawn"" sets the mood for the album with dark, psychedelic sampled elements put to a Gorillaz-like groove, only to be sharply contrasted by the title track ""None Shall Pass"" - a more poppy tune than Aes' fans are used to, but probably one of the brightest gems on the album.
In the midst of the two bucking openers, Aes goes political on the listener in ""Bring Back Pluto"" by equating the downgrading of Pluto from a planet to a moon to the oppression of American people by contemporary political machines - a fascinating parallel to say the least.
None Shall Pass switches gears entirely with ""Getaway Car,"" an infectious jam that includes two of New York's legendary underground acts in Cage and Breeze Brewin' (of the Juggaknots).
Next comes ""Citronella,"" which fits in perfectly at the halfway point of None Shall Pass, evening out the up-and-down tones of the album by featuring a good bluesy beat and enough old school scratching that will make you want to slip on a track suit and don a wall clock around your neck.
On paper, None Shall Pass has an impressive supporting cast of underground rappers and producers that make this album easily one of the better hip-hop productions to date - until you get to the final track entitled ""Coffee,"" featuring Mountain Goats' own John Darnielle of all people.
If your jaw has not dropped in utter disbelief yet, it will probably drop in disgust once you hear it for yourself. Aes' Xzibit-with-a-headcold voice combined with Darnielle's feminine shrill creates a medley similar to the sound of Satan doing something unspeakable to a cat. Yikes. Listeners: Stay clear of this track at all costs.
Aside from that final debacle, Aes puts together a respectable throwback to the likes of old school greats like De La Soul and Gangstarr on None Shall Pass. While today's mainstream hip-hop is all about ""booty meat"" and ""walkinitout,"" at least Aes is doing his part to keep the dying craft alive.
