“Aesop Rock once again outdoes himself on production and lyrical composition alike, as only a select few artists with comparable longevity manage.”
Aesop Rock, Integrated Tech Solutions (Rhymesayers)
With an inciting incident that took place “2.5 million years ago,” the ever-prolific rap futurist’s latest invites the listener on a sprawling adventure through time, human evolution and its tactile relationship to technology from the wheel onward. Aes rarely comes across as the sentimental type, so there’s something particularly satisfying about how often the themes on ITS also reference the long-since-relocated rapper’s New York City roots. Though almost certainly unintended, repeat listens suggest a subliminal connection to former Def Jux label boss El-P’s dystopian 2002 masterpiece Fantastic Damage. Aesop Rock once again outdoes himself on production and lyrical composition alike, as only a select few artists with comparable longevity manage. And none have Rock’s patented, time-stamped, encoded creative signature, a hip hop innovation neither man nor machine will ever decrypt. 8/10 Trial Track: “Pigeonometry”
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