Austin Music
Freestyle rapper makes his point well By David Williams Austin American-Statesman November 20, 2003 Less than a minute into "Bazooka Tooth," underground MC Aesop Rock is critic-dissing: "Oh my God/journalists across the globe are officially critiquing my first eight bars." Now that the young rapper is semi-famous, he's striking the sort of battle stance he avoided on his first two albums; this man is "abstract" no more. As in his earlier work, on "Bazooka Tooth" Rock uses his nasal-topped baritone to deliver near-freestyle content that's all allusion and thumbed thesaurus. Try this at home: "Play Aphrodite all over the verbal of a Purple Heart compartment/marks the burgundy carpet/alarmed and far too parched to bark it/huh/Lil' Abner." Even a battle track like the Eminem-dissing "Freeze" isn't simple, though "You should have shot yourself in the foot/when it was in your mouth" is fairly to the point. "Tooth" is mostly self-produced, resulting in beats that are even denser than on the typical (that is, typically difficult) Def Jux release. Rock's headlong vocals, which already generated claustrophobia, now have some serious competition in the pandemonium department. Perhaps too much. When producer Blockhead steps in to lighten things up on "Cook it Up," it's a relief. Likewise, the Blockhead-produced "11:35," built on a chopped-up sample from Manu DiBango's 1973 Afrobeat crossover hit, "Soul Makossa," bounces easy while the vocals jump up to the boogie. The lyrics are relatively (relatively) accessible, too: Aesop and labelmate Mr. Lif cover a series of events that occurred at 11:35 p.m. on a particular night. Set one variable to zero and riff. Typically intelligent Aesop strategy. Even a critic can hear that. | |||||
To listen to audio clips, you will need RealOne Player.Download it for free here. | |||||
 |
Willie Nelson at ACL Live, 12.30.11
Wilco at ACL Live, 12.01.11
Aretha Franklin at ACL Live
Remembering Doyle Bramhall
Fun Fun Fun Fest day 3
Fun Fun Fun Fest Day Two, 11.05.11
Fun Fun Fun Fest Day One, 11.04.11
Taylor Swift concert, 10.26.11
Fire relief concert, 10.17.11
Roger Daltrey
Blondie at ACL Live, 09.29.11
Emos Main Closed
Austin City Limits 2011, Sunday
Empire of the Sun
Austin City Limits 2011, Saturday
Austin City Limits 2011, Friday
Sade at Erwin Center, 09.07.11
ACL wristbands at HEB, 09.02.11
Cactus Pryor, 1923-2011
Ume at SXSW 2011
Latest AP Entertainment headlines »
-
Nicole Miller mixes '70s rocker and digital prints
- Yes sir! Fashion Week trends going military
- Rag & Bone show: From Brit roots to Asia
- Barbie's wardrobe celebrated at Fashion Week bash
- Rag & Bone show: From Brit roots to Asia
- Rural residents strike back at Lucas film empire
- Jolie: nervous, excited about premiere in Bosnia
- Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan undergoes surgery
- Gerhard Richter retrospective opens in Berlin
- Guest lineups for the Sunday news shows
