hiphop-elements.com

Definitive Jux
September 18, 2001

1. Labor (4/5)
2. Daylight (5/5!!)
3. Save Yourself (3/5)
4. Flashflood (4/5)
5. No Regrets (4/5)
6. One Brick ft. Illogic (4/5)
7. The Tugboat Complex Pt.3 (4/5)
8. Coma (4/5)
9. Battery (5/5)
10. Boombox (4/5)
11. Bent Life ft. C Rayz Walz (5/5)
12. The Yes And Y'all (3/5)
13. 9-5ers Anthem (5/5)
14. Shovel (4/5)

Overall: 4/5

First things first, I'm not really an Aesop Rock fan. I find his voice to be annoying (although you get used to that) and I don't understand shit of his lyrics most of the time. However, when I heard Daylight the first time I was blown away by it, that beat is just lovely and I actually understand some stuff in the lyrics. Eventually, I downloaded the album.

The production is mainly handled by Blockhead and I though Aesop helped a bit, I might be wrong tho. Anyway, the beats are great throughout the album, there's not a single beat on it that I don't like. However, it doesn't have enough variation. As the end of the album nears, it gets boring, the production-style doesn't really switch up. That's the reason why I hardly ever listen to this album in it's full form. Production highlights are Daylight, Battery and 9-5ers Anthem.

Lyrically, this album is not your average thing. Aesop Rock uses weird metaphores most of the time, and a lot of the lyrics don't mean anything at all. The lyrical highlight of the album is definitely Daylight with lyrics like:

"Life's not a bitch, life is a beatiful 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 you're just an asshole who couldn't sweettalk the princess."

Awesome line imo.

Concluding, this album is quite nice, I guess many people regard it as a classic, but I don't think it deserves that title. It's definitely worth getting tho, even if you don't like Aesop, the production is dopeness.

garbage.

2.5, if you can stay awake long enough

I'm with Morgul on this one.

I'm not really an Aesop Rock fan, but this album is a lot better than most of his other stuff. And, yes, Daylight's a great track.

I think Float, Appleseed, and Music For Earthworms are all better, but this is the last Aesop Rock record I really like.

Good but not my fav 3.5/5

and i love that line too...

and the one below..

"I can be found in a social coma directly to your left
Engaged in a conversation, a marvel with my breath
Regarding how to document the shady baby steps
I bounce checks like a modern man
Sleep with one eye open while the other two drift
together specimens from the promise land
This for the thinkers
This for the urchins allergic to they own stingers
This for the absurd verdict linkers
This for that cat at my shows that's always got prophetic
opinions
but cant remember where his drink is..."

Head problems much?

Aes is dope.

hahahaha...that bad huh? i aint heard any of his albums...he actually doesn't annoy me but i just find that dude doesn't talk about shit. sounds weird, and weird is something i always dug in life period, but i couldn't stomach an album full of meaningless talk. does he not stay on topic, or what else makes this shit good or bad and folks' opinion?

i think he does, but you really gotta listen to it to get his twisted way of phrasing things. i find that i'm always picking up new things in his verses... i dig it cause its original, clever, and interesting (to me). to each his own tho.

I don't think it's ever nonsense really. It's just often too cryptic or twisted in how he makes his points. Sometimes I don't want to put that much effort into understanding what an emcee says.

exactly

i think this is my whole thing....it can be complex and dope lyrically, but i dont wanna have to try extremely hard to grasp shit. i actually dig ddue's voice and style, i just cant say i have listened to his songs i've heard and understood all he is saying. i'm a try him out tho for a full album

word up! some cats may be against me on this comment, but.. it hink if you like CanOx you can get into Aesop (and i mean that in a reference to the "weird/complex" lyrical styles).
for a full album i'd check Float or Labor Days... and, tho a TON of people on here will disagree, Bazooka Tooth. fuck it, i enjoyed it and i wasnt even really a "fan" of him much before that. i have several friends that were turned on to Aesop from that album [no homo].

PEACE!

Thats fucked up.

"I dont want to be challenged by intricate word patterns. If it takes too much effort to comprehend or decypher, sometimes I think it is a waste of time."

Is that what you mean Duke?

I prefer Aesop's shit like "Food Clothes Medicine". Duke rhymes in patterns that go along with the syllables in the title. Shit is just dope.

"Tongue down a plate of booze, coke, heroin/
Food, clothes, medicine."

"Full blown pistol pull/
Food, clothes, medicinal."

There is also a song on Bazooka Tooth where he raps in LSD patterns. Every word starting with L then S the D then L then S then D... etc..

"Life sucks Dickhead" "Dave Letterman Show"

OneBeLo has a song like that called SSA (Double Essay).

Anyhow, I find that there is exponentially more effort put into tracks like those than rapping about rap/dap/mack/gat/stack/whack monosyllabic rhyme sequences... which is, you guessed it, crap!

Shit! Somebody sign me man!

It is much more challenging to rhyme 6 syllables than 1, right?

Aesop does this because he wants people to think about what they are listening to, not just bob their heads to the beat. My opinion anyhow.

I didn't say I didn't like Aesop Rock, I do. I'm just saying sometimes I am not in the mood to listen to the intricate shit. Sometimes I just want to listen to M.O.P. talk about killing people or somethin'.

hahahaha
I can see how that is productive.
just messin with ya Duke.

I just can't find myself even trying to listen to Aesop.