Aand not just that; it easily applies to anything you've ever done, and used to love doing, that has faded away into obscurity and oblivion due to your life branching in an unexpected path that sterrs you clear of what was once your passion... I think I went to deep, there. I know music is powerful, but I gotta be straight with all you: just there, I was pourong my heart out. Goddamn... I miss doing shit...
@@elcamello1980bro, do shit again, I'm a stranger telling you to pick whatever you did up again. I'm doing it too. Used to be a pianist, left that to the side for a while because learning pieces was just shit. I wanted to make my own. So one day I was like fuck it I'll start writing even though it had been years. Then I started rapping again because of fucking aes and el. I'm loving it so much again. I don't know what it is that you used to do do, but pick it up again. Make whatever that shit is part of you.
After 8 years, this song still hits me hard. I used to stay up all night as a kid drawing, writing, playing guitar, and enjoying my creative outlets. Then it came time to go to college and I decided to put my creativity to use and went to college for film. I wrote scripts, drew storyboards, built sets, designed costumes, made films, won awards but each semester it became more about performance and getting scholastic appraisal. After I left college life became about adult life and I had totally lost my creative drive. That was in 2016. I haven't been able to create something purely from passion since. I'm fighting to get it back but I honestly regret ever going to school for an arts degree. My advice to other creatives is to think long and hard before going into a place where your work will be institutionalized, graded, and evaluated. Consider going to school for something else and protect your creative releases, your escapes. Don't abandon them by any means, foster them deeply and pursue them. But don't let the world's ideas of creative evaluation turn your work into something you resent. Go be impossible.
There's a story in psychology courses. Suppose you're a neighbour to a kid, who keeps playing saxophone, obnoxiously, and badly, and you want it to stop. How do you do it? You pay the kid to keep doing it. Just pay him less and less. First, 10$ an hour. Then 5. Then 2. Time it right, and the kid stops playing at all. You've externalized the rewards for something that was once intrinsic, and the brain adapts. The kid stops playing because it's not worth it anymore. You've switched the reward mechanism. It's dangerous to get paid for what you truly enjoy. Once the pay is gone, so is the joy.
Aes is a lyrical genius doing his own thing with his riffs that are his riffs ... Nothing recycled here boys and dolls, just fresh, new, unadulterated, genuine genius
This is where I send people who accuse Aesop of peddling word salad. It's a touching personal story, coherent and poetic, with tons of original phrasing, perfectly executed.
confusing aes's abstract verbiage with word salad is understandable, but also seems to come from a place of ignorance. he may play around with words and syllables to an extreme extent (to some people's tastes), but concluding that he does so without having any meaning attached to the words borders on disrespect for the man.
"Used to draw, hard to admit that I "used" to draw. Used to paint, hard to admit that I "used" to paint." Those are some powerful lines. So simple but sends such a strong message. Automatically gets you thinking about all the things you used to love and why you may have stopped working on them.
@Mark s Wow...you're fucking dumb. Its hard for him to admit that he used to because that means he doesnt anymore... he gave up on one of his passions. You totally misinterpreted it in like the stupidist most fragile masculinity way possible. Says alot about you.
@Mark s literally nothing about Aesop is him trying to be "gangsta", he's just stating how he lost sight of a passion and now he's reflecting on how he regrets giving up on that passion. It's legit the entire message of this song if that somehow skipped over your brain.
@Mark s The reason "used" is in quotes is because he knows he could pick it up again at any time, but lacks the passion and motivation for a creative outlet he used to hold dearly. It's "hard to admit" because he regrets squandering that talent. How can you take Aesop's lyrics at face value? His songs are meant to be disected, almost none of his songs are skin deep.
this song touches me deeply, and my english is not good. several things about her, I can't understand, but I can feel. what is it about ? the process of being an artist, and how difficult the journey is?
this song touches me deeply, and my english is not good. several things about her, I can't understand, but I can feel. what is it about ? the process of being an artist, and how difficult the journey is?
Aesop Rock is one of the best lyricists and artists of all time. I hear new meanings and catch things i didn't before listening to his tracks. Oh man...the layers!
This shit struck a nerve with me. I can't even listen to it without my whole body going numb. Haven't picked up my trade since I graduated art school in '09. Life took a very different turn than I thought it would. Just started to pick myself back up along with my artistry, and Aes sends out this. I'm going for top MFA program in the country, and this shall be my theme song while I hustle. Appreciate it, Aes.
To everyone who has watched this repeatedly, as I have, thank you. It's nice to know that there's others who live Aesop's work like I do. Aes saved my life many times with his music. I'll never forget the day I stumbled across Float. I'd never really heard of Aes but something told me that I needed that album. Needless to say, it changed my life. How to be a Carpenter is my favorite to this day. Thank you Aes!
As a graphics artist this is probably the first rap song that has really hit me in a soft spot. Aesop Rock, you have my respect. Absolutely.... beautiful.
The best rapper ever...havent heard anyone who can take me on journeys like this..continue to inspire and expose the fakeness by being so real..impossible
For real dude! His storytelling ability while rhyming all along the way is amazing! by the way, have you seen the video with rhymes highlighted of this track? Was published a while ago;)
this song touches me deeply, and my english is not good. several things about her, I can't understand, but I can feel. what is it about ? the process of being an artist, and how difficult the journey is?
@@will7620 As in, chopping down a tree for no other reason than counting the rings/circles to find out how old it is, killing it in the process. My guess is it's a reference to having ones art and life judged and dissected by an audience.
@@will7620 Yeesh I cannot imagine translating Aes's work into another language. So much context, subtext, and metaphor just gone. I figure it'd be impossible to translate properly.
If you are an artist working in physical mediums like drawing, painting, print making, sculpture etc you understand the importance of leaving "tangible" art and artifacts. Your legacy.
I gave up everything else just to make sure my dream Career stays in view. Lost friends, lost family support, made fun of, never taken seriously. I am now a Professional Art Director for the Performane Racing Industry and SEMA. Never give up creativity and never give those dreams up. Stay true in this false world full of false promises and false idols.
+chaosinorderrr dude! you're the man. didn't even know that was an option till now! I also appreciate their option: "stats for nerds". well played, youtube.
Damn, this song rings true to me.. Makes me pissed I ruined that part of my creativity so long ago (convinced myself I wasn't good enough). Its been 20 + years since I picked up a pencil. Perhaps its time to start anew.
+kstryker22 I had a small epiphany last night. I became a poet after experiencing the first loss of love. Once I got in a relationship again I was still writing, she was interested at first but eventually it seemed like a hassle anytime I had anything new for her to read. Eventually we didn't last and I got into another relationship fairly quickly and she was even less concerned about my writing so I never really shared it and eventually just stopped even after thst relationship failed too. Years later I've picked up writing again and I'm better than ever. Just this year one I've written 15 or so good poems, and one song and I thought to myself why did I ever stop? I could have had 500 poems written by now but then I realized it was because people that I cared about didn't care and so I stopped caring. I won't ever let anyone stiffly my creativity again though. Start creating again and don't let anyone stop you.
To all the creative people on this thread...PLEASE don't give up on yourselves. You create new worlds and you matter, whatever the level. And if you have given it up, I hope you rediscover and rekindle your lost love.
Aesop Rock is a legend. I love this song, so I added a 3rd verse. Used to write Hard to admit that I used to write Thought distilled in a crystal state Mind immortal on a sandstone slate It was pneuma affirming A new inner meaning emerging Passage for all that needs purging Conjure a world with the flick of a wrist Ending a sesh in the mid-morning mist Dialogue darting about like its ping pong Drawing some shifty eyed looks with the sing song Sidewalk lost to the mental projection Lidless manholes beyond your perception Half of a day sacrificed to a sentence Only to nix it as lyric repentance A Jenga of notebooks and crumpled up post-its Diet abandoned, subsisting on Hostess You can’t imagine the thrill in your chest When your storybook hero’s pursuing their quest It all comes together, those phantoms made real The second draft printed, the wild-eyed zeal But out of the murk the quotas encroach Your cubicle life, your boss’s reproach Those radiant vistas get set to one side And all that remains is to say that you tried I left some timers ticking to nil I left some promise thumbing a lift I let my fiction dry on the quill I let my sonnet cease and desist Bungling the war with doubt, imposter syndrome setting in He’s wondering if every kindly word he got was counterfeit Now navigate the future like a no-wing pilot Nap in the photons, look up in the sky, it’s- Words falling out of the fringe All heart, though we would've made cowardly kings They will chop you down just to count your rings Just to count your rings, just to count your rings
FINALLY this dude gets the recognition he deserves.................... Ive been rooting for this guy for 2 decades now and finally he's where he belongs. AESOP
This might be one of the all time greatest tracks ever orchestrated. I know how that is ridiculously bold to say. Thanks for your music AES, can’t wait for more of that ITS.
Just want to say thanks for allowing me not to feel like the only one that thinks like this.this song pulled me out of a very dark place and for that I am eternally grateful
yes, I love the imagery in the beginning where he is realizing his own self is missing and gets plowed down while being standstill in the middle of the road. perfect visual representation of the meaning of the lyrics.
I just graduated highschool a couple months ago. This song made me remember when i was in school and all i would ever do is draw, never paying attention to anything else. This struck me so hard when i actually listened to the lyrics that i nearly cried because it resonates so hard with me. I just started listening to aesop rock and now i think im never gonna stop Edit: one year after finding this song and falling in love with it and leaving this comment, I figured out the hook (they will chop you down just to count your rings) is actually a metaphor for loggers cutting trees and reading the rings inside to count it's worth. Absolutely beautiful storytelling at its finest
Goat. Thank you for feeding the need to read and continuously grow one's vocabulary. Thank you for your contribution to the pantheon of the great,great, great lyric.
Sometimes he uses a lot of intricate vocab - like in this song, there's definitely some specialized, art-related vocabulary that I reckon a lot of native speakers would have to look up (in this one, there's: contour, foreshortening, "Bristol" (my assumption here is that he's referencing the art paper brand), acrylic (as opposed to oil paint), "Zinc White" (particular name of a common artist "white" acrylic color), "linseed oil over linen." Then additionally, Aesop can use some specialized references in general (like various musical references in "Blood Sandwich"). Not to mention, he uses the most unique words of all rappers, and his vocab is 100% outside of the common/typical English lexicon: pudding.cool/projects/vocabulary/index.html But I love the bar you've set for yourself. 4 years later, I hope your foreign language journey is going well. You already seem like you had accomplished a lot at the time of writing your comment.
I last listened to this song years ago when I was still really bad at english (level of not knowing at all the lyrics of any english song) Now that I came back here for nostalgia being "fluent" enough, I was like "Oh nice now Imma see the lyrics and finally understand it"... *_Comes back crying after having to translate half of the words and yet not understanding the meaning at first_*
You will be doing better than a lot of us who learned English as our first language. I've had to look up many words, mythical characters, pop-culture references and historical figures. Aesop is amazing.
first time I heard Aes was in a friend's car in the driveway, Basic Cable was playing. I had to have him replay it again immediately and it was even better the second time around. Very glad we didn't get home sooner.
This song hits home on a level I didn't think anything could to me anymore. Love drawing, done it since I was 4, and up until this point it was mostly a hobby, albeit one I've been more than ok at as some would say. I, of course, would think different. I lost the will to do so in these past several years. Aesop's words here feel as though they've been taken from my very thoughts, and have pushed me to pursue what I've always loved seriously. Thanks, Rhymesayer.
Perfectly sums up the struggle to balance being an artist while still being marketable. Being in an industry that demands originality and expression but within the confines of contractual obligation, where you constantly have to defend your work and its worth is exhausting. You can very easily lose your way and your will to keep honing your craft if you can't find someone who understands your thought process. People with a genuine gift and talent for the craft can become discouraged, while those who do it for fun and recreation always put their own work down when compared to others. It's frustrating to find people who want aesthetically pleasing pieces or who demand graphics that further their own image, while refusing to pay for that artist's work. No wonder so many artists fight to keep their passions alive, be it drawing, painting, sculpting, writing or singing. It's a ruthless industry that people don't put much stock in developing. To my fellow struggling artists, I say, press on. And for those who have avoided picking up their pencils and brushes for years, like myself, there's no time like the present to start again.
@Mark s lol Song clearly points out he stopped drawing because he allowed his fear of failing to get the better of him and has been regretting it ever since.
@Mark s as an artist myself the things we often dont talk about usually just because of shame is losing interest and as a result losing skills, he's not against drawing if anything he's against himself for not continuing his drawings, now he remembers his past artistic visions like ghosts haunting him...which is not uncommon at all.
Not only does he have a bachelor in visual art, he is also the least gangter rapper you will find out there besides maybe milo. He made a song about his little kitten, he said " Party over here / I'll be over there" in the lyrics of Dorks, AND explicitly said in an interview that he'd rather play videogames at home than go to rapper's parties. Dude's awesome, but by no means a "gangsta"
Ima drag my sneakers through the dirt like alligator bellies til the cloud burst honouring a loud thirst submerged in a trap little drummer boy verse thunder clap.
All of his stuff follows the same style, but this is one of his only albums that takes a personal twist with the lyrics. I'd recommend checking out None Shall Pass, Daylight, Nightlight, Pigs, Float, Basic Cable, Big Bang. Pretty much anything is great.
id say check out fast cars, danger fire and knives. that and bazooka tooth blew my mind, led me to older stuff and then to follow every release after. don't try and turn people onto radio friendly shit only, hes got so many amazing lyrical twists on beats you'll never hear anywhere else. i mean unless you get into blockhead then you'll understand why us new yorkers like what we like, fuck the rest. DIY and truly lyrical raps. i guarantee you'll have to google about every 3rd word this man spits. vocab time kiddies
This is my first time hearing this guy and I must admit his lyricism is amazing... Powerful lines... This shit is mind blowing 😲 Yo man imagine if he gets into a diss rap battle... He will have a crowd go insane
Check him out in Cage's song called Left it to us. If you want to hear him be Raw and Agressive on the Mic. Or Daylight/Nightlight for a very deep meaning song and check out a funny song he did called Kirby, it's just about his cat.
My therapist showed me this ... I'm one to learn lyrics quickly And yet this isn't that easy. I'm quite impressed with his lyrics, his flow, and how this was presented. The poetry and rhythm. The R.hythm A.nd P.oetry. Notice R.A.P. is an ACRONYM? Not just simply a genre?
This is real art. Seeing all these comments and how you all are relating to it on a realistic level is totally amazing.. AesopRock takes me places beyond hiphop
what i get from this is that people will try to control you for the potential you have, and exploit you're talent just to throw you out when they are done with you.
Kris Nance i did creative consulting for AAA organizations i literally smoked weed and was creative that's a good way to retire most of the stuff ive done has NDA's but i can mention, for example, the 15m i made by telling ESPN execs to buy the television rights for professional drone racing and i can mention early next week ill be going to europe to buy a jet (hopefully a 767)
Adolf Hitler retiring at 24 is for wimps you really just want to play cod now for the rest of your life? Play forza horizon 3 and still work you'll feel more satisfaction from that
This is about how he drew and even painted all the time when he was younger. Got out of it to pursue other things and 15-20 years later tried to get back into it and proved difficult at first.
Been relating to this song hard lately. I started college going into computer science, but discovered acting in my first semester and loved it. Got some big roles in a few plays and found a second family in my castmates. But then my major kicked into gear, I had less time to go to auditions and old castmates are quickly forgetting me. More and more I have to choose between a talent I love or a skill that I can assuredly live off of, and I'm terrified of looking back ten years from now and wondering what could have been.
Aesop, thank you so much for writing this song... I've only been a fan for the past few years - heard "None Shall Pass" on someones playlist, and then proceeded to dive headfirst into your stuff. I absolutely devoured Skelethon and Bestiary (Me and my husband and our friends were up front at your show in Carboro at The Cats' Cradle on you guys' Bestiary tour! Incredible show btw you guys!!) but anyhow, it's really funny because I'm a visual artist, and I could just tell that you must have had some knowledge in the realm! There would be these little colorful lyrics here and there that I would catch myself thinking "How peculiar, only an artist would say/notice/know that to that degree" XD - So when I heard this song it was like "Ha ha! Suspicion confirmed!!" -and then I got sad, lol - but no less! I'm not sure what ultimately made you go from art to music, I can only speculate really, but regardless, I'm glad you're being true to yourself and continue to climb that mountain every day!! The music world is an immensely richer and more beautiful place because of you!!!!!! My husband and I tell/show everyone we think would be into your stuff about you when we can, and they're always blown away!!!! I left my job cutting hair and I've been doing art professionally for the past year and a half or so, just trying to do better and better every day. I think it is one of the bravest things a person can do, to put themselves out there, vulnerabilities and all like that, and know that they will be judged, but to continue onward out of love for yourself, others, and the craft; to wake up every day and do your best to say "I got this shit!!"and make good art. It's insanely hard most days, and some days I feel like a real loser, lol but this song has become a bit of a battlecry song for me, (in kind of a twisted reverse way granted!) but I take from it an intense sentiment of "No regrets" and I let it be wind in my sails..^^ -and music wise, you've been one of my strongest winds in the last couple years. You've been my first "New favorite artist" since Radiohead back in high school! lol a title I don't throw around lightly! I can't wait for your new album next month(!!!!!) and will most definitely come see you on tour!!! Thanks again for writing this song man ^^ I know it must have been hard.. -but you keep on kicking ass like I know you will!!!
We didn't get to go to your show because we had to choose between tickets and groceries dammit..unlucky string of events x.x; The regret is strong in this one, lol - saw you shortly after on Steven Colbert though and was so fucking stoked for you!!! Love Steven Colbert too XD Next time for. sure. :]
@Sum Arbor -still at it! I've been working on my first product line (wildlife stickers/percentage profits donated to coral reef restoration) for the last year and a half, and so excited about it! Thank you for the encouragement! :) -and thanks for bringing this song to my ears again today! 🤘
He just hits hard like that. Somehow, I originally wanted to be a mechanical engineer, now I realize music makes me what I am today, so I am working towards being a rapper. Aes is my main inspiration, same with Rage against the machine.
think i've listened to this about 50 times in the past few days....that beat, lyrics and video....this is the best i've heard from Aesop Rock....and the best i've heard in quite a while. love story tellers. Its why i love Atmosphere so much. Rhymesayers have some good things going on over there.
I don’t know if it was in this video but one hilarious comment was “only Aesop Rock can make it sound like only the hardest OGs paint and draw”
Best comment 😂
Cause it's true lol
it's fascinating as hell to hear a great artist describe the remorse of abandoning a previously loved art form.
Amen
It's hella accurate, I know because I used to draw....
it came out when I stopped studying in art school so it was kind of odd to hear it
Aand not just that; it easily applies to anything you've ever done, and used to love doing, that has faded away into obscurity and oblivion due to your life branching in an unexpected path that sterrs you clear of what was once your passion...
I think I went to deep, there. I know music is powerful, but I gotta be straight with all you: just there, I was pourong my heart out.
Goddamn... I miss doing shit...
@@elcamello1980bro, do shit again, I'm a stranger telling you to pick whatever you did up again. I'm doing it too. Used to be a pianist, left that to the side for a while because learning pieces was just shit. I wanted to make my own. So one day I was like fuck it I'll start writing even though it had been years. Then I started rapping again because of fucking aes and el. I'm loving it so much again. I don't know what it is that you used to do do, but pick it up again. Make whatever that shit is part of you.
After 8 years, this song still hits me hard. I used to stay up all night as a kid drawing, writing, playing guitar, and enjoying my creative outlets. Then it came time to go to college and I decided to put my creativity to use and went to college for film. I wrote scripts, drew storyboards, built sets, designed costumes, made films, won awards but each semester it became more about performance and getting scholastic appraisal. After I left college life became about adult life and I had totally lost my creative drive. That was in 2016. I haven't been able to create something purely from passion since. I'm fighting to get it back but I honestly regret ever going to school for an arts degree. My advice to other creatives is to think long and hard before going into a place where your work will be institutionalized, graded, and evaluated. Consider going to school for something else and protect your creative releases, your escapes. Don't abandon them by any means, foster them deeply and pursue them. But don't let the world's ideas of creative evaluation turn your work into something you resent. Go be impossible.
There's a story in psychology courses. Suppose you're a neighbour to a kid, who keeps playing saxophone, obnoxiously, and badly, and you want it to stop. How do you do it? You pay the kid to keep doing it. Just pay him less and less. First, 10$ an hour. Then 5. Then 2. Time it right, and the kid stops playing at all. You've externalized the rewards for something that was once intrinsic, and the brain adapts. The kid stops playing because it's not worth it anymore. You've switched the reward mechanism. It's dangerous to get paid for what you truly enjoy. Once the pay is gone, so is the joy.
Aes is a lyrical genius doing his own thing with his riffs that are his riffs ... Nothing recycled here boys and dolls, just fresh, new, unadulterated, genuine genius
He really is exceptionally brilliant.
This is where I send people who accuse Aesop of peddling word salad. It's a touching personal story, coherent and poetic, with tons of original phrasing, perfectly executed.
it's the exception to the rule
The exception to the rule is like you being able to type your reply with no misspelling...
This whole album
confusing aes's abstract verbiage with word salad is understandable, but also seems to come from a place of ignorance. he may play around with words and syllables to an extreme extent (to some people's tastes), but concluding that he does so without having any meaning attached to the words borders on disrespect for the man.
Your explanation is beautiful. I love you.
"Used to draw, hard to admit that I "used" to draw. Used to paint, hard to admit that I "used" to paint." Those are some powerful lines. So simple but sends such a strong message. Automatically gets you thinking about all the things you used to love and why you may have stopped working on them.
@Mark s he lost the passion for it, the motivation.
The hard part I'd that it is in the past, and not something that stayed. He 'used' to draw, he doesn't draw now. The hard part is admitting that.
@Mark s Wow...you're fucking dumb.
Its hard for him to admit that he used to because that means he doesnt anymore... he gave up on one of his passions.
You totally misinterpreted it in like the stupidist most fragile masculinity way possible. Says alot about you.
@Mark s literally nothing about Aesop is him trying to be "gangsta", he's just stating how he lost sight of a passion and now he's reflecting on how he regrets giving up on that passion. It's legit the entire message of this song if that somehow skipped over your brain.
@Mark s The reason "used" is in quotes is because he knows he could pick it up again at any time, but lacks the passion and motivation for a creative outlet he used to hold dearly.
It's "hard to admit" because he regrets squandering that talent.
How can you take Aesop's lyrics at face value? His songs are meant to be disected, almost none of his songs are skin deep.
As an artist who procrastinates, I got chills from this song
Hard to admit that you used to art
"procrastinating myself"? Sorry my man 😂
this song touches me deeply, and my english is not good.
several things about her, I can't understand, but I can feel.
what is it about ?
the process of being an artist, and how difficult the journey is?
Such a powerful song, it carries a lot of meaning for any artist. That's some deep personal stuff, and it's huge just to say that out loud.
this song touches me deeply, and my english is not good.
several things about her, I can't understand, but I can feel.
what is it about ?
the process of being an artist, and how difficult the journey is?
@@will7620 it's about losing artistic skills that meant a lot to you in younger years, as life takes you in other directions
I can't be the only one who feels literal chills run all over their body listening to this.
Aesop Rock is one of the best lyricists and artists of all time. I hear new meanings and catch things i didn't before listening to his tracks. Oh man...the layers!
Just like rings.
@@DEDomain Underrated comment.
This shit struck a nerve with me. I can't even listen to it without my whole body going numb. Haven't picked up my trade since I graduated art school in '09. Life took a very different turn than I thought it would. Just started to pick myself back up along with my artistry, and Aes sends out this. I'm going for top MFA program in the country, and this shall be my theme song while I hustle. Appreciate it, Aes.
How's life in the 3 years since this comment?
How'd it go bro?
WE DEMAND ANSWERS!!!
+Catacomb Kidd How's life now?
Hope you're close to where you wanted to be three years ago.☺
To everyone who has watched this repeatedly, as I have, thank you. It's nice to know that there's others who live Aesop's work like I do. Aes saved my life many times with his music. I'll never forget the day I stumbled across Float. I'd never really heard of Aes but something told me that I needed that album. Needless to say, it changed my life. How to be a Carpenter is my favorite to this day. Thank you Aes!
Just discovered him quite recently, even though this comment was 7 years ago, it's good to know I'm not the only one 😂
7 years later do you have any new favorites? I still spin the entirety of Float regularly 😅
3:23 - damn that line and flow
Christ. He's just so nice with it.
I can't believe how hard Aesop kills it every time. That kind of heavy synthesizer reminds me a lot of Black Moth Super Rainbow, I love this.
+stevebob240 if you like black moth super rainbow, check out the track aes did with tobacco if you haven't already. it's called "dirt"
Yeah, I've heard it. It's amazing. I bought Fucked Up Friends without even know Aesop was on it. Needless to say, it was an awesome surprise.
+stevebob240 when I saw the comment asking who made the beat my initial reaction was BMSR/Tobacco. Glad someone hears it.
saw both aesop and bmsr in orlando about 5 years back best concert ever
What's there not to believe? He's a real artist. Nothing can stop him but himself
As a graphics artist this is probably the first rap song that has really hit me in a soft spot. Aesop Rock, you have my respect. Absolutely.... beautiful.
The best rapper ever...havent heard anyone who can take me on journeys like this..continue to inspire and expose the fakeness by being so real..impossible
For real dude! His storytelling ability while rhyming all along the way is amazing! by the way, have you seen the video with rhymes highlighted of this track? Was published a while ago;)
MF DOOM
@@vegav3213 yessir same with atmostphere
@@vegav3213 they are both on top 3
@@favilamendez1715 who's your third one
I swear AR's talent with the quill just get sharper with age. The fuckin illest. A living legend.
"They will chop you down, just to count your rings" sent chills down my spine
this song touches me deeply, and my english is not good.
several things about her, I can't understand, but I can feel.
what is it about ?
the process of being an artist, and how difficult the journey is?
this part in particular, the translation makes no sense, what exactly does this part you quoted mean?
@@will7620 As in, chopping down a tree for no other reason than counting the rings/circles to find out how old it is, killing it in the process. My guess is it's a reference to having ones art and life judged and dissected by an audience.
@@will7620 Yeesh I cannot imagine translating Aes's work into another language. So much context, subtext, and metaphor just gone. I figure it'd be impossible to translate properly.
This song picked apart the day and put the pieces back together his way.
well played
Taking it back with that one.
+KiloCharlieOne For real, I haven't listened to Daylight/Nightlight in quite some time
+Xav.ier nah nah. I wanna see the five day forecast 14 days in advance so I can get my two weeks notice every time the sun dance
They
swallowed
up
the
pieces
If you are an artist working in physical mediums like drawing, painting, print making, sculpture etc you understand the importance of leaving "tangible" art and artifacts. Your legacy.
I gave up everything else just to make sure my dream Career stays in view. Lost friends, lost family support, made fun of, never taken seriously. I am now a Professional Art Director for the Performane Racing Industry and SEMA. Never give up creativity and never give those dreams up. Stay true in this false world full of false promises and false idols.
*Cries in dance*
Nah but for real, at least I do other shit, can’t exactly hang your drop swing on the fridge lmao
If you're working a job you don't love. This hits so hard the tears are automatic and you can't stop em.
The song of abandoned creative aspirations
I have never heard of aesop before. I must admit, this could be addicting! Good beat, lyrics are on point and video was also entertaining! ♥️
I've just been hitting refresh over and over. The flow on this is insane, and he's taken his lyricism to another level.
+evilwax73 Right click on video and click on "Loop" !!
+chaosinorderrr I was mostly just saying that the track is so good that I have to keep replaying it, but thanks for the tip!
+chaosinorderrr dude! you're the man. didn't even know that was an option till now! I also appreciate their option: "stats for nerds". well played, youtube.
+chaosinorderrr thanks bro. I'm always replaying videos and now I can do that. props.
+evilwax73 yea dude. his flow on this one Mystery Fish and Get Outta the Car are ridiculous.
i have never been able to relate more to an aesop rock song..
same...
same here...
Damn, this song rings true to me.. Makes me pissed I ruined that part of my creativity so long ago (convinced myself I wasn't good enough). Its been 20 + years since I picked up a pencil. Perhaps its time to start anew.
+kstryker22 I had a small epiphany last night. I became a poet after experiencing the first loss of love. Once I got in a relationship again I was still writing, she was interested at first but eventually it seemed like a hassle anytime I had anything new for her to read. Eventually we didn't last and I got into another relationship fairly quickly and she was even less concerned about my writing so I never really shared it and eventually just stopped even after thst relationship failed too. Years later I've picked up writing again and I'm better than ever. Just this year one I've written 15 or so good poems, and one song and I thought to myself why did I ever stop? I could have had 500 poems written by now but then I realized it was because people that I cared about didn't care and so I stopped caring. I won't ever let anyone stiffly my creativity again though. Start creating again and don't let anyone stop you.
+logicone same, man. i used to draw all the damn time. i can still draw...but i'm rusty and i just never make time anymore. it's killer.
I'm speachless. This is a masterpiece.
The mixing and the keyboard synths beeping through the snare are making the song for me. So captivating.
so, so, SO underrated song... a masterpiece! i get goosebumps whenever i hear this song and concentrate on the lyrics
To all the creative people on this thread...PLEASE don't give up on yourselves. You create new worlds and you matter, whatever the level. And if you have given it up, I hope you rediscover and rekindle your lost love.
Aesop Rock is a legend. I love this song, so I added a 3rd verse.
Used to write
Hard to admit that I used to write
Thought distilled in a crystal state
Mind immortal on a sandstone slate
It was pneuma affirming
A new inner meaning emerging
Passage for all that needs purging
Conjure a world with the flick of a wrist
Ending a sesh in the mid-morning mist
Dialogue darting about like its ping pong
Drawing some shifty eyed looks with the sing song
Sidewalk lost to the mental projection
Lidless manholes beyond your perception
Half of a day sacrificed to a sentence
Only to nix it as lyric repentance
A Jenga of notebooks and crumpled up post-its
Diet abandoned, subsisting on Hostess
You can’t imagine the thrill in your chest
When your storybook hero’s pursuing their quest
It all comes together, those phantoms made real
The second draft printed, the wild-eyed zeal
But out of the murk the quotas encroach
Your cubicle life, your boss’s reproach
Those radiant vistas get set to one side
And all that remains is to say that you tried
I left some timers ticking to nil
I left some promise thumbing a lift
I let my fiction dry on the quill
I let my sonnet cease and desist
Bungling the war with doubt, imposter syndrome setting in
He’s wondering if every kindly word he got was counterfeit
Now navigate the future like a no-wing pilot
Nap in the photons, look up in the sky, it’s-
Words falling out of the fringe
All heart, though we would've made cowardly kings
They will chop you down just to count your rings
Just to count your rings, just to count your rings
That's actually very good, flow is just about the same as aesops work and the cadence is just about right to sing to the same beat :)
@@ReaganKimberley Thanks man :D
Good stuff man
@@lo-tar1442 Thanks!
@Charlie Rose Glad you like it :)
When he got hit by that car, I honestly thought a bunch of rings were gonna come out of him like Sonic The Hedgehog...
lmfao!!! best comment ever
lmfao!
honestly wouldve been dope af lol
why?
+TheWisdomOfSilenus gee, who knows....
maybe because: "Rings"
& also the other weird, if not dope shit, going on in the vid ;p
FINALLY this dude gets the recognition he deserves.................... Ive been rooting for this guy for 2 decades now and finally he's where he belongs. AESOP
I just wanted to tell you what a very special human being you are. Not just musically, but your mind.
The beauty in this man's third eye is otherworldly. What a gift to the world he truly is.
Album of the year on the way
Besides Deftones new album of course
+eptxgreg
>deftones
>of course
+eptxgreg Release date confirmed? Awww yiss
well, i could mention a yet another group that releases an album this year. Death grips, but i think aesop's will be better
+chaosinorderrr Y'all sleeping. DOOMStarks is coming this year.
This might be one of the all time greatest tracks ever orchestrated. I know how that is ridiculously bold to say. Thanks for your music AES, can’t wait for more of that ITS.
Man, this is SO GOOD
Conversation: "No, I said Aesop Rock, not A$AP Rocky."
jesse hamilton I've had that encounter 3 times now
Happened to me at least 5 times lol
always
They actually met each other once lmao
Mark Schrengohst that was the greatest when they met. they both said they wanted to meet the other, as well. 😂
Just want to say thanks for allowing me not to feel like the only one that thinks like this.this song pulled me out of a very dark place and for that I am eternally grateful
This video fits the song so well
yes, I love the imagery in the beginning where he is realizing his own self is missing and gets plowed down while being standstill in the middle of the road. perfect visual representation of the meaning of the lyrics.
This isn't just a song its a poetic masterpiece filled with vivid imagery and landscapes
I just graduated highschool a couple months ago. This song made me remember when i was in school and all i would ever do is draw, never paying attention to anything else. This struck me so hard when i actually listened to the lyrics that i nearly cried because it resonates so hard with me. I just started listening to aesop rock and now i think im never gonna stop
Edit: one year after finding this song and falling in love with it and leaving this comment, I figured out the hook (they will chop you down just to count your rings) is actually a metaphor for loggers cutting trees and reading the rings inside to count it's worth. Absolutely beautiful storytelling at its finest
Dude! That has to be it, I couldn’t figure out the meaning to those lyrics.
Goat. Thank you for feeding the need to read and continuously grow one's vocabulary. Thank you for your contribution to the pantheon of the great,great, great lyric.
This video is truly art
This is going to be fire to listen to in Forza Horizon 3, soo happy to see Aesop Rock's music in the game!
ACCel Zero is it actually?!
Stitch Stuff Yup!
ACCel Zero cool!
i might have to buy Forza Horizon 3 now XD
madden?
No matter how many times I hear this in a single day, I never get tired of it.
his flows are so balanced and controlled on this album, IMO Aesop's best work, possibly one of his best songs ever
This mans allways been on a different planet of hip hop. shit makes my head spin and my tongue tired just thinkin about it..
This song plays in the back of my head all the time.
so catchy right? Have you seen the video with rhymes highlighted of this track? Was published a while ago;)
For me its hey kirby why'd you eat that leaf..cant get rid of it
Thank you Aesop.
I will consider my level of english as a foreign language as sufficient for my needs the day I will understand a whole Aesop Rock song.
native here and I sometimes struggle.
Sometimes he uses a lot of intricate vocab - like in this song, there's definitely some specialized, art-related vocabulary that I reckon a lot of native speakers would have to look up (in this one, there's: contour, foreshortening, "Bristol" (my assumption here is that he's referencing the art paper brand), acrylic (as opposed to oil paint), "Zinc White" (particular name of a common artist "white" acrylic color), "linseed oil over linen."
Then additionally, Aesop can use some specialized references in general (like various musical references in "Blood Sandwich"). Not to mention, he uses the most unique words of all rappers, and his vocab is 100% outside of the common/typical English lexicon: pudding.cool/projects/vocabulary/index.html
But I love the bar you've set for yourself. 4 years later, I hope your foreign language journey is going well. You already seem like you had accomplished a lot at the time of writing your comment.
It's more metaphors, references, and word play than anything.
I last listened to this song years ago when I was still really bad at english (level of not knowing at all the lyrics of any english song)
Now that I came back here for nostalgia being "fluent" enough, I was like "Oh nice now Imma see the lyrics and finally understand it"...
*_Comes back crying after having to translate half of the words and yet not understanding the meaning at first_*
You will be doing better than a lot of us who learned English as our first language.
I've had to look up many words, mythical characters, pop-culture references and historical figures. Aesop is amazing.
Honest truth aesop is not just a rapper. He is a true artist.
Absolutely agree! Have you seen the video with rhymes highlighted of this track? Was published a while ago
"Used to paint, hard to admit that I used to paint." 11 words have never hit me so hard.
my favorite is 1:13
using forceps to extract forceps
analyzing how analytical he was in his college (visual arts) years
That's a compass.
My jaw dropped and stayed that way for the entire video.
his lyrics are always incredible
Most creative rapper I've ever heard/seen on so many levels
I have been a fan of Aesop Rock ever since I first heard him in THPS.
first time I heard Aes was in a friend's car in the driveway, Basic Cable was playing. I had to have him replay it again immediately and it was even better the second time around. Very glad we didn't get home sooner.
Good lawd who did that beat? Props to Ace Rock on a new banger.
+Robert Reynalds Aesop produced the whole record.
+Robert Reynalds he did it and there's some collaboration with Grimace Federation and DJ Zone on the record.
+Rhymesayers Entertainment Dope!
you couldn't tell by the sexy use of drums
+Robert Reynalds yeah i think aes has finally found his sound and will probably stick with it. i love the grimey distorted drums.
forever my favorite mc
This song hits home on a level I didn't think anything could to me anymore. Love drawing, done it since I was 4, and up until this point it was mostly a hobby, albeit one I've been more than ok at as some would say. I, of course, would think different. I lost the will to do so in these past several years. Aesop's words here feel as though they've been taken from my very thoughts, and have pushed me to pursue what I've always loved seriously. Thanks, Rhymesayer.
I love this dudes cryptic style, makes you think crazy shit
Perfectly sums up the struggle to balance being an artist while still being marketable. Being in an industry that demands originality and expression but within the confines of contractual obligation, where you constantly have to defend your work and its worth is exhausting. You can very easily lose your way and your will to keep honing your craft if you can't find someone who understands your thought process. People with a genuine gift and talent for the craft can become discouraged, while those who do it for fun and recreation always put their own work down when compared to others. It's frustrating to find people who want aesthetically pleasing pieces or who demand graphics that further their own image, while refusing to pay for that artist's work. No wonder so many artists fight to keep their passions alive, be it drawing, painting, sculpting, writing or singing. It's a ruthless industry that people don't put much stock in developing. To my fellow struggling artists, I say, press on. And for those who have avoided picking up their pencils and brushes for years, like myself, there's no time like the present to start again.
...after about 8 or so years of not drawing, i've picked up the pencil again. ♥ aesop
@Mark s lol Song clearly points out he stopped drawing because he allowed his fear of failing to get the better of him and has been regretting it ever since.
@Mark s as an artist myself the things we often dont talk about usually just because of shame is losing interest and as a result losing skills, he's not against drawing if anything he's against himself for not continuing his drawings, now he remembers his past artistic visions like ghosts haunting him...which is not uncommon at all.
Mark s you’re an idiot
Not only does he have a bachelor in visual art, he is also the least gangter rapper you will find out there besides maybe milo.
He made a song about his little kitten, he said " Party over here / I'll be over there" in the lyrics of Dorks, AND explicitly said in an interview that he'd rather play videogames at home than go to rapper's parties.
Dude's awesome, but by no means a "gangsta"
@Mark s HAAHAHHAHAAHAHAHAHAH
Big bad bazooka tooth is back
Here to break bread
ReppeNThA707 i told them fast cars, danger fire and knifes
+Dmitry Poot This fallen angel could stitch a wing with a shoestring
Ima drag my sneakers through the dirt like alligator bellies til the cloud burst honouring a loud thirst submerged in a trap little drummer boy verse thunder clap.
+Generation Fallout SO I HEARD Y'ALL WANNA FLOAT
This song is the reason I went back to school for music.
Well done mate, never too late to educate
Focus on improving your music and yourself man and wish you well
Man Aesop is ridiculous, crazy how i never heard of him til a few months ago now he's in my top 5 and his vocabulary and rhymes are undeniable
he comes back to life and whats the first thing he goes to do? eat food. aesop is my spirit animal.
Aesop always slayin the beats!
Props to 'sop's for providing a hiphop blues track for those that left the visual arts behind, but still miss 'em.
This song always makes me sad about my life but I can't stop listening. Why do you have to be so good at what you do?
"then two then three then a month// then the rest of your life you beat yourself up"
aes you are truly and unequivocally the best.
I swear his lyrics contain synchronicity esoteric type stuff . It's like hearing a mystic ..
just ordered mine, shit martin skrelli sleeping on this one, so hyped,
+Georgie Bee he should be payed more for this than Kanye for his
lol thank u for understanding my pun^^
+Georgie Bee that's not a pun.
+Georgie Bee #shkrelisquad
most protect shkreli by all means necessary
Holy shit this song is awesome. I wonder if his other stuff is this good...
It is. :)
As good or better. Bazooka Tooth is an acquired taste though. I'm still not a huge fan of it.
All of his stuff follows the same style, but this is one of his only albums that takes a personal twist with the lyrics.
I'd recommend checking out None Shall Pass, Daylight, Nightlight, Pigs, Float, Basic Cable, Big Bang. Pretty much anything is great.
id say check out fast cars, danger fire and knives. that and bazooka tooth blew my mind, led me to older stuff and then to follow every release after. don't try and turn people onto radio friendly shit only, hes got so many amazing lyrical twists on beats you'll never hear anywhere else. i mean unless you get into blockhead then you'll understand why us new yorkers like what we like, fuck the rest. DIY and truly lyrical raps. i guarantee you'll have to google about every 3rd word this man spits. vocab time kiddies
It's worth a listen but it's also a lot more abstract. Impossible Kid is his best so far IMO.
Used to draw. Hard to admit that I used to draw.
I can't describe how hard this rings for me.
This song is complete perfection
He's been playing this song for YEARS at his shows. Glad he finally put it on record
This songs gives me goosebumps. It's amazing how many people, based on the comments, started drawing and painting again after hearing it.
This is my first time hearing this guy and I must admit his lyricism is amazing... Powerful lines... This shit is mind blowing 😲
Yo man imagine if he gets into a diss rap battle... He will have a crowd go insane
Check him out in Cage's song called Left it to us. If you want to hear him be Raw and Agressive on the Mic. Or Daylight/Nightlight for a very deep meaning song and check out a funny song he did called Kirby, it's just about his cat.
Aesop Rock has probably transcended the diss raps
Like asking Shakespeare to write bathroom graffiti
My therapist showed me this ...
I'm one to learn lyrics quickly
And yet this isn't that easy.
I'm quite impressed with his lyrics, his flow, and how this was presented.
The poetry and rhythm.
The R.hythm A.nd P.oetry.
Notice R.A.P. is an ACRONYM?
Not just simply a genre?
Your Wig-Picker sounds cool.
This is real art. Seeing all these comments and how you all are relating to it on a realistic level is totally amazing.. AesopRock takes me places beyond hiphop
Damn, nice track!!!
Still love this video...
Ugh yessssss
why hello there
+Hot Pepper Gaming oh hi there hpg
+Hot Pepper Gaming hpg? Somehow you being here validates all the videos of yours that I've watched.
+Hot Pepper Gaming Shout outs to HPG for being down with Ace
I see you on so many really good artists RUclips comments lol. animal collective, tame impala, now aes
what i get from this is that people will try to control you for the potential you have, and exploit you're talent just to throw you out when they are done with you.
that's the rule for MOST people
im 24, (mostly) self made and retired now
and i never sold my soul :D
Adolf Hitler 24 and retired? Wtf what job did you have?
Kris Nance
i did creative consulting for AAA organizations
i literally smoked weed and was creative
that's a good way to retire
most of the stuff ive done has NDA's
but i can mention, for example, the 15m i made by telling ESPN execs to buy the television rights for professional drone racing
and i can mention early next week ill be going to europe to buy a jet (hopefully a 767)
Adolf Hitler ha i don't believe you for one second your probably to stupid to add 2+2
Adolf Hitler retiring at 24 is for wimps you really just want to play cod now for the rest of your life? Play forza horizon 3 and still work you'll feel more satisfaction from that
The greatest MC of all time. It’s always cool to just hear him spit.
We won't let it die. many people have regained hope because of this.
His flow on this track is crazy good. Thanks Aesop!
man i am am glad to hear some new stuff, welcome back
+Un7ucky he just released new stuff like a month ago with Homeboy Sandman, its called Lice. Look it up, its amazing.
+Un7ucky Aes never left us!
His work brings tears.
How many rappers pour enough into it to do that?
Tom McDonald is for the people.
very cool 😎
This is about how he drew and even painted all the time when he was younger. Got out of it to pursue other things and 15-20 years later tried to get back into it and proved difficult at first.
This man is amazing!!! He puts to shame all other song writers and lyricists.
Product Reviews he even puts to shame authors, poets and play writes. Mortal men can only dream to acquire his mental enlightenment
He doesn’t do that even remotely.
Been relating to this song hard lately. I started college going into computer science, but discovered acting in my first semester and loved it. Got some big roles in a few plays and found a second family in my castmates. But then my major kicked into gear, I had less time to go to auditions and old castmates are quickly forgetting me. More and more I have to choose between a talent I love or a skill that I can assuredly live off of, and I'm terrified of looking back ten years from now and wondering what could have been.
ABJECT_SELF u could make a video game and voice act for a character in it too
Kinda curious to see an update on this. What did you end up choosing? Would you have choosen differently?
Aesop, thank you so much for writing this song...
I've only been a fan for the past few years - heard "None Shall Pass" on someones playlist, and then proceeded to dive headfirst into your stuff. I absolutely devoured Skelethon and Bestiary (Me and my husband and our friends were up front at your show in Carboro at The Cats' Cradle on you guys' Bestiary tour! Incredible show btw you guys!!)
but anyhow, it's really funny because I'm a visual artist, and I could just tell that you must have had some knowledge in the realm! There would be these little colorful lyrics here and there that I would catch myself thinking "How peculiar, only an artist would say/notice/know that to that degree" XD - So when I heard this song it was like "Ha ha! Suspicion confirmed!!"
-and then I got sad, lol - but no less! I'm not sure what ultimately made you go from art to music, I can only speculate really, but regardless, I'm glad you're being true to yourself and continue to climb that mountain every day!! The music world is an immensely richer and more beautiful place because of you!!!!!! My husband and I tell/show everyone we think would be into your stuff about you when we can, and they're always blown away!!!!
I left my job cutting hair and I've been doing art professionally for the past year and a half or so, just trying to do better and better every day. I think it is one of the bravest things a person can do, to put themselves out there, vulnerabilities and all like that, and know that they will be judged, but to continue onward out of love for yourself, others, and the craft; to wake up every day and do your best to say "I got this shit!!"and make good art. It's insanely hard most days, and some days I feel like a real loser, lol but this song has become a bit of a battlecry song for me, (in kind of a twisted reverse way granted!) but I take from it an intense sentiment of "No regrets" and I let it be wind in my sails..^^
-and music wise, you've been one of my strongest winds in the last couple years. You've been my first "New favorite artist" since Radiohead back in high school! lol a title I don't throw around lightly! I can't wait for your new album next month(!!!!!) and will most definitely come see you on tour!!!
Thanks again for writing this song man ^^ I know it must have been hard..
-but you keep on kicking ass like I know you will!!!
We didn't get to go to your show because we had to choose between tickets and groceries dammit..unlucky string of events x.x;
The regret is strong in this one, lol - saw you shortly after on Steven Colbert though and was so fucking stoked for you!!! Love Steven Colbert too XD
Next time for. sure. :]
@@laurennatvig-gray9636 I hope you and your story is doing well 6 years later.
@Sum Arbor -still at it! I've been working on my first product line (wildlife stickers/percentage profits donated to coral reef restoration) for the last year and a half, and so excited about it! Thank you for the encouragement! :)
-and thanks for bringing this song to my ears again today! 🤘
He just hits hard like that. Somehow, I originally wanted to be a mechanical engineer, now I realize music makes me what I am today, so I am working towards being a rapper. Aes is my main inspiration, same with Rage against the machine.
think i've listened to this about 50 times in the past few days....that beat, lyrics and video....this is the best i've heard from Aesop Rock....and the best i've heard in quite a while. love story tellers. Its why i love Atmosphere so much. Rhymesayers have some good things going on over there.
It's been more then 5 years. And I still love this song.
Feels like you took the best bits of Skelethon style and built on it.
Killed it, Aes. Pre-ordered.