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Aesop Rock | |
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 Aesop Rock performing in 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Ian Matthias Bavitz (1976-06-05)June 5, 1976 (age 49)[1] Syosset, New York, U.S. |
| Origin | Northport, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Works | Aesop Rock discography |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of |
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| Formerly of | |
| Signature | |
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Ian Matthias Bavitz (born June 5, 1976), better known by his stage nameAesop Rock, is an American rapper and producer fromLong Island, New York. He was at the forefront of the new wave ofunderground andalternative hip hop acts that emerged during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was signed toEl-P'sDefinitive Jux label until it went on hiatus in 2010.[2] In a 2010 retrospective, betterPropaganda ranked him at number 19 at theTop 100 Artists of the Decade.[3]
He released his first album,Music for Earthworms, in 1997, withFloat following three years later.Labor Days, his third studio album, was released in September 2001. His next release, titledBazooka Tooth, released 2 years later in September 2003. His fifth studio album,None Shall Pass, was released in August 2007. Its titular song became one of Ian's most popular and well-known songs. His sixth record,Skelethon, was released in July 2012. His seventh release,The Impossible Kid, came out in April 2016. His eighth album,Spirit World Field Guide, came out in November 2020, with his ninth album,Garbology, released in November 2021.Integrated Tech Solutions, his tenth album, was released in November 2023.
He was a member of the groupsThe Weathermen,Hail Mary Mallon, andthe Uncluded,[4] and is currently the vocalist of duoMalibu Ken.[5]
Regarding his name, he said: "I acquired the name Aesop from a movie I had acted in with some friends. It was my character's name and it sort of stuck. The rock part came later just from throwing it in rhymes."[6]
Bavitz was born at Syosset Hospital inSyosset, New York, and raised inNorthport,Long Island, New York, to his father Paul and mother Jameija.[7] Bavitz has two brothers: Christopher T. Bavitz[8] (born 1973), a clinical professor atHarvard Law School and director of Cyberlaw Clinic at theBerkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, and Graham J. Bavitz (born 1978). Along with his siblings, Ian was raisedCatholic, but he later became agnostic.[9] Bavitz attendedNorthport High School in 1990 and graduated in 1994.
After graduating from high school, Bavitz attendedBoston University inMassachusetts where he studied visual arts.[10] He acquired hisbachelor's in 1998.[11] He met his future collaborator,Blockhead, in 1994 during the latter's only year at the school. After hearing Aesop Rockfreestyle, Blockhead decided to forgo his own dreams of rapping in favor of focusing on production.[12] Blockhead was involved with a crew in New York called The Overground that includedDub-L.[13] During his early adulthood, Aesop Rock held various odd jobs including positions answering phones for clothing catalogs, packaging artwork inart gallery storerooms and working for one-hourphoto developers.[10]
As a youth, Bavitz and his family would usuallycommute to New York City. This had a great impact on him and the way he viewed thehip hop culture. Bavitz began rapping in the early 1990s. He citesPublic Enemy,BDP,KMD, andRun DMC as early influences.[6] Bavitz also listened to rock acts such asDead Kennedys,Fugazi, andMinistry; he was introduced to these groups by his older brother Chris.[14] Bavitz started to play the piano and bass at an early age and eventually acquired asampler.[15]
While attending college, Bavitz initially recorded and released two self-financed efforts. The first wasMusic for Earthworms (1997), a full-length album featuringunderground artistPercee P on two tracks. Bavitz also released a music video for "Abandon All Hope", which was one of the tracks on the CD. The album sold over 300 copies,[14] largely from a grassroots internet-based promotion at his website AesopRock.com and then-popular web portal, MP3.com.[16]Music for Earthworms was mostly produced by his long-time friendBlockhead and underground producerDub-L.
Aesop followedMusic for Earthworms with the 1999 EPAppleseed, which featured a guest appearance by the rapperDoseone. At the time, Doseone was working inA&R atMush Records, and after the release ofAppleseed he arranged a one-album Mush contract for Aesop.[17] This contract resulted in Aesop's first major album,Float (2000), with guest appearances fromVast Aire,Slug, andDose One. Production was split betweenBlockhead and Aesop himself, with one track by Omega One. During this time, Aesop worked at a photographygallery.[18] In August 2001, Bavitz had anervous breakdown. The song "One of Four" on hisDaylight EP documents his struggles.[19]
While signed to Mush, Aesop Rock became acquainted withEl-P, who at the time was in the process of establishing theManhattan-based labelDefinitive Jux (also known as Def Jux). Aesop signed to Def Jux shortly after the release ofFloat.[20] Aesop's first Def Jux project was the 2001 albumLabor Days, an album dedicated to the discussion of labor in American society and the concept of "wage slaves". The success ofLabor Days enabled Aesop to pursue music as a full-time career.[20] The album became Aesop's first project to reach theBillboard charts, peaking at number 15 at theUnited States Independent Charts;[citation needed] its opening track, "Labor", was also featured inTony Hawk's Pro Skater 4.[21]
Due to the popularity of "Daylight", a track fromLabor Days, Aesop expanded the song intoa seven-track EP in 2002, including an "alternative" new version titled "Night Light", whose paraphrased lyrics simultaneously refer back to, and stand in stark opposition to, the original's.
Labor Days was followed byBazooka Tooth in 2003. For the first time, production was mostly handled by Bavitz himself,[20] with three tracks from longtime collaboratorBlockhead and one from close friend and Definitive Jux label CEO El-P. Guest appearances includeParty Fun Action Committee, El-P, andMr. Lif (all Definitive Jux labelmates) andCamp Lo. Reflecting onBazooka Tooth in 2007, Aesop described his goal with the album was to have it sound "turbulent" and "abrasive", a direction inspired by his uncertainty about how to respond to his growing fanbase.[20] 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 onTony Hawk's Underground 2, furthering Aesop's recognition.[citation needed] In 2004, he releasedBuild Your Own Bazooka Tooth and created a contest in which contestants 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 fromFloat until this EP (the lyric booklet is titledThe 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'sgraffiti tag on them. In response to demands from his fans, Bavitz did less production on the EP; three songs are produced by Blockhead, three produced by Aesop, and one byRob Sonic. During this time, he was asked to joinThe Weathermen to replaceVast Aire.[citation needed]
Aesop Rock was commissioned to create a 45-minute instrumental track for theNike+iPod running system, entitledAll Day. It was released in February 2007. Distributed via theiTunes Music Store and featuring Allyson Baker on guitar and withscratches 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."[22]
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 contained original art byJeremy Fish, whose work Rock set to a slideshow backed by a track titled "Tomorrow Morning". It was exhibited in San Francisco and was available for download online.[23]None Shall Pass had positive reviews from critics and fans, applauding Aesop for his change in sound.[24]
AfterNone Shall Pass, Aesop Rock did not release any solo projects for several years. During this period, Definitive Jux began its indefinite hiatus; thus, Aesop Rock's next album,Skelethon, was instead released throughRhymesayers Entertainment.[25] The album was released on July 10, 2012, and preceded by the single "Zero Dark Thirty".[26][27] AfterSkelethon's release, Aesop Rock toured the United States to promote the album.[28] He also performed on the first day ofCoachella 2013.[29]
During Bavitz's hiatus from solo recording, he continued to collaborate with other musicians. In 2009, he producedFelt's third album,Felt 3: A Tribute to Rosie Perez. He later joined frequent collaboratorsRob Sonic and DJ Big Wiz to form the groupHail Mary Mallon, through which he released two albums: 2011'sAre You Gonna Eat That? and 2014'sBestiary.[30][31] Aesop Rock's collaborations during this period also include the establishment ofthe Uncluded, a group he formed alongsideanti-folk singerKimya Dawson ofthe Moldy Peaches.[32] The Uncluded released their debut album,Hokey Fright, on May 7, 2013,[4] and subsequently supported it with a tour that included Rhymesayers' 2013 Summerfest.[4][33]
In February 2016, Aesop Rock released a music video for the song "Rings" and announced his seventh studio albumThe Impossible Kid, which was released on April 29, 2016.[34] "Rings" was featured in the video gameMadden NFL 17.[35]
In 2017, Aesop Rock scored his first film soundtrack forBushwick.[36] In January 2019, Aesop Rock collaborated with electronic musicianTobacco under the nameMalibu Ken. The duo released aself-titled album in the same month.[37] In late 2020, Aesop announced his eighth solo album, titledSpirit World Field Guide, along with the release of the album's first single, "The Gates".[38] In October 2021, Aesop announced a reunion with his former producer Blockhead with the album titledGarbology.[39] The album was released on November 12 of the same year.
On December 9, 2022, Aesop Rock released the song "Pumpkin Seeds" featuring the Chicago rapperLupe Fiasco and produced by Blockhead. The song is a fundraiser for the Collaboratory, an organization promoting two local DIY skateparks inDayton, Ohio.[40]
On September 14, 2023, Aesop Rock announced the release date of his ninth solo studio albumIntegrated Tech Solutions, which was released on November 10, 2023.[41] That same day, he released the single "Mindful Solutionism" along with an accompanying music video. In October 2023, he released two singles that appear onIntegrated Tech Solutions; "By the River" on October 5[42] and "Infinity Fill Goose Down" on October 26.[43] His tenth studio album,Black Hole Superette, was announced in April 2025 and released on May 30, 2025, with the song "Checkers" being released that April as its first single.[44]
In October 2025, the albumI Heard It's a Mess There Too was released as a free download via Aesop Rock's official website, and as a single unlisted video on the official Aesop Rock YouTube channel.[45]
Critics state that Bavitz's use of words can be so detailed that it becomes difficult to determine any meaning.[47] The lyrics are sometimes inspired by events which have occurred in Bavitz's personal life and are thus naturally prone to subjective interpretation by outsiders.[48][49]
Questioned about his lyrical style in an interview, Bavitz responded:
It's probably because it's not the most accessible music in the world. It may pose a slight challenge to the listener beyond your average pop song. I'm no genius by a long shot, but these songs are not nonsensical, that's pretty preposterous. I'd have to be a genius to pull this many nonsensical records over people's eyes. It's not exactly fast food but when people pretend I'm just spewing non-sequiturs and gibberish I can't help but think they simply haven't listened and are regurgitating some rumor they've heard about me. Even if it's not laid out in perfect sentences—is any rap?—you'd have to be an idiot to not at least grasp a few things from these songs. Or have had no interest in pulling anything from them in the first place.[50]
In 2002, on the song "One of Four" (a hidden track on theDaylight EP) Aesop Rock explains:
But I can tell you that I only write shit down when I believe it / so take this how you want but know I mean it.
— "One of Four"Daylight EP (2002)
In May 2014, a study by Matt Daniels found that Aesop Rock's vocabulary in his music surpassed 85 other major hip-hop and rap artists, as well as Shakespeare's works andHerman Melville'sMoby Dick; he was cited as having the largest vocabulary in hip hop.[51][52] To build up his vocabulary, he reads a lot of news and science articles and writes down all the words he finds interesting.[53] Analysis of his lyrics identified him as the rapper with the most expansive vocabulary; using the most unique words in a rapper's first 35,000 lyrics, he had 7,839 unique words.[54]
In 2005, he married Allyson Baker, guitarist and vocalist of rock bandDirty Ghosts; they resided in San Francisco, but have since divorced.[55]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Sad Clown Bad Dub IV | Himself – Credited as "Ian Bavitz" | Video documentary withAtmosphere |
| 2005 | Letter to the President | Himself – Recording Artist | Video documentary |
| 2005 | The Warriors | Rouges | Video game; voice acting role |
| 2006 | Hip Hop Street Credentials | Himself | Video documentary |
| 2007 | My Shot With... | Himself | Appears in "Bonnaroo" episode. |
| 2008 | Engine Room | Judge | Miscellaneous Crew |
| 2010 | Blacking Up: Hip-Hop's Remix of Race and Identity | Himself | Television documentary |
| 2010 | Independent Lens | Himself | Episode 1111: "Copyright Criminals" |
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