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
Fishtales
Aesop Rock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
in the days of yore
When the people lived fresh out of legend and folklore
There was an old geezer with his teeth to the curb
He had a hook and a line and a sinker and a worm
Slept in a city that kissed the seashore
Woke with a bait-and-tackle store trip each morn
Not a bother, not a lot to say
Like a tall tale, keep it rod and reel
With his arms stretched out to define the kill
While the village always listened, believin' it was different
Out of eight million stories there was not a single witness
It was always at the last second when the line snapped
Or the boat broke in half from the size of the catch
Either way the documented prove didn't exist
So the locals dismissed the big f-f-f-fish
Billy-goat beard twenty years in the making
Carried lures in his brim, carried beer in his waders
Stinked like alcohol of all prominent flavors
Carried knives in his vest, carried war in his nature
Sat among the forest floor critters and pine cones
Could tie a perfect fly with his eyes closed
Veteran angler with a mission to run
Make all naysayers hold t-t-t-tongues
Pale blue moon or fiery orange glow
Red sky at dawn or rain, hail, sleet, snow
Black storm cloud with the barometric horrors
The weatherproof sportsman spins yards regardless
Laugh if you wanna, but the dude ain't stupid
Let it roll off his back like drizzle off plumage
Cause he walk with a twinkle in his eye
And every dog has his day and today is m-m-m-mine
The lyrics in Aesop Rock's song Fishtales paint a vivid picture of an old, grizzled fisherman with a larger-than-life tale to tell. The song is rooted in the traditions of storytelling and folklore, as the singer describes the old man and the way he spins his incredible fishing yarns. The old man is a bit of a mystery to the village where he lives, with nobody ever having seen the massive fish he claims to have caught. He is an experienced angler who spends all his days fishing, drinking, and telling his stories. The locals listen to his tales with interest, but also with a sense of dismissal, as nobody can back up his stories with hard evidence.
The song's lyrics make use of vivid imagery, painting a picture of the old man's grizzled appearance and colorful personality. His beard, his knives, and his love of beer are all described in detail, along with the way he fishes in all kinds of weather conditions. The song also plays with the idea that the old man's tales might be a way of transcending the mundane realities of everyday life. By telling his epic stories, he becomes something more than just an old man sitting by the water. Perhaps his tales are a way of connecting with the ancient stories and myths that have always surrounded the sea and the creatures that live within it.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a time
In a long-gone era of the past
in the days of yore
In an ancient time steeped in history and legend
When the people lived fresh out of legend and folklore
When the people lived in a world of myths and stories
There was an old geezer with his teeth to the curb
There was an old man, with his back to the wall
He had a hook and a line and a sinker and a worm
He was equipped with everything he needed to fish
Slept in a city that kissed the seashore
He lived in a town that bordered the ocean
Woke with a bait-and-tackle store trip each morn
He woke up every morning to go to the fishing store
Not a bother, not a lot to say
He was a quiet man who kept to himself
That is until you ask about the one that got aw-w-w-way
But he would open up if you asked about the big fish that got away
Like a tall tale, keep it rod and reel
He would tell the story like a legend, with his fishing rod as his prop
With his arms stretched out to define the kill
He would use grand gestures to demonstrate the size of the fish
While the village always listened, believin' it was different
People in the town believed his stories, despite the lack of proof
Out of eight million stories there was not a single witness
Despite the many tales told, no one had ever seen the big fish
It was always at the last second when the line snapped
The fish always got away just as he was reeling it in
Or the boat broke in half from the size of the catch
In some versions of the story, the boat was destroyed by the weight of the fish
Either way the documented prove didn't exist
Regardless of what happened, there was no proof of the catch
So the locals dismissed the big f-f-f-fish
The townspeople did not believe in the existence of the big fish
Billy-goat beard twenty years in the making
He had a long, scraggly beard that had taken twenty years to grow
Carried lures in his brim, carried beer in his waders
He always had fishing lures in his hat and beer in his boots
Stinked like alcohol of all prominent flavors
He smelled strongly of all types of alcohol
Carried knives in his vest, carried war in his nature
He was always prepared to fight, carrying knives on his person
Sat among the forest floor critters and pine cones
He was comfortable sitting in nature, surrounded by animals and pine cones
Could tie a perfect fly with his eyes closed
He was an expert at tying fishing flies, and could do it without looking
Veteran angler with a mission to run
He was an experienced fisherman with a goal to catch the big fish
Make all naysayers hold t-t-t-tongues
He wanted to silence anyone who did not believe in him
Pale blue moon or fiery orange glow
He fished regardless of the color of the sky or time of day
Red sky at dawn or rain, hail, sleet, snow
He fished regardless of the weather conditions
Black storm cloud with the barometric horrors
He was not deterred even by the worst of storms
The weatherproof sportsman spins yards regardless
He could spin a good fishing yarn, regardless of the weather
Laugh if you wanna, but the dude ain't stupid
People may mock him, but he knows what he's doing
Let it roll off his back like drizzle off plumage
He lets criticism slide off of him, like water off a bird's feathers
Cause he walk with a twinkle in his eye
He has a spark in his eye, filled with determination and hope
And every dog has his day and today is m-m-m-mine
Today, he hopes he will finally catch the big fish and have his moment of glory
Contributed by Sarah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Bazooka Tooth
Billy goat beard-twenty years in the making
Carried lures in his brim
Carried beer in his waders
Stink like alcohol of all prominent flavors
Carries knives in his vest
Carried war in his nature
Sat among the forest floor with the critters and pinecones
Tied a perfect fly with his eyes closed
Veteran angler with a mission to run
Make all naysayers hold t-t-t-tongues!
Nick
once upon a time in the days of yor,
when the people lived fresh out of legend and folklore,
there was an old geezer with his teeth to the curb
he had a hook and a line and a sinker and a worm.
Slept in a city that kissed the seashore
woke with a bait and tackle store trip each morn.
not a bother not alot to say
that is until you ask about the one that got a w-w-w-way.
Like a tall tale, keep it rod and reel
with his arms streched out to define the kill.
While the village always listened, believin it was different?
out of eight million stories there was not a single witness.
It was always at the last second when the line snapped
or the boat broke in half from the size of the catch.
niether way to prove that it exist
so the locals dismissed the big f-f-f-fish
Billygoat beard twenty years in the making
carried lures in his brim, carried beer in his waders
Stinked like alcohol of all prominent flavors
carried knives in his vest, carried war in his nature
sat among the forest floor critters and pinecones,
could tie a perfect fly with his eyes closed.
Veteran angler on a mission to run
make all naysayers hold t-t-t-tongues
Pale blue moon or firey orange glow,
red sky at dawn or rain, hail, sleet, snow.
Black storm cloud with the barometric horrors,
the weatherproof sportsman spins yards regardless.
laugh if you wanna but the dude aint stupid.
let it roll off his back like drizzle off plumage.
walks with a twinkle in his eye,
every dog has his day and today is m-m-m-mine.
RRandom SSStuffs
Found Aesop Rock by watching too many vanilla WoW videos. Deep Feral rocked Aesop tracks every video <3.
Robert Zaha
thats gnarly i used to play years ago and dont ever remember see those... i was always into Grim and Pat back then.. bahahah
Stevon Shaw
wtf lol. Thats also how I found aes. Rogue PvP bby<3 Back in cata, Been listening since, and went a concert of him too. But...how from WoW?.. lol
Bazooka Tooth
Billy goat beard-twenty years in the making
Carried lures in his brim
Carried beer in his waders
Stink like alcohol of all prominent flavors
Carries knives in his vest
Carried war in his nature
Sat among the forest floor with the critters and pinecones
Tied a perfect fly with his eyes closed
Veteran angler with a mission to run
Make all naysayers hold t-t-t-tongues!
Nolan Leibee
As a fly tier/fisherman, these lyrics speak volumes to me
Pharaoh on LFS
I love how closely this sounds to the harbor is yours but its a completely different track!
George Sturges
But you can rap them over each other and they sync up ツ
ShoriDayo
Henry Hazlitt This one was first, then Harbor was on NSP. Similar to what he did with Day/Nightlight, but with a different beat for FT and THIY.
Aesop the fucking king.
Pharaoh on LFS
***** Yea when I heard this song for the first time back then I was like "waaat no way that makes perfect sense now!" haha
Cregoneson 505
Yea definitely sister tracks, I’m gonna hit harbor right after this song haha