Aesop Rock
The Impossible Kid
Rhymesayers Entertainment
One of the most powerful things about hip-hop is itβs ability to present complex, dark, and deeply personal thoughts and feelings. In his latest album The Impossible Kid, rapper Aesop Rock, also known as Ian Matthias Bavitz, takes us on a tour of through his list of hang-ups, defeats, and demons in what can only be described as one of the most intense listening experiences that this talented artist has shared with us so far.
This deeply personal album doesnβt just showcase Bavitzβs unique penchant for wordplay, as well as a vocabulary which could make even the most seasoned writers jealous; it also takes the listener through a deeply personal narrative, almost stream-of-consciousness, which feels so raw and personal that itβs almost impossible not to relate to it in some way.
The albumβs single, βRingsβ discusses a love or art and a virtual arts career which Bavitz abandoned. He studied art professionally and shares the challenges faced by professional artists, stating: βThen it’s off to a school where it’s all that you do/ Being trained and observed by a capable few/ Back in New York, 5 peeps and a dog/ In a 2 bedroom doing menial jobs/ Plus, rhymin’ and stealin’ and being a clod/ Distractions free to maraudβ and goes on to detail further regrets about allowing that side of his art to die while he pursued his music.
In βBlood Sandwichβ Bravitz describes a scene of boys playing baseball in striking detail before admitting that the boys described in the song are his brothers, referred to with their βTony Hawk hairβ. He goes on to detail the struggles of growing up with parents who donβt understand, or are threatened by, their childrenβs musical tastes, stating: βIt’s real youth in the palm of your hand/ When your mom thinks Satan is involved in a bandβ over retro-sounding synths.
Another reflective track is βGet Out of the Carβ which describes Bravitzβs feelings of loss and grief over the death of his friend and colleague Camu Tao, who died of lung cancer in 2008. After stating βAh, Watch the Impossible Kid / Everything that he touch turns promptly to shit / If I zoom on out I can finally admit / It’s all been a blur since Mu got sickβ and describes having to leave town and take solace in the woods to clear his head and focus on his music.
With other exceptional tracks including βRabiesβ, βWater Towerβ and βKirbyβ The Impossible Kid is an almost overwhelming listening experience because of the sheer power and magnitude of the emotion that Bravitz conveys through his words.
Even though Aesop Rock has been a mainstay in the rap scene for nearly 20 years, itβs clear that he still has a lot to say, and no shortage of catchy turns of phrase to express himself.
Artist Links
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: AESOP ROCK – THE IMPOSSIBLE KID
Alyson Shane
