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
Hold the Cup
Aesop Rock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the saints go marching in
Serpentine regime ordered by response sort of fell this population
Caboose humming no fence me in a van with common patrons
The parody plastered every red brick in site
Where had to keep his plights from ticking
I'm slipping my key and whim dim by dirty tap water and that
Let's connect the thrill of volume to a flat earth
Jay-walkin a hook the past just passed the mere dragon bandwagon passages
I'm sorry, we've never met, my name is driftwood
Thanks friend, good looking, I'll never see you again
Feeding frenzy, catfish stomach, empty oceans
Spangled in hooks dangled by anglers off the plank of burning books
And if you're, not gonna eat that
Kill joy inherited by spirits lacking harnesses
Merchant, Goliath dipped in slipshod posture conceived evening
So I feed idea turn sun dial to bastards son adopt the reroute dreaming
Oh I'll ride the plain bow in flare gully yellow rain coat
Heard a harp but sunny ways my lifeline searching for the same note
Oh please, I know butterfly wings ain't fit to auction
Dig my tossing sturdy walking head hung
Skylark litigants strung out like cats straight up participants
I am the triant diaries of a low life siphon through that vein
Anti-diligence movement, here the hunger habitat
Working class trash raped where racist hit their high
I spy a toddler on the corner with her bubbles and her dipstick
I witness the fusion of her breath and her amusement
And it killed me and it stabbed me and it cut me clear open
The notion that this child timid in her sins embraced pleasure
Within a token of a moment, retless arrested but not a twirp
Strip the Bonabo Disclosure, so close yet so much closer
I'll take the hint but still she's never known cold
Call me in twenty when those bubbles explode it's like that
Verse Two:
Back to back to back to stacking a brick match
With the fact that I've sipped the dripping sap tap
Casually out the limbs of captivated blends back
Tracking the patterns that trim friends to thinning savages
Take one down, pass it round among us
Lick a tipper drink, drink, drunk, drunk, and drunkest
But you quest tore your floorboards and the carpet turned marbles
Naw the carpet turned charcoals and made skeletons of warlords
Snake charmer, hate farmer, divvy you the rations
With an eyedropper a poison passions hoist above the masses
And interrupts homeostasis seeming flow scapes
Like a symmetric snow flake visits and with her symmetry blizzards
I'm sleepy, one wing more and I promise to pay homage
To those who stand truly deserving and the list ain't long
Sink or swim, gravel or ascension
Even birds of our combines float if you let them
They'll be dodging more than cradles when the bough breaks
Note the affiction slip clip to your little visions into cloud shapes
Oh my left hand is a brick layer my right hand is a plow face
We build and destroy in response to every sound the crowd makes
Slingblades sprayed it with apathy magic balance
On the palette of the almighty for painting the first half of me
Honor find it with monster mashing in text casually
On the palette of the almighty to paint the second fraction
I'm collapsed under the relic rainbow with seven sepriet
Succulent aqua marines hide the in by sweetest elixir
Star heckler and leaders start gawking at yet another
Real conceived green fetus beating parallel sterile fixture
Urgent, the surge is like venom and over kill, kill, kill, kill
The over spilled theory's all faucet
For real, how many leaves your clover got? Mine's got eight
Three for normalcy one for luck four more so you'll spot it from space
The song, Hold the Cup by Aesop Rock, is a densely packed stream of consciousness style piece that navigates a wide range of topics and themes that include societal issues, self-reflection, and existentialism. The first verse talks about the serpentine regime that controls society and how people are caught up in the daily grind, going about their lives. The lyrics describe the feeling of being trapped and powerless as well as the surreal experiences one can encounter. He talks about feeding frenzy, empty oceans, burning books, and even a child who finds pleasure in her sins. All these experiences evoke different emotions in the rapper, at the end of the verse he says he'll come back in twenty years and see what happens when the bubbles "explode."
The second verse deep dives into the rapper's introspection as he tries to make sense of the chaos that surrounds him. He talks about the imbalance of power, the struggles of everyday life, and the conflicts we face. In this verse, Aesop Rock seems to question whether things have any meaning at all, and whether he's doing what he should be doing. He talks about his left hand being a brick layer and his right hand being a plow, suggesting that he builds and destroys in response to the sound the crowd makes. At the end of the song, he talks about the leaves on his clover, perhaps metaphorically referring to his life, and how they are unevenly distributed.
Overall, the song is a masterful expression of emotions, thoughts, and societal issues. Aesop Rock shows his lyrical prowess with his overwhelming vocabulary and ability to connect different themes and concepts smoothly.
Facts:
* Hold the Cup is one of Aesop Rock's most streamed songs, with millions of views on YouTube and Spotify.
* The song has been featured in different films and TV series such as "Shameless" and "Lucifer."
* Aesop Rock has admitted that he wrote the song while on tour, and it's a reflection of his life experiences at that time.
* Hold the Cup is the first single from Aesop Rock's fifth studio album, "Skelethon," released in 2012.
* The song was produced by Aesop Rock himself, who has produced most of his work throughout his career.
* Hold the Cup's music video was directed by Rob Shaw.
* Aesop Rock has cited MF Doom, El-P, Rakim, and other hip-hop legends as some of his biggest influences.
* The song features multiple literary references like the phrase "slingblades" in the second verse, which is a reference to a George Saunders' book of the same name.
* Aesop Rock has collaborated with different artists throughout his career, including Rob Sonic, Homeboy Sandman, and Kimya Dawson.
Chords:
Unfortunately, chords for Hold the Cup are not publicly available. The song heavily relies on electronic beats, drum machines, and samples.
Line by Line Meaning
And the saints go marching in
The corrupt leaders continue to lead their followers to commit immoral acts
Serpentine regime ordered by response sort of fell this population
Deception rules the people and has caused their downfall
Caboose humming no fence me in a van with common patrons
The singer feels trapped in a situation and surrounded by mundane people
The parody plastered every red brick in site
The falseness of society is evident everywhere
Where had to keep his plights from ticking
The artist had to keep their problems hidden
I'm slipping my key and whim dim by dirty tap water and that
The singer is losing control of their life in a state of depression
Roach on my ceiling circular fins round a bed of pushpins
The singer's life is in a state of chaos and disarray
Let's connect the thrill of volume to a flat earth
Let's connect our excitement about life to our understanding of reality
Jay-walkin a hook the past just passed the mere dragon bandwagon passages
The past is inescapable and we must learn from it
I'm sorry, we've never met, my name is driftwood
The artist identifies with being lost and aimless
Thanks friend, good looking, I'll never see you again
The singer is resigned to transience in life
Feeding frenzy, catfish stomach, empty oceans
Society is greedy and cannot be satisfied
Spangled in hooks dangled by anglers off the plank of burning books
The singer feels trapped and manipulated by society's systems
And if you're, not gonna eat that
The singer hints at desperation and hunger
Kill joy inherited by spirits lacking harnesses
People are unable to find happiness due to external factors
Merchant, Goliath dipped in slipshod posture conceived evening
Large corporations are corrupt and their actions will lead to the destruction of society
So I feed idea turn sun dial to bastards son adopt the reroute dreaming
The artist suggests a new way of life to escape the current one
Oh I'll ride the plain bow in flare gully yellow rain coat
The singer finds beauty in the midst of chaos
Heard a harp but sunny ways my lifeline searching for the same note
The singer struggles to find their place in life
Oh please, I know butterfly wings ain't fit to auction
The artist recognizes the worthlessness of material possessions
Dig my tossing sturdy walking head hung
The artist is tired and defeated
Skylark litigants strung out like cats straight up participants
Society is filled with people who blindly follow others
I am the triant diaries of a low life siphon through that vein
The singer identifies with being a closely observed outsider
Anti-diligence movement, here the hunger habitat
Society is too focused on consumption and not enough on improving themselves
Working class trash raped where racist hit their high
The working class is targeted and discriminated against by those in power
I spy a toddler on the corner with her bubbles and her dipstick
The singer sees innocence in the midst of darkness
I witness the fusion of her breath and her amusement
The singer finds joy in the child's playful innocence
And it killed me and it stabbed me and it cut me clear open
The artist is overwhelmed by the beauty of pure innocence
The notion that this child timid in her sins embraced pleasure
The artist observes that the child finds pleasure in simple things despite her innocence
Within a token of a moment, retless arrested but not a twirp
The singer is captivated by the child's spontaneous joy
Strip the Bonabo Disclosure, so close yet so much closer
The singer calls for an end to secrecy and making secrets easier to uncover
Back to back to back to stacking a brick match
The artist is climbing the ladder of success and prosperity
With the fact that I've sipped the dripping sap tap
The artist acknowledges their participation in society's corruption
Casually out the limbs of captivated blends back
The artist is skilled at navigating society's corrupt systems
Tracking the patterns that trim friends to thinning savages
The singer can identify and avoid those who will corrupt them
Take one down, pass it round among us
The artist shares their insight with others to combat corruption
Lick a tipper drink, drink, drunk, drunk, and drunkest
People use alcohol as a coping mechanism for their problems
But you quest tore your floorboards and the carpet turned marbles
The singer is witnessing a downward spiral into darkness and chaos
Naw the carpet turned charcoals and made skeletons of warlords
The singer sees societal collapse and the exposure of corruption
Snake charmer, hate farmer, divvy you the rations
Those in power manipulate their followers and control access to resources
With an eyedropper a poison passions hoist above the masses
Society poisons the passions of the people in order to control them
And interrupts homeostasis seeming flow scapes
Society's corruption disrupts the natural order of things
Like a symmetric snow flake visits and with her symmetry blizzards
Society's corruption can cause catastrophic consequences
I'm sleepy, one wing more and I promise to pay homage
The artist is struggling to continue fighting against corruption
To those who stand truly deserving and the list ain't long
The artist recognizes the few who are deserving of respect and admiration
Sink or swim, gravel or ascension
Life is a struggle between success and failure
Even birds of our combines float if you let them
People are capable of greatness if allowed to reach their full potential
They'll be dodging more than cradles when the bough breaks
The consequences of societal collapse will be catastrophic
Note the affiction slip clip to your little visions into cloud shapes
The singer urges others to not be blinded by false hope and see things as they truly are
Oh my left hand is a brick layer my right hand is a plow face
The singer is capable of both destruction and creation
We build and destroy in response to every sound the crowd makes
Society's actions are dictated by group mentality, not individual thought
Slingblades sprayed it with apathy magic balance
Society's corruption is maintained by a lack of empathy and balance
On the palette of the almighty for painting the first half of me
The artist views their life as a work of art
Honor find it with monster mashing in text casually
Society's concept of honor is skewed and hypocritical
On the palette of the almighty to paint the second fraction
The singer views their future as another part of their artistic creation
I'm collapsed under the relic rainbow with seven sepriet
The artist is overwhelmed by the beauty and complexity of life
Succulent aqua marines hide the in by sweetest elixir
The artist is drawn to the beauty and mystery of the natural world
Star heckler and leaders start gawking at yet another
Society is preoccupied with drama and celebrity
Real conceived green fetus beating parallel sterile fixture
The singer sees life as a miracle in a society that values conformity
Urgent, the surge is like venom and over kill, kill, kill, kill
Society's corruption is like a poison that is killing everything
The over spilled theory's all faucet
The cause of societal collapse is clear and ever-present
For real, how many leaves your clover got? Mine's got eight
The singer is reflecting on the simple things in life, and is content with what they have
Contributed by Jonathan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Joe Baumgart
Ace is the place where I spend my bandwidth,
Got other sellout scraping at the white whale for ahabs sandwich,
Everyone out here killing each other
All animals are equals,
But this Animal is more equal than others
Low fat multi grain cellophane draino
Laughing his ass off like Captian Insano
We say so.
Pushing trees, look at me
Catch a fish, cook a tree
When we die then we see
What we all had to be
Ace is the face of the sound of the underground
Hiding in the woods of Oregon when he can't be found
Some say Ace not on the radio is heinous,
But it sure beats the hell out of being famous.
TheDandyLion
As a fan for 10+ years now I've often considered righting Ace a fan letter. But I don't know where I'd write, or what I'd say.
Chip Simon
Just make it flow so he can make a song out of it
Jay Stinger
Tell him thank you!
imtonysopro
This is what'd you'd write. Right?
Benicio Manulskowicz
Write it and take it out in the yard and burn it. Aes will catch the smoke up on his cloud like caterpillar to the Alice.
Benicio Manulskowicz
@Phil da sky after the other MILLION messages
Tex Jime
This couldn’t have come at a better moment, lost in torrential stress and times rougher than sharkskin this is the fuel and foliage that gives me encouragement to keep the spark lit within.
Aes is you see this let me dye some clothes for you, three hots & a cot and I’d gladly do that shit for free
TyrannosaurusMarx
sharkskin is tough but smooth, brother. try it on.
Carson Wright
I click on aes songs as soon as I see em, don't matter what I'm doin, gotta hear this shit.
Sippi Solis
I can't get over how nostalgic this makes me. Skateboarding in Houston Texas 16yo jamming to Appleseed on my iPod nano. Time flies.