Bavitz was born in Syosset, New York and grew up in Northport, New York. While attending college, Bavitz initially recorded and released two self-financed efforts, Music for Earthworms (1997), a full-length featuring underground artist Percee P on two tracks. Bavitz also released a music video to "Abandon All Hope", which was one of the tracks on the CD. The album sold over 300 copies, largely from a grassroots internet-based promotion at his website AesopRock.com and then-popular web portal, MP3.Com. It was a success. With the money he made from his previous release, he then released his Appleseed EP in 1999 which received critical acclaim in the underground hip hop circuit.[citation needed] Both of his early records were produced by long-time friend Blockhead, and underground producer Dub-L. He completed these albums while also working as a waiter.
After his breakthrough success in the underground hip hop and indie rap community, he was eventually noticed by the Mush label and obtained his first record deal in 1999, just a year after he graduated from college. Aesop released his first major album, Float (2000), with guest appearances from Vast Aire, Slug, and Dose One. Production was split between Blockhead and Aesop himself, with one track by Omega One. During this time, Aesop worked at a photography gallery. In August 2001 tragedy struck when Bavitz had a nervous breakdown. The song "One of Four" on his Daylight EP documents his struggles.
Shortly after releasing Float, Aesop Rock signed to Manhattan-based label Definitive Jux (commonly shortened to Def Jux), where he released Labor Days (2001), an album dedicated to the discussion of labor in American society and the concept of "wage slaves". This album was most well known for its single "Daylight". Because of its popularity, Daylight was re-released in 2002 as a seven-track EP, including an "alternative" new version of the song "Night Light", whose paraphrased lyrics simultaneously refer back to, and stand in stark opposition to, the original's. The song "Labor" (from Labor Days) was featured in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4; it also was the first album in his catalog to break through the Billboard charts, peaking at number 15 at the United States Independent Charts, giving Aesop Rock more recognition.
Labor Days was followed by Bazooka Tooth in 2003. For the first time, production was mostly handled by Rock himself, with three tracks from longtime collaborator Blockhead and one from close friend and Definitive Jux label CEO El-P. Guest appearances include Party Fun Action Committee, El-P, and Mr. Lif (all Definitive Jux labelmates) and Camp Lo. With this release Aesop hit a higher level of recognition, releasing "No Jumper Cables" as a single and music video, then another single, "Freeze", shortly after. A remix of "No Jumper Cables" was featured on Tony Hawk's Underground 2, furthering Aesop's recognition. In 2004, He released Build Your Own Bazooka Tooth and created a contest in which you had to create a remix of an Aesop Rock song using the a cappellas and instrumentals.
In February 2005, Aesop Rock released a new EP, Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives. The first pressing of the EP included an 88-page booklet with lyrics from every release from Float until this EP (the lyric booklet is titled The Living Human Curiosity Sideshow); later pressings of the album come without the booklet, but with an additional bonus track, "Facemelter". In addition, a limited number of albums were available direct from Def Jux with Aesop Rock's graffiti tag on them. In response to demands from his fans, Rock did less production on the EP: three songs are produced by Blockhead, three produced by Aesop, and one by Rob Sonic. During this time he was asked to join The Weathermen to replace Vast Aire.
Aesop Rock was commissioned to create a 45-minute instrumental track for the Nike+iPod running system, entitled All Day. It was released in February 2007. Distributed via the iTunes Music Store and featuring his wife Allyson Baker on guitar and scratches from DJ Big Wiz, Aesop has described the release as "something that evolved enough that the sound was constantly fresh and attractive, as though the runner were moving through a set of differing cities or landscapes."
All Day was followed in August of the same year by Bavitz's fifth full-length album, None Shall Pass released in 2007. The album also contained original artwork by Jeremy Fish. About Jeremy Fish, Aesop Rock said: "Man that guy is my hero. We have a friend in common who hit me up a while back saying that this guy Jeremy Fish had an opportunity to pitch a cartoon to Disney and wanted me to be involved in the music side. I flipped out cuz I was also a fan of his, and owned some of his work." Aesop Rock also teamed up with Jeremy Fish again in a project called Ghosts of the Barbary Coast. Aesop Rock made a song called "Tomorrow Morning", to go along with a slideshow of drawings that Jeremy Fish drew. This was displayed in San Francisco, but was also made available for download online. None Shall Pass had positive reviews from critics and fans, applauding Aesop for his change in sound.
In 2011, Rhymesayers released "Are You Going to Eat That?", the debut album from Hail Mary Mallon, a collaboration between Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic, and DJ Big Wiz.
On July 10, 2012, Rhymesayers released Aesop Rock's sixth studio album, "Skelethon". Its first single, "Zero Dark Thirty", was released four months earlier on April 10. A second single, "ZZZ Top", was released on June 29.
In 2011, Aesop Rock and Kimya Dawson of The Moldy Peaches formed the duo The Uncluded. The duo's debut album, "Hokey Fright" was released on May 7, 2013.
In 2018, Aesop Rock teamed up with TOBACCO to form Malibu Ken
Basic Cable
Aesop Rock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fantasy, murder scape and perspective
Fuck a sore channel changed digit
I sit with a nasty network intervenes plan
With a stable diet of my cable pirate
Yo, the doctor is in, the doctor is on
Born the bastard son of static radiance cloned to Welcome in every home
Lead a blue screen, bruised dream canopy
Ooh, I love all advertisements
Though accused by robot news casters who capture and pollute
Spoon fed hazardous fog to joy luck catholic squad
Please take me, please calm me, please make me a zombie
Please I want to donate my brain to the monstrous Panasonic profit
Now, twenty first century plagued
Dispersed to wide eyed glamour addict patients
Telecast patrons
Blue be the propaganda banners, well, sure I'll be a Marine
With a clean sword and blue uniform, it only takes a dollar and a dream
And I abide great idiot box power supply, fuzz vapor,
Black out of New York, hey honey, get the generator
I'm in a doom, doom generation, pacin', ancient electric secret
Never sleepin' to miss the AM oasis
My name is a wired heart, sloppy obligation
Turn my stilt into my guilt and have a chatter box blame frame adjacent station
Make reality scrambled and suck the life out of a hidden vandal
And loving every minute of the gimmick, change the channel
Plug it in, turn it on, prop me up against the couch
Lights out, I ain't ever gonna have to leave my house
Satellite dish, get up on my wish list, turn me to a tyrant
Let my clean spirit dissolve through the appliance
Plug it in, turn it on, be my mother when she's gone, great
Wipe the spittle off my chinny-chin during the breaks
If I gotta go blind I'mma do it for the love of all television kind
And that's fine, and that's fine
Make me a star, I want to touch gold
Hold me suspended in a dream, merely inches from the screen
Deleted passions sacrificed to one electron monster
Crucify my little future to the monitor
Damn it feels good, turn on, tune in
Zoom in to hug the bug up in your family function
But the children seem to love it
Yes mother, me and wild discovery
And heard the static flock to where I sleep
By the glow of that magic box big speaker
Stereo mastered often kill the freak seekers, eyes spiraling
Tangled in the star spangled wiring
I can turn from toxicated visuals
And all the kings horses abort the loyalty to royalty
F*** the fortress
Riddle me with glee, hoist the end all teleprompter above my sleeping head
I'll be dead by morning anyway
Color my values with mundane humor in thirty minute tickets
To feel the magnetic seal picket censorship
I want commercials twenty four-seven
I want to shop from my bed and set an
Example for all my overworked, underpaid brethren
I bond with a six string ? correspondence
And lurking circuitry circus
With allegiance pledged beyond the glass surface
Adamant students within the fine school of possessed graduate catalysts
Channel zero addict, immaculate
It goes big screen, little screen, any screen'll do
Just let me hold the controller and I won't have to murder you
Plug it in, turn it on, let my little eyes glaze
Twenty screens lined up along the borders of the maze
I want to see the five day forecast, fourteen days in advance
So I can get my two weeks notice every time the sun dance
Plug it in, turn it on, silent fix better than nothing
Let a once divine soul feel the functions of the hypnotist
The viciousness, ridiculous, peaking a dummy's interest
Touch the power button meet your maker, ain't that something?
Plug it in, turn it on, say goodbye to Sunday afternoon
Fix the antenna, sit back and let disaster bloom
It's a beautiful sight, with a most ugly intention
But I taste it everyday and bathe inside the consequences
Plug it in, turn it on, never once have you talked back to me
Your majesty, I love you, I despise you
My everyday is sitcom, soaps, news, bad Dramatization
Come along with me, my friend for the most glorious sensation
In Aesop Rock's song "Basic Cable," the artist portrays the seductive and addictive nature of television. He describes television as a "grand pixelated god of fantasy, murder scape, and perspective," and admits to being a victim of its cursed nursed Technicolor drunk support team. Throughout the song, Aesop Rock personifies television, describing it as his master and himself as its loyal servant. He revels in his love of advertisements, which "capture and pollute" his mind, and wishes to donate his brain to its monstrous Panasonic profit. Aesop Rock also remarks on the power of the hypnotist and how he is content to sit and watch the world pass him by through the tube.
Overall, "Basic Cable" by Aesop Rock is a commentary on the alluring and dangerous power of television. The song speaks to the ways in which people can become addicted to the medium and lose touch with reality. It portrays television as a monstrous force that seeks to control and manipulate its viewers, while they willingly surrender their minds to it.
Line by Line Meaning
Television, all hail grand pixelated god of
Television is worshipped as a god of pixelated images.
Fantasy, murder scape and perspective
Television shows offer a mix of fantasy and murder-related content, often portrayed through different perspectives.
Fuck a sore channel changed digit
Swearing at the remote for not working properly.
I sit with a nasty network intervenes plan
Planning to watch television despite knowing the network offerings aren't great.
With a stable diet of my cable pirate
Watching pirated content on television as a habit.
Yo, the doctor is in, the doctor is on
The television acts as a doctor, providing relief and entertainment.
Born the bastard son of static radiance cloned to Welcome in every home
Television is the illegitimate child of static radiance, but it's welcomed into every household.
Lead a blue screen, bruised dream canopy
The television leads to a bruised dream state represented by a blue screen.
Victim of the cursed nursed Technicolor drunk support team
The television is a victim of the drunk and cursed technicolor team who support it.
Ooh, I love all advertisements
Loves watching advertisements on television.
Though accused by robot news casters who capture and pollute
Robot news casters accuse television of being a pollutant.
Spoon fed hazardous fog to joy luck catholic squad
Television creates a hazardous environment and spoils the mood of its viewers.
Please take me, please calm me, please make me a zombie
Wants to be hypnotized by television and turned into a zombie-like state.
Please I want to donate my brain to the monstrous Panasonic profit
Willing to donate the brain to Panasonic for the sake of television viewing experience.
Now, twenty first century plagued
Television is a plague affecting the 21st century.
Dispersed to wide eyed glamour addict patients
Television viewers are addicted to its glamor and watch it with wide-open eyes.
Telecast patrons
Viewers addicted to television telecasts.
Blue be the propaganda banners, well, sure I'll be a Marine
Television displays propaganda banners that entice viewers to join the Marines.
With a clean sword and blue uniform, it only takes a dollar and a dream
Promoting the idea that joining the Marines is easy and cheap, with just a uniform and a sword.
And I abide great idiot box power supply, fuzz vapor
Watching television generates a euphoric feeling, like being under the influence of a late-night fuzz vapor.
Black out of New York, hey honey, get the generator
Encouraging the blackout of New York so people can watch television and asking someone to get the generator if needed.
I'm in a doom, doom generation, pacin', ancient electric secret
In the generation dominated by the television, pacing because of the anxiety the secret power holds over people.
Never sleepin' to miss the AM oasis
Staying up all night to watch television and not miss out on anything.
My name is a wired heart, sloppy obligation
The heart is wired to television and viewers feel obligated to watch it out of habit.
Turn my stilt into my guilt and have a chatter box blame frame adjacent station
Blaming the television for one's guilt and addiction to it.
Make reality scrambled and suck the life out of a hidden vandal
Watching television creates a distorted sense of reality and drains the life out of the viewer.
And loving every minute of the gimmick, change the channel
Viewers love the television gimmickery and enjoy changing the channel.
Plug it in, turn it on, prop me up against the couch
Plugging in the television, turning it on, and sitting against the couch to watch it.
Lights out, I ain't ever gonna have to leave my house
With the television on, there's no need to leave the house ever again.
Satellite dish, get up on my wish list, turn me to a tyrant
Needs a satellite dish to be a ruler in their own way.
Let my clean spirit dissolve through the appliance
Let the spirit be cleansed by watching television.
Be my mother when she's gone, great
Aspires for the television to be a surrogate mother.
Wipe the spittle off my chinny-chin during the breaks
Watching television causes a drooling effect, which results in having to wipe the spittle during commercials.
If I gotta go blind I'mma do it for the love of all television kind
Willing to suffer blindness if it means continuing to watch television.
And that's fine, and that's fine
Viewers believe that it's okay to watch television so much.
Make me a star, I want to touch gold
Wants to be the star of some show and become famous.
Hold me suspended in a dream, merely inches from the screen
Wants to be so close to the television screen that they feel like they're in a dream state.
Deleted passions sacrificed to one electron monster
Watching television sacrifices the essence of a person's passions.
Crucify my little future to the monitor
Watching television undermines one's future prospects.
Damn it feels good, turn on, tune in
Watching television makes the person feel good.
Zoom in to hug the bug up in your family function
Watching television can help you feel closer to family members.
But the children seem to love it
Children are often big fans of television.
Yes mother, me and wild discovery
Viewers often agree with the content that their mothers are watching.
And heard the static flock to where I sleep
Hearing static noises at night that make it difficult to fall asleep.
By the glow of that magic box big speaker
The magic glow of the television box and the sound from the artists are comforting.
Stereo mastered often kill the freak seekers, eyes spiraling
Loud music from the television can be harmful to the viewer's health and can cause eyes to spiral.
Tangled in the star spangled wiring
The wiring of the television gets tangled like American flag.
I can turn from toxicated visuals
Able to turn away from watching toxic television shows.
And all the kings horses abort the loyalty to royalty
Even the traditional, loyal viewer may eventually give up on watching television.
F*** the fortress
Disregarding the status and importance given to television.
Riddle me with glee, hoist the end all teleprompter above my sleeping head
Ready to be entertained, with the hope of watching the final teleprompter show while sleeping.
I'll be dead by morning anyway
Knowing that watching television is not necessarily the healthiest choice and may hasten an early death.
Color my values with mundane humor in thirty minute tickets
Television provides an escape from real-life situations and colors personal values with humor.
To feel the magnetic seal picket censorship
Wanting to feel the magnetic attraction of watching TV and avoiding censorship.
I want commercials twenty four-seven
Almost addicted to watching commercials on television, constantly looking for new ones.
I want to shop from my bed and set an
Wants to shop from bed while watching television and set an example for others.
Example for all my overworked, underpaid brethren
Setting an example for people who work too much and don't get paid much.
I bond with a six-string correspondence
Finds solace in playing six stringed instruments and likes to watch television at the same time.
And lurking circuitry circus
Watching television provides a thrilling experience that can only be matched by being in a circus.
With allegiance pledged beyond the glass surface
People feel more loyal to television shows than to real-life relationships.
Adamant students within the fine school of possessed graduate catalysts
Viewers are strictly focused on the shows they watch and can be considered as graduates of a school on the subject.
Channel zero addict, immaculate
A passionate viewer watching channel zero shows immaculately.
It goes big screen, little screen, any screen'll do
Watching television content shows, regardless of the size of the screen or device.
Just let me hold the controller and I won't have to murder you
Being able to control the remote saves others from physical harm.
Let my little eyes glaze
Watching television causes the eyes to glaze over and lose focus.
Twenty screens lined up along the borders of the maze
People have multiple screens set up in a maze-like pattern to watch as many shows as possible at the same time.
I want to see the five day forecast, fourteen days in advance
Checking the weather forecast for five or fourteen days ahead of time while watching television.
So I can get my two weeks notice every time the sun dance
Watching television to know in advance when you have a two week break or when the sun will be shining.
Silent fix better than nothing
Watching television can be a form of silent entertainment better than no entertainment at all.
Let a once divine soul feel the functions of the hypnotist
Feeling hypnotized while watching television, like being under the influence of a great power.
The viciousness, ridiculous, peaking a dummy's interest
Television shows can be vicious, ridiculous, yet still pique the interest of viewers who may be passive.
Touch the power button meet your maker, ain't that something?
Turning the power button on is an empowering act, making the person feel like they've met their creator.
Say goodbye to Sunday afternoon
Saying goodbye to the outside world and watching the television instead on Sunday afternoons.
Fix the antenna, sit back and let disaster bloom
Fixing the antenna and watching disaster television shows from a distance.
It's a beautiful sight, with a most ugly intention
Watching television is a beautiful sight, with an ugly intention behind it.
But I taste it everyday and bathe inside the consequences
Watching television every day has consequences, but viewers still enjoy the experience and choose to indulge in it.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ANTHONY SIMON, IAN BAVITZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind