Aesop Rock (born Ian Bavitz on June 5, 1976) is an alternative hip hop arti… Read Full Bio ↴Aesop Rock (born Ian Bavitz on June 5, 1976) is an alternative hip hop artist/producer from Long Island, New York, United States. He has released ten albums: "Music for Earthworms" (1997), "Float" (1999), "Labor Days" (2001), "Bazooka Tooth" (2003), "None Shall Pass" (2007), "Skelethon" (2012), "The Impossible Kid" (2016), and "Spirit World Field Guide" (2020), "Garbology" (2021), and "Integrated Tech Solutions" (2023). He is also a member of the groups Hail Mary Mallon, The Weathermen, Two of Every Animal and The Uncluded.
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
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
Catacomb Kids
Aesop Rock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
I was a dark, dumb student
No hooky rookie day trippin' on visions of chickens that look like R. Crumb drew 'em
They grew 'em in a royal dirt of separate counties with the blood of an alcoholic clergyman in his forearms
Long Island was porn stars and puppies pushin' sniffles
Fit into the aforementioned or slipped through the pinholes
'Zook slipped through the pinholes
Crispy the godsender who thunk over a quarter plunk to local Mortal Kom vender
Both the formal squad censor
Look down
Either side across the marsh before it was "Awesome cars!"
My calling card Calvary cooking an '85 Dodge Ares
Gas for Huntington and back, barely
Equipped with Super-Soakers full of piss and an uncanny knack for constantly upsetting pigs by doing stupid shit
The kid ...where he hollered "Fuck the world" full of parking lot in the suburbs
(What's this?)
A couple spray cans and a little litter but they'd look at us like swindlers with them Ricky Castle jitters
So fuck 'em, a glutton sunk into the alley for props
But things will still go bump when them halogens pop
Believe
I'll be there when it happens
The shakin' of the plates off the mantle
The snakin' of the flames off the candle
The lady of the lake off the answers
Admitting the mistakes to their deep planning cadavers
Now it's "Rest in Peace" Will Peterson whose heater sung disturbingly to further re-evaluate your beast of burden's urgency
Damn, doggy
Good times, thanks
I wrote your name in wet cement by the corporate banks.
(What's this?)
I'm a tax evader
Made a fire, made a wheel, made a snack for later
Catacomb kids cuddle up fantastic labor
When the towns be freak sleep
Trap the traitor
He will ask for papers
(What's this?)
Say I'm a nice invader
Made a roof, made a weapon, made a flag per acre
By the snotty little nuzzle of a latch-key neighbor
When the pope...
With some... gators
He will catch the vapors
Double Playboy mudflaps and hell on his heels
Beautifully echoed in the pace at which he shoveled his meals
Like not a farmer among us had a harvest survive the winter
So dinner split a lima bean and triplets, pick a winner
Took a couple summers pukin' pills behind the dumpster
As the largest pez dispenser on record recouped his numbers
One shoe in the soupy gutter
One shoe in the velvet heaven?
When the mermaids told him shake 'em by the lake of melted weapons
(What's this?)
You could dance purity with the hooligan nation
Who will be patiently awaiting zoo-keeper facelift?
Extra
The days of your penicillin
The uber-ape shit
We barely updated the ancient 8-bit
Yeah
I'm dumber than a cow on a roof in a flood
Who's not as dumb as the watered-down beef from the burgers that jumped
I'm dumber than a Taz with a beach chair with a martini
Who's not as dumb as the tat of the same scenery
...nails you pig stigmata for all good sport
Garbage pail kids you not at the mall food court
They chase cheese fries with Binaca
They had shut the school down early
There were bombs inside the lockers
No concept of the problem
We responded like a snow day
It would clobber shit to flotsam
But the cops said it was okay
Okay
So the squadron's back into their boxes like this Breakfast Club of hotheads show no progress to the doctors
And I walk into the office, coughin' off...
Flood a parking meter fever like a love for Love and Rockets
It was rain of the razor laser
Day of the cloudy howdy
Flight of the shelter melter
You can bow without me
Knock 'em out the box, Ace
No hooky rookie day trippin' on visions of chickens that look like R. Crumb drew 'em
They grew 'em in a royal dirt of separate counties with the blood of an alcoholic clergyman in his forearms
Long Island was porn stars and puppies pushin' sniffles
Fit into the aforementioned or slipped through the pinholes
'Zook slipped through the pinholes
Crispy the godsender who thunk over a quarter plunk to local Mortal Kom vender
Both the formal squad censor
Either side across the marsh before it was "Awesome cars!"
My calling card Calvary cooking an '85 Dodge Ares
Gas for Huntington and back, barely
Equipped with Super-Soakers full of piss and an uncanny knack for constantly upsetting pigs by doing stupid shit
The kid ...where he hollered "Fuck the world" full of parking lot in the suburbs
(What's this?)
A couple spray cans and a little litter but they'd look at us like swindlers with them Ricky Castle jitters
So fuck 'em, a glutton sunk into the alley for props
But things will still go bump when them halogens pop
Believe
I'll be there when it happens
The shakin' of the plates off the mantle
The snakin' of the flames off the candle
The lady of the lake off the answers
Admitting the mistakes to their deep planning cadavers
Now it's "Rest in Peace" Will Peterson whose heater sung disturbingly to further re-evaluate your beast of burden's urgency
Damn, doggy
Good times, thanks
I wrote your name in wet cement by the corporate banks.
(What's this?)
I'm a tax evader
Made a fire, made a wheel, made a snack for later
Catacomb kids cuddle up fantastic labor
When the towns be freak sleep
Trap the traitor
He will ask for papers
(What's this?)
Say I'm a nice invader
Made a roof, made a weapon, made a flag per acre
By the snotty little nuzzle of a latch-key neighbor
When the pope...
With some... gators
He will catch the vapors
Double Playboy mudflaps and hell on his heels
Beautifully echoed in the pace at which he shoveled his meals
Like not a farmer among us had a harvest survive the winter
So dinner split a lima bean and triplets, pick a winner
Took a couple summers pukin' pills behind the dumpster
As the largest pez dispenser on record recouped his numbers
One shoe in the soupy gutter
One shoe in the velvet heaven?
When the mermaids told him shake 'em by the lake of melted weapons
(What's this?)
You could dance purity with the hooligan nation
Who will be patiently awaiting zoo-keeper facelift?
Extra
The days of your penicillin
The uber-ape shit
We barely updated the ancient 8-bit
Yeah
I'm dumber than a cow on a roof in a flood
Who's not as dumb as the watered-down beef from the burgers that jumped
I'm dumber than a Taz with a beach chair with a martini
Who's not as dumb as the tat of the same scenery
...nails you pig stigmata for all good sport
Garbage pail kids you not at the mall food court
They chase cheese fries with Binaca
They had shut the school down early
There were bombs inside the lockers
No concept of the problem
We responded like a snow day
It would clobber shit to flotsam
But the cops said it was okay
Okay
So the squadron's back into their boxes like this Breakfast Club of hotheads show no progress to the doctors
And I walk into the office, coughin' off...
Flood a parking meter fever like a love for Love and Rockets
It was rain of the razor laser
Day of the cloudy howdy
Flight of the shelter melter
You can bow without me
Knock 'em out the box, Ace
The lyrics to Aesop Rock's "Catacomb Kids" are dense and full of meaning, requiring some interpretation to fully understand. The song tells the story of a group of outsiders who have created their own subculture in the suburbs of Long Island. They are rebels and troublemakers who engage in all kinds of misbehavior, such as upsetting pigs with Super-Soakers full of piss and spray painting graffiti in the suburbs. They are proud of their rebelliousness and reject the norms of mainstream society.
The lyrics also touch on themes of mortality and the consequences of one's actions. The final verse speaks of a character named Will Peterson, who has died, and whose death serves as a reminder of the urgency of life. The line "Rest in Peace Will Peterson whose heater sung disturbingly to further re-evaluate your beast of burden's urgency" suggests that Peterson's death was a wake-up call for the singer and his friends to reassess their own lives and the paths they are on.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Caymen LePere
I was a dark, dumb student
No hooky rookie day trippin' on visions of chickens that look like R. Crumb drew 'em
They grew 'em in a royal dirt of Suffolk county's flooring with the blood of an alcoholic clergyman in his forearms
Long Island was porn stars and puppies pushin' sniffles
Fit into the aforementioned or slipped through the pinholes
'Zook slipped through the pinholes
Crispy the godsender who thunk over a quarter plunk to local Mortal Kom vender
Both the formal squad censor
Look down
Either side across the marsh before it was "Awesome cars!"
My calling card Calvary cooking an '85 Dodge Ares
Gas for Huntington and back, barely
Equipped with Super-Soakers full of piss and an uncanny knack for constantly upsetting pigs by doing stupid shit
The kid ... his ring king dummies to King Kullen, where he hollered "Fuck the world" from a parking lot in the suburbs
(What's this?)
A couple spray cans and a little litter but they'd look at us like swindlers with them Ricky Kasso jitters
So fuck 'em, a glutton sunk into the alley for props
But things will still go bump when them halogens pop
Believe
I'll be there when it happens
The shakin' of the plates off the mantle
The snakin' of the flames off the candle
The lady of the lake off the answers
Admitting the mistakes to their deplaning cadavers
Now it's "Rest in Peace" Will Peterson whose heater sung disturbingly to further re-evaluate your beast of burden's urgency
Damn, doggy
Good times, thanks
I wrote your name in wet cement by the corporate banks.
(What's this?)
I'm an activator
Made a fire, made a wheel, made a snack for later
Catacomb kids cuddle up fantastic labor
When the towns be freak sleep
Trap the traitor
He will ask for papers
(What's this?)
Say I'm an activator
Made a roof, made a weapon, made a flag per acre
By the snotty little nuzzle of a latch-key neighbor
When the folk push aggie over some dap with ʻgators
He will catch the vapors
Couple Playboy mudflaps and hell on his heels
Beautifully echoed in the pace at which he shoveled his meals
Like not a farmer among us had a harvest survive the winter
So dinner split a lima bean and triplets, pick a winner
Took a couple summers pukin' pills behind the dumpster
As the largest pez dispenser on record recouped his numbers
One shoe in the soupy gutter
One shoe in the velvet heaven?
Where the mermaids Harlem Shakin' by a lake of melted weapons
(What's this?)
You could dance purty with the hooligan nation
Who will be patiently awaiting zoo-keeper facelift?
Extra
The days of yore painted similar uber-ape shit
We've merely updated the ancient 8-bit
Yeah
I'm dumber than a cow on a roof in a flood
Who's not as dumb as the watered-down beef from the burgers that jumped
I'm dumber than a Taz on a beach chair with a martini
Who's not as dumb as the tat wit the same scenery
Sparky nails pig stigmata for all good sport
Garbage pail kids unite at the mall food court
They chase cheese fries with Binaca
They had shut the school down early
There were bombs inside the lockers
No concept of the problem
We responded like a snow day
It was clobber shit to flotsam
'Till the cops said it was okay
Okay
Show the squadrons back into their boxes like his Breakfast Club of hotheads show no progress to the doctors
And I walk into the office, coughin' awfully at their often
Flood a parking meter fever, knucle up for Love and Rockets
It was rain of the razor laser
Day of the cloudy howdy
Flight of the shelter melter
You can bow without me
Knock 'em out the box, Ace
Sam Porter
Hes literally one of the most underrated artists that have been around
ShadowCraft
The chorus gets me hype everytime
Velichko Stoev
Aesop Rock is the best thing that happened to music. Forever and ever.
YoucefLuiMême
no.
Dan Fontaine
Yeah he's not top 2. Slug from Atmosphere is the only close contender but Aesop takes the top spot because he's drugs
Cosmic Cretin
@Adrian Grenazi Aesop Rock (best vocabulary) and MF DOOM (best rhyme schemes) are the GOAT lyricists
13 Amp
Yeah he is one of his own for sure
Once you fall in love with aes, you dont compare him, he is just aesop rock, alone, the rest are whoever they are
Nick Peitchev
Verno e
Teacher Alejandro
this song is so great even my wife (who does not speak English, we live in Mexico) asks me every time to play this tune.
213213yoyo
:)