Originally Posted by Engine

Aesop Rock became an instant classic on his first LP, Float. It came before his well-recognized Labor Days album and was far sparser than that album. The beats are less funky and more minimal here than all of his later songs but the production is a good fit to Aesop’s impossibly nasal bass voice and monotonous rapid fire lyrics that are brainier than every other lyricist. Yes. And the beats are made by Aesop himself as well as my probably favorite producer of today: Blockhead.

Listening to Float is a hazy, dizzying experience because the rhymes are said so fast but you’ll inevitably hear some of the most clever lyrics you’ve ever heard. Sometimes they pop up loud and clear, or slowly and repeated in a short chorus. Often they are remind me of the guy who advertised Micro Machines on TV in the 80s; almost but not quite too fast to hear.


Every head loves Aesop’s next album, Labor Days, because on that one his flow is more refined and the beats are a step up. But Float is what you need if you like it raw.