Aesop Rock- Skelethon ALBUM REVIEW
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- Listen: theneedledrop.c...
Aesop Rock's latest album shows him on top of his lyrical game, and taking on production duties as well.
What did you think of this album? Love it? Hate it? Why? What should I review next, eh?
FAV TRACKS: ZERO DARK THIRTY, ZZZ TOP, RUBY '81, GOPHER GUTS, GRACE, TETRA
LEAST FAV TRACK: RACING STRIPES
AESOP ROCK- SKELETHON / 2012 / RHYMESAYERS / EXPERIMENTAL HIP HOP, ABSTRACT HIP HOP, WEIRDO RAP THAT'S REALLY STRANGE, HOLY WOW CRAZY LYRICS
7/10
Y'all know this is just my opinion, right?
Aesop rock is an acquired taste.
But it's amazing
he is. His new album is great as well
Couldnt have said it better
A 7/10
But with a Red Flannel?
20efults amen bother
Also his least favorite song was racing stripes which is a really funny story about Camu Tao
you re new i can smell it
This was before he started doing the flannel thing. Surprised no one else point this out
happened with Number 1 Angel too
His lyrics are very dense, but when you finally understand them (after several listens) they are really relate able and very human.
postmodernism is bullshit. Whether humans are good or bad is subjective and dependent on life experience and ideology. But the skill level of Aesop Rock,,, purely objectively dope!
@@morganyu5599 I think most people are more complex than that and can think humanity is beautiful or sacks of shit, depending on the day.
The only reason fantano doesn't like racing stripes is cause it reminding him of his fucked up hair line
Racing Stripes may look really silly, but when you know the story behind it, it's actually kind of a beautiful song. It's about his deceased friend Camu Tao who would cut his hair in absurd ways to force himself not leave his house, so he would make more beats and pay his rent.
That story both mega helps and mega hurts. RIP CAMU
a story of growing up told through haircuts.
You keep calling him "asap" rather than "aesop" and its grinding my gears.
omfg same
Pronounced “why us”
Every time you say "asap", I die a little on the inside.
You got that right, brotha!
Doesn't it just drive you nuts when you speak to mainstream music fans (almost everybody) and they think you're saying A$ap Rocky's name incorrectly when talking about the champ, Aesop Rock?
jrcartwright21390 no, because it's not a big deal at all
Strong 7? Light 8? Ugh..10/10 to me. Best work he's done.
How do you like the new album?
+Hunter Marsh really good...has a lot of self reflection..I am still digesting the words, but I like how he knocked himself down a few pegs while maintaining his style
You know this comment would be fine if you didn’t do that pretentious ugh.
I honestly understand why you said that 5 years ago lmaoo. But still, NSP, TIK >
@@abdoonyt9049 it was a shit take, but it's his take so it's ok...i still enjoy his reviews, he was just dead wrong about this..it's like one of the best albums of my lifetime
Honestly, as far as rap albums go this was a 9/10
"As far as rap albums go" tf is that supposed to mean?
@@joedorben3504 most shit these days are half-assed so he's saying Skelethon compared to let's say Harvard Dropout is a 9/10
DILLWAX listen to more rap albums
Yeah, I honestly would give it a 9/10 as well. The only Aesop albums that I believe are 10/10 are Labor Days and The Impossible Kid, those two have no weak tracks and are flawless as hell.
As far as albums go, this is a 10/10. This is stellar, sonically and lyrically.
I disagree. This is a 9. This is one of the most dark, spooky, and genuinely unsettling albums I’ve ever heard. And Aesop’s rhymes just go through these tracks so well. Not an easy listen, but a very worthwhile one
I came here just to hear what he thought about gopher guts. Never mentions gopher guts...
every time he says asap i cringe a little
Greasy Grimy Gopher Guts
Danson Rose Maybe the best song in the album
@Just a human being Mold on his moonpie
pool side
Melon talked so much slower back then
"Racing Stripes" is actually about his late best friend, Camu Tao, who always had an eccentric haircut.
+Gabe Miniaci To expand further, Camu would get a wacky haircut when he was having issues i.e being late on the rent or whatnot so that he would be motivated to get it done so he could get rid of the fucked hair
Dude that track was funky as fuck
I told em: “You will grow to be something tenacious and exalted. You are mighty, you are gracious, you are lauded”. Then I let em go.
Oh…
Do a review of his new album, The Impossible Kid, please!
Or dont
ruby anahi Done
i slipped it in sly like. you like that?
Who
Who
Who
I use rapgenius a lot when I listen to his tracks. It's more fun to figure it out yourself though
Artur Strekalov Hi! I wanted to ask this to somebody that this to a rap genius user, is there a way I can organize the tracks they are in the same order as the album? Would appreciate a response, thx.
+Marcos Encarnação I'm pretty sure you have to be an editor.
I figured it out, but thanks, it shows albums in the artists page and I felt rly dumb xD
Totally loved this album. New Hail Mary Mallon album is exceptional as well. Rhymesayers for life!
I liked it too. His first 2 albums are just amazing!
Aesop fan of quite sometime. He´s just pure genius.
+Maddie Brill he definitely is!!
I'll backpack Aes till the day I die. Aesop Rock and Rhymesayers forever.
This shit is at least a 9/10 for me. Production is fantastic, I love Crows 1 so much.
A 7 but red flannel?
If hip hop was solely based off of colloquialisms Aes would be the greatest ever without debate haha.. He's my favorite writer ever
The Gopher guts song has the best of all you need in just one song. Which makes the album great.
I STILL listen to this album! A lot of fav tracks on this one. Ruby 81, Gopher Guts, zzz top, zero dark thirty, Race Lines, Crows 1. I may as well include all the others.
Leisureforce and Gopher Guts are two of the best songs on the album. How can you not talk about them and their powerful lyrics? And Racing Stripes has to be about aesop handling all the production himself. It's as if he's trying to teach us all how to cut up our own samples. Take it simply and then move onto the difficult parts.
I specifically watched this to hear his thoughts about Gopher Guts, one of my favorite Aesop Rock songs, and swore I must've missed it, but nope.
@@SergioGarcia-bb8mrThere’s just no impressing him
id say this album is a solid 8/10...my favorite is deffinitely none shall pass though having a high 9/10
This trio of albums skelethon, impossible kid and spirit world field guide are his best work imo.
the haircut track (racing stripes) was about camu tao who was a label mate who died a few years ago. fyi.
Yup, AF totally dropped the ball on that one.
Love this album. It felt so cohesive and it was fun to listen to. 9/10 for me.
I've been listening to Aesop and company for many years. This was a great review for a great album... Album is basically about his early life and growing up and his coming of age his art, etc.
Racing Stripes is an ode to Camu Tao...
His instrumentals are different because Blockhead isn't doing as much production as he once did.
All in all, great album. 8.5 out of 10
can you do an eyedea and abilities album
+Steven Ferrell Yes cmon man. Try.
+Steven Ferrell even shadows have shadows,
I hope he'll do it for retro reviews week. It's at least on the border of becoming retro (I can't belive that First Born, and The Many Faces of over Hart are over 15 years old.)
Fryer starter is an allegory for having a religious/ spiritual experience. listen harder.
This album was the shit. I love Aesop Rock. It's kind of his lyrical style to take something super simple and make it epic.
I think the whole pleasure when listening to Aesop is that at first you don't really understand what he is saying, but that entices you to listen to him over and over again, and you then really appreciate how wordy and lyrical he is... he can tell a story off of any subject manner.
i do cringe a tad every time you call him "asap" tho lol
Yeah, I'd second a motion to Eyedea & Abilities' "First Born" Very stellar album. Rest in peace to one of the greats. Wish I could have gotten a chance to see you perform.
review his new album!!!!! The impossible kid!
It’s weird seeing older videos where he’s wearing the red flannel and not giving a bad review
amazing record. I get more into it every time I listen to it.
dude racing stripes is my go to track. such dope wordplay and story behind both verses
I did and still do and I say it's badass. Ruby 81 packs more imagery and story line into one minute than it takes most rappers to do in a 3 to 4 minute song.
Give it a 10. Dumb rappers need to be phased out of the mainstream. Jet fuel can't melt steel beams
I loved the album and you kind of hit the nail on the head, although I'd have given it a strong 8. To me, ZZZ Top was a masterpiece. He stitched together the lives and mindset of 3 rebellious children, all with different musical taste, and really just captured teenage mentality and angst so greatly. Cycles to Gehenna also got my attention with its eerie guitar screeches and just all around personification of his motorcycle and the lifestyle as some beast of the night. I really loved this album.
That flannel on this album struck fear into my soul
lmao same
Evey time I see the red shirt on his old reviews, I get a quick blood spike before I check the description...
It's odd to me how it seems how he didn't favor Cycles of Gehenna and Racing Stripes, even though those are arguably the only tracks to directly reference Camu Tao. Camu Tao was pretty important in the forming of not only this album but El-P's cancer for a cure. Other than that is was a really nice review, as expected from Mr. Fantano.
strong 8 low 9 at least.
Could you please review his other albums? I really need your opinion for some reason...
I go a 10. Aesop Rock albums never dissappoint me, and I like the sludgy/gritty production- the music matches his voice.
I think this is an album that Anthony will grow to love more and more as he listens to it. I personally find it to be his best work yet. Getting my arm signed by him today at a meet and greet then going to his show later in the evening. So stoked.
I honestly, loved the album, but being a huge fan I guess i'm a bit biased? I'd say that all of the beats were interesting and varied. Aesop managed to maintain good flow over them also. The lyrics are obviously as good as ever, the topics are varied from trivial things to some deeper topics and are written amazingly. Zero Dark Thirty is my favourite on the album, the hook is great and I just love the beat, the lyrics and everything else about it. I'd give a low 9/10.
Zero Dark Thirty is indeed amazing. In my opinion, this is his second-best album (after Labor Days) and deserving of a high 9 or 10.
I loved this album. I'd even go as far to say that it's his best album so far and it really serves as a good milestone of his progression as an artist. even the recitation and articulation of his words seem to be more solid. it's interesting to listen back to an older album like labor days and realize how noticeable his new york accent was
This confused me so bad because i clicked on this expecting a bad review because of the red flannel but it was a 7
early fantano days
Good ol times
Yeah same and I was really confused cuz he really kijes ae$op rocky
Odd ending metaphor there, considering Aesop has done work for Nike before (A special instrumental track to go with a new set of running shoes).
I love the darker subject matter in some of his songs, but he can still pull me in with the sound of doom emanating from the track even when the topic of the song can be so seemingly innocent. I would like to see Aesop Rock go into the more politically charged stuff, but that's because there are so many issues and events that I know he could turn into something beyond theatrical and entertaining yet thought provoking.
I think you should review the new Uncluded album. I agree with your comments about Aesop being a difficult listen sometimes. I think that the presence of Kimya on the Uncluded album makes the density of Aesop's lyrics more interpretable, in the sense that her verses and choruses are very simple (almost chilidish) and give one a handle on the inspiration behind the song, making it faster to decipher Aesop's verses.
Honestly, I feel like this is one of the best albums I've heard considering variety in instrumental, subjects, and I don't feel there's anything close to a bad track on this. I've used this album to introduce Aesop Rock to several people, and never got a bad response.
Man, I loved this album. One of the top albums of 2012 for me. Aesop has always been my favorite rapper. I'd give it a strong 8. But that's just a fanboy talking. I did miss Blockhead's production, but Aesop did the job well.
On what you said about the track fryerstarter saying "does this guy really think this much into stuff " yes. You can tell from previous lyrics. Especially on the hidden track from the daylight ep where he talks about his depression and plunge into insanity. Although on the track he talks about how friendship helped him through it. You can tell from gopher guts he's still crazy as ever. But I love it
very in depth and thoughtful. I'm glad you enjoyed the album. It is one of my favorites right now.
My interpretation of 'Homemade Mummy' is really more of a mantra than a shocker. The real center of the song is chorus "Take the brain out, Leave the heart in", (which, as someone who overthinks everything, I find liberating & invigorating). All the verses about dissecting a dead cat and dagwood sandwiches just exist to support & frame that simple message in one way or another.
I have so much love for Aesop Rock, Atmosphere, Eyedea and Abilities, and last but not least, my man, SAGE FRANCIS!
aesop is one of the few artists who gets better as he produces. labor days and everything before was good. none shall pass was great. skelethon is really great. the next album will be fucking amazing.
Ey you were right about that
Honestly wasn't expecting to like this as much as his earlier work... BUT, I think this might be my new favorite Aesop album. Genuinely surprised.
good job with your review. I agree that skelethon isn't AesOPs best to date but show me one MC that hasn't lost touch at least a little since blowing up. Ace Rock is a living legend. I have never heard anything like his music and I deeply appreciate his contribution.
I loved this album. One of my favourites right behind Food, Clothes Medicine and Bazooke Tooth
Thanks for finally reviewing this. Can't say I disagree about any particular point; though your reasoning for being put off by his later albums was a bit of a curveball for me. We share a lesser a appreciation for his later works, but largely due to subject matter - his voice sounds the same to me, but his rapping is more baritone due to stretching his vocals more and staying more on beat, imo. In any case, I find his subject matter a bit too particular since Bazooka Tooth, which undermines him.
I really like this album. Crows 1 is fucking deep
Caught a couple of "Asap" drops, smiled to myself.
Fair review, though i disagree about the rasp factor. I think it's given his past two albums more cohesion as a story teller, much akin to a lead character who never changes his personality, but is constantly in the different context of different situations.
i give it a 9.5. soley cuz of the way he rhymes. his lyrics culd be interpretated in so many diff ways that its not entirely clear the point being made alot of the time with him. but other then that this album was flawless. amazing production that sets the mood for each track. i love the ideas behind each track. very deep, intriguing and complicated. love it tho. in my top 3 albums of the year.
Dudeee i love racing stripes
The Impossible Kid...
I loved this album, thought it was far better than None Shall Pass (didn't think NSP had too many memorable tracks), I thought the variety in the beat-making was it's highest mark. Homemade Mummy annoys me though, I agree with the bit about the hooks lacking. Favorite track has to be Grace, such a different energy with the lyrics and the beat that you don't find that often in raps nowadays. Also loved Zero Dark Thirty, Ruby '81 and ZZZ Top.
Anthony, I agree with you that when discussing hiphop the lyrical content is very important, but on your hiphop reviews you often focus on lyrics to such a degree that you end up excluding any serious look at production. While I love Aesop's unique lyrical style, what blew me away about None Shall Pass when it first hit the shelves was the production. I have yet to hear Skelethon, but you give little indication of what to expect production-wise...
Fantastic intro Anthony, my favorite one yet.
Thank you for reviewing this. I've been a fan of this guy for a while and I can't really give an unbiased opinion. I liked the, as you said, eerie feel to it. Like the first track, Leisureforce. Though it does sound eerie, since it starts with a slow, creeping guitar sample, it has some sort of smooth and chill synth to it in the background.
I agree. I feel like some people try to act like they know what he's talking about. He has lines that make sense, but those among a bunch that are very cryptic.
Aesop is my favorite rapper and I loved this album. Not my favorite but I'm more than satisfied with what he put together, especially with the songs ZZZ Top, Zero Dark Thirty, and Cycles to Gehenna. Great review!
I would give it a strong 8. I was truly worried I wasn't going to like this album, and was ready to be disappointed. I used to love Aesop back in the day, but haven't listened a lot to him in the last two years (excluding HMM). Its a good album, and some of his odder tracks are my favorite (Grace, Ruby 81, Fryerstarter). Leisureforce and Gopher Guts are good too especially if you liked the 1 of 4 song from the Daylight E.P. If you read this, you're crazy, and thanks for indulging me.
I really loved this album but you're right about the production and your deja vu analogy is spot on. Nicely done, Mr. Fontana.
LOVED the album, a 9. Tetra, frystarter, Zero Dark 30 was amazing. I did not enjoy the Crows combo very much, but the rest of the album was amazing. Yes, he is a misanthropical person, but so was Bukowski. They do the same things. LOVE em both. Love your reviews.
Fair score. I personally would give it an 8 and I am a huge Aesop Rock fan (my favourite MC bar none). Surprised you didn't mention Labor Days which is his clear best release, but we can't have it all.
Hello from the future!
I’ve loved Aesop’s stuff for years but somehow missed this one when it came out - I just discoverer Skelethon a few months ago and it’s a solid favorite.
Ruby ‘81 gets me evry tiem
Fryerstarter is one of my favorite tracks ever. I love art that digs into and makes fascinating what would otherwise be mundane. It has one of the best spooky beats ever, and at first listen it sounds like it’s about some illicit dark ritual. Kind of... it’s a song revolving around donuts *so good* they’ll make you loose your religion.
Racing Stripes is about Aesop’s late friend Camu Tao - and given how dark the rest of the album and Aesop’s work is in general, it’s kind of wild how jovial this one sounds - especially since (I’m pretty sure) the lyric “...cause one day his didn’t grow back” refers to Camu’s death in 2008.
I'd only really listened to Impossible Kid and Bestiary, currently listening through Skelethon on repeat, going backwards from Impossible Kid I've gotten used to his delivery style and yeah it's really good. Didn't know that racing stripes was about Camu: compared to get out the car from impossible kid, theres a depressing line between the two songs.
This is definetly one of my favorite albums by AR. The instrumentals imo are some of the best hes ever used. I agree with you and how u feel about about his lyrics being intensly detailed and all that. I dont listen as deep as to say where " the production value " stands, while I do know what it means and how to identify it to a certain degree I feel like there r a lot of subtleties that I miss. Theres just something about this album I love, the songs as they stand have everything I want from how catchy they are to how deep they are. They really pull me in. Good review but I give it a little bit of a higher score mid to high 8
I think you totally missed the mark on Fryerstarter. That track has as much to do with religion as it does with pastries. IMO it is the strongest truly AESOP track on the record. It touches the ridiculousness of worshiping food and deity in the same song. Great review otherwise. I love watching people digest Mr. Rock.
Aesop said it's actually entirely about a place he goes to called bob's donuts
if you want to know all the meanings for this album go to rhymesayers channel. they made videos about the tracks
I will never be able to get past "Float" and "Labor Days" (and to a lesser extent the "daylight" EP). I will listen to those two albums until I'm dead, and the amount of time I've spent listening to them has worn their grooves and channels into my personality.
It always excites me to see a new AR album, even though I'm always left feeling unsatisfied by comparison. While I love that he is still producing content, and he is clearly as talented as ever, I wish he would visit the artist in himself that made those the real monuments they were.
I started on music for earthworms then float, daylight ep, labor days, fast cars, danger fire and knives and I didn't understand skelethon for a while either but now I can assuredly say it's his best album and one of the best hip hop albums I have ever heard.
why no mention of BT?
bazooka tooth just isn't that good imo.
i know this comment is way old but i feel like the reason he’s never able to reclaim that magic is purely due to the fact that you’ve probably grown up with his early work and have a connection to them that you’ll never get from anything else due to that fact. just how i see it
Thats the thing about Aesop's work. You aren't supposed to listen to it like you would to a pop song or something that is very catchy. His music is like a huge story book ans you have to keep an open mind to it thats how I learned to fully understand his work. Was by looking at it all like one big book with chapters.
Still listening to this. It's grown on me over the years. Enjoy it more with each listen. Can't wait for the 29th!
its awesome, the only difference between this and his previous albums, is the beats, they sound more professionally produced, which is weird cause he produced most of them, but all in all same thing as far as the verses go, ridiculously complex with the use of large incredibly intelligent sounding words and he covers more mature meaningful concepts than on his older stuff.
Light 8 is really good. It means the album deserves multiple listens and should be remembered for years to come. 9 to 10 are for severely polished and awesome albums that deserve to be remembered 30 years down the line. Just because it's good doesn't mean it's a 10. Sure some reviewers will listen to something, like it. Then, say yeah 10! That's fine and all but it sort of leaves little room to show how much more enjoyable an album is compared to another. And lastly, it's all subjected so fuck.
I definitely agree some hooks were lacking, such as cycles (as you mentioned), but this album is incredible
New aesop album!
Love this album. I discovered Aesop Rock not long after watching your Busdriver review, so I have you to thank for introducing me to them both. I'd give both albums a low 9/10
I didn't much like Racing Stripes until I listened more closely to the verse about Camu Tao. There're some pretty deep metaphors going on there.
true i just liked this album a lot better than any of the previous hip hop albums in the last 5 years, closest one to it would probably be shabazz palaces - black up
This is my favourite hip-hop album of the year so far... (followed by the money store). I thought it was fantastic. Production was great, good lyrics, and I love his flow. My only complaint is there are one or two hooks I'm not exactly in love with. I appreciate the review though :)
I'd give this album a strong 8, it's one of my favorites ever. Lots of replay value and very memorable.
Pretty good review. I would suggest yellow and green, but I see it in related videos, so I will watch that now.
(One more I promise haha) And don't get me wrong. I love when an artist puts out some free music or a mixtape. My wallet definitely thanks them during those times. And that is something that occurs more than ever with more artists fighting for our attention. So when they put out a dope album its a no brainer that I'll support it. This is coming from someone who wants to be in the music industry as an audio engineer. But I don't wanna make games or movies and feel the exact same way. Peace mang!