Aesop Rock

Aesop Rock (born Ian Matthias Bavitz on 1976-05-11) is an American hip hop artist/producer. He was in the forefront of the new wave of underground acts that emerged during the late 1990s/early 2000s. He is signed to El-P's Definitive Jux label.

Aesop's style blends a varying tone and delivery with lyrics that contain intricate sequences of widely varying imagery, metaphors, puns, absurdism, and pop culture references, while including the occasional touchstones of traditional hip hop storytelling and self-promotion. As a result of this unorthodox style, Aesop has become a controversial rapper among hip hop enthusiasts.


Music

A Long Island, New York-born MC, Aesop initially recorded and released two self-financed records; Music for Earthworms (1997), featuring underground legend Percee P on two tracks, and the Appleseed EP (1999), while also working as a waiter. These two independent releases are widely sought after in the underground scene.[citation needed]

After moving...