Our man Aesop gets all Gandalf on us with None Shall Pass! released August 28 on Def Jux. Recently Aesop has chased tail west, then he produced a work-out mix for Nike. If there are ballads on this album, Aesop, we will cut your face with a linoleum knife. That way, you won’t be pretty no more, the GF will beat it, and you can get back on the grind.
FIRST AESOP ROCK FULL LENGTH IN 4 YEARS
NONE SHALL PASS OUT AUGUST 28th on DEFINITIVE JUX
Responsible for all but revolutionizing the entire face of underground hip-hop in the early portion of this decade with a slew of potent and influential releases such as 2000’s Float LP, 2001’s monumental Labor Days LP, and 2003’s Bazooka Tooth to his most recent EP/book, 2004’s Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives, Aesop Rock (aka Ian Bavitz) has proven that resting on his past laurels is all but forbidden. In the last year alone, Aesop has released a 45-minute workout mix for Nike+, a short story in collaboration with visual artist Jeremy Fish, and scored music for two short films. 2007 finds Aesop delivering his next full length album, the highly anticipated None Shall Pass on Definitive Jux.
Created over a 2 year period following his last release, None Shall Pass documents not only a vast amount of personal change that Aesop experienced over this time, but deftly depicts scenes and stories relative to all ages of life. Production is a vital strong point on this album, with the majority of production duties handled by Aesop’s longtime partner Blockhead. El-P and Rob Sonic each make offerings, while Aesop himself confidently produces a large portion of his own tracks as well. The duality of Aesop’s hectic stream-of-thought coupled with the complex production on this album makes no exception to Aesop Rock’s consistent pedigree, blazing a trail far ahead of his peers with an album that will be followed for years to come.
tracklisting for None Shall Pass:
1. Keep Off The Lawn
2. None Shall Pass
3. Catacomb Kids
4. Bring Back Pluto
5. Fumes
6. Getaway Car (feat. Cage and Breeze Brewin)
7. 39 Thieves
8. The Harbor is Yours
9. Citronella
10. Gun For The Whole Family (feat. El-P)
11. Five Fingers
12. No City
13. Dark Heart News (feat. Rob Sonic)
14. Coffee (feat. John Darnielle)
press on Aesop Rock:
“Aesop Rock introduced a raw, urgent, intelligent new sound designed to break the monotony of mainstream rap.” – ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
“Even among the hip-hop heavies who record for his local label, Def Jux, rapper Aesop Rock manages to stand out thanks to a vulnerable storytelling style that’s all too rare among the genre’s tough guys.” – NEW YORK MAGAZINE
“Aesop Rock is indie rap’s surrealist, a spewer and sneerer given to oblique code and artfully jumbled syntax. His voice is a bassy, agile instrument that rhymes ‘evil’ gracefully with ‘amoeba’.” -BLENDER
