Aesop Rock x Blockhead - Garbology ALBUM REVIEW
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- Listen: aesoprock.band...
Garbology should be a treat for fans of this pair's seminal work together.
More rap reviews: • Hip Hop Reviews
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FAV TRACKS: JAZZ HANDS, LEGERDEMAIN, DIFFICULT, OH FUDGE, MORE CYCLES, THAT IS NOT A WIZARD, THE SEA, ABANDONED MALLS
LEAST FAV TRACK: ALL THE SMARTEST PEOPLE
AESOP ROCK & BLOCKHEAD- GARBOLOGY / 2021 / RHYMESAYERS ENTERTAINMENT / ABSTRACT HIP HOP
7/10
Y'all know this is just my opinion, right?
Aesop is hands down one of the most consistent in the underground. Him and Blockhead are a top tier duo.
@APaulo who?
@@Urelasir you should listen to his last 3 albums for example. Really good stuff!
@@dzireg Will do. Does it compare to aesop?
@@Urelasir it’s a little more experimental imo but he has great flows, produces every one of his songs
@@Urelasir very experimental rap leaning more into the trap realm, one of my favs underground dudes out
I'd like to think that Anthony speaks to himself like this all the time and his camera just so happens to turn on
Lol
Absolutely cannot believe we've gotten 3 Aes records in 3 years and none of them remotely suck. They all set out to do something different and knock it outta the park. I agree that the hooks aren't his strongest suit, and I'm a little over the 'Play Dead' flow found on 'Wolf Piss' but I'm *still* being floored every record with the lyrical content. I mean "My snail trail exhibit infinity wrong turns" off of 'Oh Fudge' to describe how unkempt he is? fuckin genius for real
Dude's never getting a 10 but you can be assured dude's getting at least a 7. Crazy
@@Solaire_of_Astora13 I give him 10s.
Def an underrated comment. I've come to expect this level of consistency & ability to cover new ground musically, but I bet it takes so much effort to pull off the way Aesop does it.
I don't understand why he has been so harsh on Sop lately. Dude been rapping since the 90's so I can't say I've heard all of his work, but these last two projects feel like two of his best. Especially Spirit Guide. It was a masterpiece. I don't see why Fantano keeps slapping him with 7's
@@durpshady7751 i mean i feel like the main thing holding him back is his hooks
Fantano is handing out 7/10s like a history teacher handing out mini-constitutions
He’s been also handing out a lot of 8’s too tbh
What are mini constitutions?
@@theirishpotato6588 books containing the United States constitution that are small enough to fit in your pocket and carry around.
fantano is playing himself harder than dj kaled
He gave this a 7? Weak af
It’s a 10 from me. Only weak link is Homeboy Sandman’s verse. Rob Sonic on the hook to Flamingo Pink has got me praying to the universe for a third Hail Mary Mallon drop. A year on and I’m still not over how amazing Spirit World Field Guide is... Aes is such an otherworldly talent, I’m just grateful to exist concurrently and get to listen to him.
Did you hear Aes' guest verse on Rob's latest album? At the moment it's the closest thing we have to a new HMM track, although I have to assume there will be another album someday.
sand man killed that verse bro.....sandman is super duper dope IMO check out their lice collabs
sandmans verse was sick
The more I listen to HS's verse the more I like it, honestly
I will never be over Spirit World FG. None Shall Pass still my favourite tho
aesop has the most consistent discography in hiphop, and this album is a fantastic addition to that.
i could also see arguments for outkast and a tribe called quest, i just prefer aes. dude just hits different.
At this point I think hes more consistent than Outkast was
I think DOOM was as consistent.
De La Soul have always been consistently great, too. Also, on an underground tip, both Blackalicious and People Under the Stairs never delivered a dud album. (Oh damn.. just realised neither of them ever will, now. RIP Gift of Gab and Double K :( )
@@Adam-vg5yz Nothing he put out at the end was bad, it just wasn't a contender for best rap album ever made like MM FOOD or Madvillainy.
@@rakanuaki1812 eminem has way too many lows, last 4 albums have been mediocre at best and straight up garbage at worst.
Aesop Rock is one of the greatest of all time. Too bad he will never get his flowers...
"I've been ignored longer than you've been interested"
He doesn't want those flowers
Yeah them flowers smell like poopoo
The posse promise you nobody feels threatened by a scarecrow covered in crows who feel welcome
@yolk batter Come duck a bounty, it's a hoot Suffolk County it's a zoo puppy chow and bitches brew, it's not exactly chicken soup.
It's heavy-lifters lifting, it's ginseng on his whistling. It's we don't find the flippancy convincing, 2 for flinching.
Aesop is more like a top 50 or 100.
calling this release 'aesop block' was a missed opportunity
no offence but when has aesop rock ever been that lazy with words? aesop rock and no brainer are two things that dont really link together
@@anonymousg7627 find them
@@anonymousg7627 hahahaahah dont try and pretend his scant amount of stupid lazy wordplay counteracts how verbose he usually is, GUY.
@@anonymousg7627 he's at the very least more conceptual than naming a release with him and blockhead "aesop block". bring up his receipts if you want though nerd
@@anonymousg7627 what are you talking about? im talking about the album title. you genuinely think you're talking down to me but you're just making yourself look stupid with nothing to back yourself up
Aesop has never released a bad album. Like it’s impossible for this guy to miss just once
You might even call him… the impossible kid
True
Bazooka tooth was ass but the rest of his albums are pretty good
@@finbar5421 Bazooka Tooth is overhated as fuck within his community, I don't know what it's about
@@finbar5421 I use to feel similarly, but I have been enjoying it more lately
Aesop is a legend, I love his fables. The Ants and the Grasshopper is a personal favourite and the Tortoise and the Hare is a classic that is beloved by all.
What is wrong with you?
@@bennyjames7806 you made this comment gold
are 6 years old?
@@bennyjames7806 wha
beautiful comment
I love Aesop rock...I listened to one of his tracks "gopher guts" back in the day and fell in love with him...I didn't understand the lyrics though, but I went with the flow. He will always have a loyal fan from Ghana
I think the hardest thing is being an Aes fan, sending an Aes song to anyone and they don't get it.
Huge bummer
@@birdinacan his lyrics are so complicated. 😅Those who understand every word he spits out are definitely masters of literature and English in general😁
Ace and Block remain the definitive NYC rapper/producer duo in my eyes. They've been making magic together for nearly 30 straight.
in my eyes, jazz hands went from being the decent single with the late drum drop to my favorite song on the album. crazy. aged like fine wine.
Damn, I was expecting a 7 but I have to completely disagree about All The Smartest People, Flamingo Pink and Fizz - those are probably my three favourites on the album.
Tbf he did say he liked Flamingo Pink, he just didn't like that bar in particular which is a fair criticism. It is a pretty basic bar compared to everything else he puts out.
All the smartest people is amazing, clever and super funny.
"You okay, dude?"
"Yeah, you okay?"
"Yeah."
"Good."
...
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Good."
"Aight."
I’d give this an 8 or 9. Just a wonderful listen. So goddamn good.
So good goddamn
Im really shocked that people dont love Sand man on this record. The beat for his track is perfect for a Sandman feature and its probably my fav verse ive heard from him.
I felt the same way about Jazz Hands. Aesop is my favorite rapper out there, and I didnt really care for it as a single but knew it would work much better in the context of an album. Happy I was right :)
Honestly, one of my favs from Aesop Rock is his little feature on Evil Nine’s debut album “You Can Be Special Too.”The song is called Crooked, and it’s well worth the listen. I haven’t listened to much of his music though, so there’s a possibility there’s better out there
his own music is definitely worth it if youre alreadt into that kind of underground rap. his early stuff especially like ‘Labor Days’
@@LordLucario99 Will give it a listen
I just looked it up and I love it. Thank you for this.
@@ndenhalter No worries, Evil Nine’s percussion and mastering goes super well with Aesop’s flow. The lyrics themselves sound a bit goofy as well. Like the lyrics are so weird, yet they flow so well at the same time
@@stormi2534 yeah it feels like an early gorillaz deep cut or something. Maybe deltron 3030, I dunno. I love it!
“Aesop rock, forever mistaken for asap rocky” -Twitter arguer
Aesop rock? More like, ASSop rock-bottom. Asap rocky the GOAT fr fr 🙏🔥🔥
@@certainpeople159 "ratio + L + YoungBoy better + K Pop gif"
@@certainpeople159 Not everyone is seasoned well enough to be a comedian.
Aesop rock-never a bad album
True
The worst was music for earthworms or whatever and appleseed
If Malibu Ken was an 8, this was at least a 9. To me this is the best record he's put out since Labor Days. This is my favorite rapper, and I didn't really see eye to eye with you on this one, but a 7 is a fair and good score.
No kidding, this album is insane. Normally Aesop’s music takes a while to grow on me, I liked everything on garbology day 1.
Agreed
@@michaelhughes7809 metoo, I’ve never been a huge fan but I would listen to his albums once they came out and appreciated his lyricism (personally think hes greatest lyricist ever despite not liking his style), but this is the first time I’ve really enjoyed it on the first listen
Although I wouldnt say this is his best project since Labor Days, I certainly would say its on par with his better projects (i.e. Impossible Kid, Bazooka Tooth, None Shall Pass, Labor Days, Float.). Although, I would definitely agree with the sentiment, if Malibu Ken is an 8 then this has to be a 9.
You’re so right. Garbology tops Malibu Ken easily.
I've been waiting for A$AP ROCKY to drop another album. So excited for this one!
not the same person
r/whoosh
@@joshnorton2742 oh no
Kind of like an easy and played out "joke" there Ryan.
@@joshnorton2742 L
I could imagine MF DOOM just tearing Oh Fudge to shreds while Aesop arsons the remains.
RIP DOOM.
I remember hearing some Aesop Rock songs on old Tony Hawk games. I always thought he was black. When I googled his name and realised he was white I had to check if I typed out the right name. Not that it matters. One of the most consistently good rappers out there.
It’s kinda funny that you mention this. I thought the same of EL-P when I heard him for the first time on Deep Space 9mm, until I saw the music video.
Same thing happened to me with videogamedunkey, so glad Tony Hawk introduced me to him.
Labor on THPS was the first time I heard him. Loved ever since.
“Love note to the whole fuckshow” is an incredible first line
We need an Aesop Rock interview!
abandoned malls has by far pushed it’s way into my top songs of all time. aes never misses, garbology was so damn good
I love this album from beginning to end. i would rate this project a strong 10/10 because Aesop Rock and Blockhead mesh well together perfectly.
This felt like a victory lap after the expedition that was the Spirit World Field Guide.
Easily my favorite project aesop has dropped in a while. Seems like a no brianer to do a whole collab record with Blockhead!
definitely my favorite since the impossible kid
Malibu Ken is my wet dream so it doesn’t beat it but this is fire
@@exyerbamate love Tobacco/BMSR too, but I think in terms of flow and wordplay Aesop is on another level here.
@@exyerbamate I'm salivating for Malibu Ken 2
I mean, personally, my favorite Aes records are Labor Days and Float, because Blockhead really knows how to compliment Aes' style. This was truly exciting to see them collab on a full project again. Would love to see more. 😁
This record is great, and just shows the consistency of Aes, which I think is one of his greatest talents, along with his vocab.
Been listening to this on repeat since it came out. The beats are so densely layered I keep catching new details I didnt hear before.
Aesop isn’t like the other boys, he’s a grown man
Aesop Rock is like one punch man, he doesn’t realize how powerful he is.
Melon Gaming
This is an AOTY contender for me. I got into hip-hop through Aesop Rock (Labor Days) and Blockhead (Music By Cavelight) so this is a dream.
One of these days you’re gonna give Aes a 10 Mr. Wamtano. And it’ll be a real Decaprio type moment. Calling it now. Not his best work, but the man deserves it xD good vid
Don't miss the fact that More Cycles is a successor to Cycles to Gehenna, off Skelethon. It's almost Daylight/Nighlight, but not transposed as strictly.
Aesop is a king. That said I think his discography is PACKED with albums that have a ton of superb songs interspersed with far more challenging and (sometimes) inaccessible tracks. The Impossible Kid feels like the easiest to enjoy front to back and is honestly probably my favorite. Garbology seems like another one that will have some insanely durable and important tracks (they're so dense, need time to unpack) but it's not a record I want to put on and listen to front to back. Now, where'd I put my Impossible Kid LP...
Aesop is my favorite artist, but that “you laughing because I’m different, I’m laughing because you’re the same” line sounds ripped straight from Original by Unkle Adams
It's a reference about that time period that you don't understand. It's tongue deep in cheek.
@@DadaPoopoo yeah someone else either here or in another comment section explained it to me
i think i liked this one a hair more than Spirit World Field Guide (Though i think SWFG tended to have better hooks). All in all, Aesop has been killing it the past few years
I’m thinking the same. Garbology is definitely getting more spins out of me than SWFG.
So happy to have this.
Unreal how Aesop keeps it interesting for decades now, even just the past few years he has put out fascinating records again and again.
Honestly Melon, this is the most poignant and objectively agreeable review you have ever committed to film.
All the Smartest People is no way the worst track period.
“Strawberry Suicide” by Matt Easton
Aes and Blockhead are such a great duo, especially on Float and Labor Days. I just recently got the 20 year anniversary Labor Days vinyl and I definitely don't regret it
From my pfp, I'm sure you can tell, I think he scored this too low. He just doesn't miss man.
this unfortunately breaks Aesop's streak of scoring 8/10 on his last few albums for like... at least 5 years on your channel I think?
In hindsight, some of those deserved more than an 8/10.
Nope. He gave spirits guide a 7 too.
The melon finally did it. He compared an album's chemistry to flies and rotting garbage as a compliment! Let's go! KEKW
I kinda wish you talked about Fizz more, honestly, the hook is a little iffy but the flow with the percussion especially in the first verse is super solid
I hope you do a full length review of this new Jedi Mind Tricks album that drops tonight. It's their tenth album and their 25th year as a musical act. We need Melon to add to the celebration
Aesop Rock is the FKing man. Not often agree with Fantano, but the guy's discography is arguably one of the most interesting and versatile in Hip Hop. His diction, his vocabulary and his styl;e is just unique. Not for everyone, but he is fantastic lyrical craftsman and artist..
Aesop sucks compared to em.
Eminem is the man
Eminem is the man not Aesop. Aesop is overrated.
@@rakanuaki1812 Oh look who it is, it's the Korean Stan!😂
Garbology was not a miss by any means, but after Malibu Ken I was hopeful that there'd be a wider thematic palette from Aes than what was served, you know what I mean. There's plenty of the lyrical color you would expect, but I'd be lost moving from track to track were it not for Blockhead keeping things so distinct
Yeah, Aes has been so consistently amazing with None Shall Pass, The Impossible Kid, Malibu Ken, and Spirit World Field Guide, that I ended up being kinda disappointed with this one, even though it's still good.
He is undoubtedly the greatest rapper in terms of pure lyricism alive. Lupe Fiasco has an hour long video actually breaking down why aes is the best. It's so goddamn cool
HAHAHAHAHA no.
That's Eminem your referring to.
Aesop sucks compared to em. He isn't bad but just not near em.
@@rakanuaki1812 It's very rare that someone has such a bad take. I'm impressed.
Guess what? Lyricism isn't only about the amount of words you can rhyme with the word 'orange'. Go read a book.
@@yungossan379 I've never seen anyone other than Peter coderch who thinks aesop is the man. This is the right take. Eminem is the best. Lyricism is about that and the wit. Eminem has a lot more wit than Aesop. More than
"My snail trail exhibit infinity"
That could be an awesome bar if that had something to tie with. Eminem would tie it well via a double ontondra. So how about you listen to more rap.
@@rakanuaki1812 I've listened to ems entire discography. And aesops. There are entire communities of people who agree with me. Not that it matters. Em simply doesn't have the lyrical depth. Nor the content. His strength lies in literally rhyming. Which is great and all. But it lacks the complexity that aesops does. It isnt even close.
@@yungossan379 EMS LYRICS ARE BETTER THAN ANYONE AND EVERYONE. HAVE SOME SENSE. Well once you get older you'd respect eminem much more than realize that aesop isn't nearly as good and overrated. Don't compare content. Em doesn't have much to talk about. Content isn't what makes you good. How you ecccute it is what matters and em does it much better.
this is easily on my top 5 albums of the year
Just listened to it. Great beats and great flows but it's hard to like this album over his previous projects. This might sounds weird, but it's like Aesop is TOO consistently good. The reason I see Malibu Ken as his best is because of it's different sounds i.e. the synths a la TOBACCO
I kind of felt the same. It's still one of my favourites of the year but I won't replay it as much as Malibu Ken cause that was so refreshing.
Malibu Ken took a few plays to really hook me. I think what made me like it was that it had a familiar feeling that I can only explain as seeming like a more expirimental version of Blockhead production. Absolutely love both albums though
"Oh fudge..
My new form wasn't in the folklore.
The new norm wasn't in the brochure.
There's no known cure.
Nothing more to figure out, just sit around and grow horns.
Germs on germs on germs, slide through, cry you a river of soft serve.
My snail trail exhibit infinity wrong turns.
My gelatin, forever in line for hor d'oeuvres.
Coat full of crab toast, foam at the whistle, future of a puddle with a phone in the middle.."
The GOAT.
thank you. I asked you to do a review on this a couple days ago and you got it done pretty fast.and you gave it a review I can agree with. awesome good looking out bro!
I'm not deep into underground hip-hop, but I live and breathe for every Aes release
Very good review, personally it ranks a bit higher for me but the points brought up are all fair and valid.
I’m in the minority here but I think Fizz is my favorite track on the record. Aesop’s hooks aren’t exactly groundbreaking but the verses between are just great. “Miffed, stabbed and flat dissed / Add a little music and the dagger do the twist” has his signature style of painting a picture both cartoonish and morbid at the same time, while “Get accustomed to the irritated easily / I cannot be trusted if motherfuckers is tweedle dee” might be my favorite line on the whole record. Otherwise, I agree with your breakdown and I think a 7/10 is fair. Cheers!
Anthony should join IGN with how many 7s he's been giving these albums.
I wasn't expecting a review of this from you; but I'm so appreciative for doing so!!!
Can't believe Melon called the album garbage and gave it a 2/10 merely because of its title.
Fantanto just phccn gets it man. "Like picking up where we left off and old friends catching up, artistically " I'm all Feely now thanks ant
Impossible Kid is his best record hands down. I will fight anyone.
I’ll fight you for the Skelethon title.
Its not up there with Impossible Kid imo, and definitely feels less out there than Spirit World Field Guide. That being said it is good albumn with a lot of call backs (at least production wise) to Aesop's earlier work, but in general feels a lot tighter than a lot of the albums from back in the day. Big fan of the album, but Impossible Kid is still number 1 in my book
Skelethon and TIK have been his only albums that were immediate favorites for me, the rest have been great, but tend to grow on me. This one came pretty close to TIK for me, but it's still second at best.
Not to say it isn't fantastic, because nearly everything he makes is gold.
watch out, cool cats is going to steal ya sister
honesty this project was a strong nine to a light ten to me. unreal record
Abandoned Malls is haunting, great album.
The beat in the beginning of Oh Fudge reminded me of Aesop Rocks album Float.
Aesop can do no wrong ! I want another hail Hail Mary Mallon album! Rob Sonics new shit is also really gooood!
Hell yea robs so good
Pretty sure at this point Aes could rap over almost anything and make it worthwhile. There are very few dudes out there who can even come close to matching his skill.
This man is 45 and still heads above 97 percent of the rap game
97 more like 77.
@@rakanuaki1812 wrong
@@theretrosavage No I'm right
@@rakanuaki1812 still wrong
@@theretrosavage Aesop is overrated and sucks compared to Eminem. Don't get me wrong he is a highly talented rapper but as being the best NO.
So glad you reviewed this!👍
Deserves at least an 8!! insane production
It's "the revolution will NOT have jazz hands" lol (around 2:40)
Great review as always but i think you overlook the lyrical content of this album. To me, this is Aesop Rock's ideology distilled into it's purest form to date. In a lot of ways, in terms of subject matter and gravitas it feels like his finest work, like a marriage of the inviting personal introspection of Impossible Kid and the....I guess the more gritty and psychedelic personal introspection of SWFG. It feels like there's more clarity here bridging the two attitudes from those albums, combined with the social critiques and Fear and Loathing that permeates his writing but that has a more tangible than ever delivery here.
I'd say it's easily in the top 3 Aesop Rock albums, if not the tip top.
Blockhead's tracks are great. Of course it doesn't sound like Labor Days, these dudes have grown a lot since then, so has everything. The tracks feel very inviting to me, somewhat sanitized (this is my only real critique with a lot of Aesop songs), but funky and densely textured in a way that this album feels like candied salmon to my ears whereas SWFG was like a hearty granola
I’d love for you to go over KAANs album Sunset Crest Dr. He is super underrated and produced this album and it’s his fourth album this year. Definitely a hidden gem and fusion of new and older rap.
man this Aesop rocks :)
I felt like this album spoke alot about that thing that made you choose the word desperate
Anthony, you can't keep giving 7 just because you feel like music is kinda good
You should probably review CA7RIEL's "EL DISKO" or Kimbra's "The Golden Echo". Jusayiiiinn.
I'd love a CA7RIEL review
Malibu Ken was the most unique sound Aes has ever had.
Every new Aesop Rock album is his best album. Garbology is fucking amazing. Lyrically, Aes is at the top of his game, and his best hooks to date (arguably the thing most lacking on an Aes joint).
"Owl on my shoulder initials on the katana". Legerdemain is dope af and yeah you can hear Billy Woods saying "Came back different" in the chorus lol
Because they've collaborated so frequently, they need a name for their projects.
I think you missed on this one. I wasn't too sure on the first listen; it was so different from the last two projects, but since then, every listen has gotten better and better. I think if you listen 20 more times and review again it will have a higher rating.
I heard the flow on Wolf Piss described as the "play dead flow." This description captures it nicely, and I agree with the comments I've read that that flow has got to go. He's overusing it and derivatives of it. And it doesn't sound good.
I honestly just don’t think this guys gets Aesop. Seems like much of the lyrics or the motifs of his songs or albums as a whole go over his head.
Nice Rumours album in the background. One of my favorites.
the year of 7’s.
More Cycles contains ideas aes has explored before because it's the direct sequel to Cycles to Gehenna, right? Lyrically and sonically
They go together like flies and bowls of acai
i feel like "The Sea" deserved more praise than it received here, same with "All The Smartest People."
I thought this was an ASAP rocky rebranding
You’re working on the new Corbin album I presume? Let’s get it poppin Fanthony Mantano
Impossible kid will never be topped, i believe that was his peak and most complete project
Really enjoyed this album. Anthony have you listened to R.a.p fierras new project? I know you as well as me enjoyed purple moonlight pages.
Anthony, look, I'm a fan of yours. I like you. But I'm not joking when I say I've listened to All The Smartest People every day for a few weeks now, and it's a top notch Aes track. There are some gems of lyrics in that song.
snail mail