Illogic & Blockhead: Capture the Sun (Man Bites Dog, 4/16/13)
Columbus rapper Illogic and Aesop Rock-collaborating producer Blockhead are teaming up to release Capture the Sun on April 16. “I’d been wanting do to an album where it’s just one MC and one producer,” Blockhead says. “All it took was Illogic dropping me a line, and I was down.”
Aesop Rock: Skelethon (Rhymesayers, 7/10/12)
“Zero Dark Thirty”
Aesop Rock: “Zero Dark Thirty”
Rap, understandably, always has placed an emphasis on lyrics, but most rappers are content to find the cleverest way to proclaim their sexual prowess and/or ability to rap well and call it a day. Rapper Aesop Rock (born Ian Bavitz), a veteran of now-defunct label Definitive Jux, doesn’t aim so low, shoving allusions, metaphors, and symbols into a motley band of verbosity that’s unmatched in hip hop. This is rap on hard mode. Don’t expect to understand everything he says on first listen (or tenth), a fact that’s earned him both praise and contempt. Case in point: one of the biggest selling points of a 2005 EP was a fat book of his collected lyrics. He returned this past July on Rhymesayers with Skelethon.
Aesop Rock: Skelethon (Rhymesayers, 7/10/12)
“Zero Dark Thirty”
Aesop Rock: “Zero Dark Thirty”
Rap, understandably, always has placed an emphasis on lyrics, and rapper Aesop Rock is known for his motley blend of allusions, metaphors, and symbols. This is rap on hard mode, and it’s nearly unmatched.
Blockhead: Interludes After Midnight (Ninja Tune)
“Never Forget Your Token”
[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Blockhead_Never_Forget_Your_Token.mp3|titles=Blockhead: “Never Forget Your Token”]Now five albums into his solo output, Tony “Blockhead” Simon is still more known as a hip-hop producer to the stars — well, perhaps the underground stars, producing for notables such as Del, Murs, and Aesop Rock. But ever since being asked to create a fully instrumental album, Simon has proven just as interesting on his own, offering down-tempo, sample-heavy, and (mostly) rhyme-free rap tracks (all while increasing brand awareness).