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
Five Fingers
Aesop Rock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got the key to the city and wake bake
Waiting for the meteor shading at twelve begin paint
The origin of a deeper leader will take place
Two coke bottles adorn the rope toddler
Rebel of refrigerator
Give him a vanilla wafer
No role model, provoke him to shift focus
Kids got the darnedest crooks
All ? get from an honest person
Bought enough fireworks from the bullies to blow up a small barn
Which he kept in the box in the yard
And the bark is far from a klepto-anthem
But a klepto-tangent
Prefaced the grand canvass
Dance to the dirt
Stand up, celebrate the natural need to own what ain't earned
See it rolls off the tongue
Like a smoke ring rolls off a lung til it's done
Ready set kept it
He thefted a post-it
Later applied the motives to a moment of some grown shit
"Hey, you with the sharpie and BM!"
Did you foreplay the gm
Or you carpe the diem
War play the porn game
Wanna get the sure way
Well the freedom will correlate with the sword play and heathens
Trickery I'm back, talk
Fresh outta high school
On the prickly catwalk
Of the modern bright slide rule
Every last number in it's history
Got it's own little hustle to nuzzle up with the victory, Thanks
Bathe in a bottle of your finest
Huckleberry sift through the piss looking for diamonds
For that hell appears to that in your climate
Get your money from the richest Seek your pussy from the flyest
Slow and low, Do or die calm
Suicide king and a tuck of the palm
Slow and low, do or die, stuck
Two to five cans in the tuck of the trunk
And these are the five fingers that are stealing from you (4x)
(Capture the flag)
One by one like little confused penguins
Larceny's yes when fools used weapons
Like a bitter little burglar jaded up at the buckets
He is dumb enough to feel like the public owe him a fucking thing
Nope gotta configure the five fingers
Sorta hop wire vehicular skill is applicable
If an eye's on the prize and the itch ain't flushed
I hope the fruits of your labor relieve the initial rush
Like, step over the abysmal cusp
Matchmakers trying to make the mixed signals fucked
And make you read the mud, maybe make the stigma's crushed
Like "he will learn to walk after he lifts the drums"
And this is certified milk by the department of skullduggery
Shoplift quicker than ya shutter speed
Click! Missed, dip dumb colory
In another muddy river water til the rudder bleeds
Skip around the money Peel the color me bunny killer
Hovering where the mother feed
Gutter greed king
Let a crumby motherfucker breed fuck wit me
It goes knock knock, rummy at an abrupt speed
The seed's all growns up, playing grown people games
Evil lames grown encompass the whole paper chase
Grip, better get the master plan
So when the workers of a secret graph expands,
Yes a pig is a cop, I got a villain for flock, so when I rake in the bacon I hope the kiddies will watch
I hope the flipping of the system will be heavily clocked
Cus opportunity's fickle If they we're trickling Stop!
Capture the flag
Drag that crass little bastard flap through the hazmat glass
Laugh when he asks for it back
Scratch that
Welcome to the magic and a basket of cash
Slow and low,do or die, calm
Suicide king and a tuck of the palm
Slow and low, do or die, stuck
Two to five cans in the tuck of the trunk
And these are the five fingers that are stealing from you (4x)
Capture the flag
The lyrics of Aesop Rock's song Five Fingers are quite obscure with a lot of wordplay and figurative language. The song revolves around the theme of theft and stealing, but it is not just about stealing material things. The opening lines, "Take take, the medicine tastes great, Got the key to the city and wake bake," may refer to the feeling of stealing a moment of pleasure, like smoking marijuana, in a society that often stifles it. The mention of the "meteor shading at twelve" is another reference to a fleeting moment that one wants to cling to, like a meteor that disappears quickly.
The song also touches on the idea of shifting focus and breaking free from norms. The lines, "No role model, provoke him to shift focus, Cus he noticed that a cookie tastes better when it's stolen," suggest that sometimes it takes breaking rules and stepping out of line to fully enjoy something. The lyrics later mention "heavily clocked" flip of the system where the opportunity trickles and stops, bringing in the need to capture the flag, seize the opportunity, and take control of one's destiny.
Overall, the song is about the human desire to steal, to take ownership of something that we are not entitled to, whether it is about material things or changing societal norms. It conveys that sometimes it is necessary to take risks and step out of line to achieve a sense of control and pleasure in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Take take, the medicine tastes great
Sometimes the things that are good for us are not always pleasant.
Got the key to the city and wake bake
Having power and access can lead to bad habits.
Waiting for the meteor shading at twelve begin paint
Sometimes the beginning of something great can come from an unexpected event.
The origin of a deeper leader will take place
Great leaders can emerge from unexpected places.
Two coke bottles adorn the rope toddler
Even simple things can be transformed into something beautiful.
Rebel of refrigerator, give him a vanilla wafer
Rebelling against rules and norms can sometimes come from a place of simple desires.
No role model, provoke him to shift focus
Without guidance or positive role models, one can easily lose their way.
Cus he noticed that a cookie tastes better when it's stolen, kids got the darnedest crooks
Children are curious and may push boundaries to explore the world around them.
All ? get from an honest person
Honesty is important in all interactions.
Bought enough fireworks from the bullies to blow up a small barn, which he kept in the box in the yard
Sometimes people hold on to things that can be dangerous or harmful.
And the bark is far from a klepto-anthem, but a klepto-tangent
Stealing is not something to be celebrated, but sometimes it can be a tangent of curiosity or exploration.
Prefaced the grand canvass, dance to the dirt
Sometimes great things can come from humble beginnings.
Stand up, celebrate the natural need to own what ain't earned
We should recognize our natural desire to want things we haven't earned, but not let it control us.
See it rolls off the tongue, like a smoke ring rolls off a lung til it's done
Some things can be easy or natural, but that doesn't mean they're always good for us.
Ready set kept it, he thefted a post-it, later applied the motives to a moment of some grown shit
Small actions can lead to bigger things and impact our decisions later on.
"Hey, you with the sharpie and BM!" Did you foreplay the gm or you carpe the diem?
We should be mindful of our choices and make the most of each opportunity that comes our way.
War play the porn game, wanna get the sure way, well the freedom will correlate with the sword play and heathens
Sometimes we need to go to war to achieve our goals, but we should be aware of the consequences of our actions.
Trickery I'm back, talk, fresh outta high school,On the prickly catwalk, of the modern bright slide rule
Navigating life can be difficult, especially when we're young and inexperienced.
Every last number in it's history, got it's own little hustle to nuzzle up with the victory, Thanks
Everyone has their own story and journey, and we should be grateful for what we achieve.
Bathe in a bottle of your finest, huckleberry sift through the piss looking for diamonds, for that hell appears to that in your climate, get your money from the richest seek your pussy from the flyest
We should strive for the best things in life and surround ourselves with beauty and wealth.
Slow and low, do or die calm, suicide king and a tuck of the palm, two to five cans in the tuck of the trunk
We should approach life with a steady and calm mindset, even in difficult situations.
And these are the five fingers that are stealing from you (4x)
This line is repeated to emphasize that there are people who take advantage of others and steal from them.
One by one like little confused penguins, larceny's yes when fools used weapons
We should be mindful of how we use our power and avoid violence whenever possible.
Like a bitter little burglar jaded up at the buckets, he is dumb enough to feel like the public owe him a fucking thing
Some people feel like they're entitled to things they haven't earned, even if it harms others.
Nope gotta configure the five fingers, sorta hop wire vehicular skill is applicable, if an eye's on the prize and the itch ain't flushed, I hope the fruits of your labor relieve the initial rush
We should use our skills and resources wisely and be mindful of the consequences of our actions.
Like, step over the abysmal cusp, matchmakers trying to make the mixed signals fucked, and make you read the mud, maybe make the stigma's crushed, like "he will learn to walk after he lifts the drums"
We should strive to overcome challenges and not let our past experiences define us.
And this is certified milk by the department of skullduggery, shoplift quicker than ya shutter speed, click! missed, dip dumb colory, in another muddy river water til the rudder bleeds
Some people resort to illegal or harmful tactics to get what they want.
Skip around the money, peel the color me bunny killer, hovering where the mother feed, gutter greed king, let a crumby motherfucker breed fuck wit me, it goes knock knock, rummy at an abrupt speed
People who prioritize greed and material wealth can have a negative impact on others.
The seed's all growns up, playing grown people games, evil lames grown encompass the whole paper chase, grip better get the master plan, so when the workers of a secret graph expands, yes a pig is a cop, I got a villain for flock, so when I rake in the bacon I hope the kiddies will watch, I hope the flipping of the system will be heavily clocked, cus opportunity's fickle, if they we're trickling stop!
We should be careful and strategic in our pursuits, as sometimes those in power can be corrupt and harmful to society.
Capture the flag, drag that crass little bastard flap through the hazmat glass, laugh when he asks for it back, scratch that, welcome to the magic and a basket of cash
Sometimes our actions can come with consequences, but we should embrace the opportunities that come our way.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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