Every once in a while an MC comes along who has the ability to reaffirm listeners' faith in hip-hop as a medium for intelligent, poetic, personal expression. Aesop Rock is one such MC, and LABOR DAYS is his defining statement. A flagship artist of the underground label Def Jux, Aesop Rock brings a style that is blisteringly fast, impossibly dense, and overflowing with metaphors, images, puns, references, and narratives. Rock's voice and attack--a rapid-fire, somewhat nasal monotone--borrows from Kool Keith and Eminem, yet his highly literate rhymes are uniquely his own.
Aesop Rock's music is the antithesis of flashy, R&B-based commercial hip-hop, and his politically conscious, culturally aware lyrics are galaxies removed from the thug/gangster themes of hardcore rap. Intriguing samples, featuring instruments like flute and sitar, flesh out the beats, but this is lyric-centered hip-hop, and Rock gives us plenty to absorb. Absorbing character-based narratives ("No Regrets") and slicing, alliterative tunes ("Daylight," with its infectious, memorable chorus) are testaments to the rapper's sophisticated lyrical superiority.
Personnel: Aesop Rock (vocals); Omega One (scratches).
Recording information: The House.
Personnel includes: Aesop Rock, Illogic, C Rayz Walz.
Producers: Aesop Rock, Blockhead, Omega One.
Spin (12/00, p.233) - 7 out of 10 - "...Aesop's voice is a rich, flat bass cut with a thin growl....exploring variations within timbre to access a vast emotional range....he purrs contentedly, knowing that his vision will always poke through the haze."
Entertainment Weekly (9/28/01, p.74) - "...[The] ambient grooves make the Wu-Tang Clan seem tired, while the hyper-enunciated rhymes make KRS ONE sound like a stutterer..." - Rating: A
Uncut (11/01, p.103) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...An esoteric and gripping ride..."
The Wire (1/02, p.40) - Ranked #45 in Wire's "50 Records of the Year 2001".
Aesop Rock - Labor Days Songs
| 1 | Labor | | | |
| 2 | Daylight See All 2 | | | |
| 3 | Save Yourself | | | |
| 4 | Flashflood | | | |
| 5 | No Regrets | | | |
| 6 | One Brick | | | |
| 7 | Tugboat Complex, Pt. 3 | | | |
| 8 | Coma | | | |
| 9 | Battery | | | |
| 10 | Boombox | | | |
| 11 | Bent Life | | | |
| 12 | Yes and the Y'all | | | |
| 13 | 9-5ers Anthem | | | |
| 14 | Shovel | | | |
Labor Days Music Review
Average Rating: (4.1 out of 5 stars)    List All 14 Reviews Not for everyone
Every track on this cd is bangin, and it is surely a classic, but I wouldn't reccomend this cd for those who aren't familiar with the underground, Def Jux style of music because it might be a major let down.
Submitted by emc265 (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 2 of 2 found this helpful.
Not Afraid Of The Dark
Aesop Rock demonstrates again that he is not afraid to plumb the emotional depths of city life. This album rocks. I would rather see him live but this will have to hold me over until next time. Labor Days is exquisitely crafted, sometimes emotional, and superbly produced. Every time I drop this record people coment on it. Nine and a half out of ten people who buy this album will like it a lot.
Submitted by elyngaas (Minneapolis, MN, 55454)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 1 of 1 found this helpful. Aesop Rock(s) With A Gift Of Gab
Any true hip hop head will hear and discover a new breed of dopeness when they select any track from this album or any album that has this ARTIST Name located on it. Aesop gives new breath into the pitiful music scene where enduring. Every track is solid, lyrics solid, production solid, presentation solid, even the cover art is solid. Underground or commercial slackers get up on the new brain twister and absorb new friction on your taste buds:Wustyle#9
Submitted by a reviewer (West Nyack, NY, USA)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 1 of 1 found this helpful.  Borderline Wackness...
Unlike his newer stuff, 'Labor Day's isn't that bad, but it's close. Aesop Rock is the most boring emcee to listen to. Don't believe me? Listen to the snippets.
Submitted by Culture (Queens, NY)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 3 of 6 found this helpful.
RESPECT and REFLECT
While most in the hip-hop mainstream speak only of money, woman, and cars, jewels..50-cent, and your Tu-Pac thug fans out there..be prepared for a man who is a poet and a rapper in one. Against all the mainstream oddities, he is one who is Splicing imagery, and a thought provoking coliloquey of experimental samples and layered innuendos..you won't be dissapointed! by far my favorite rapper, This Album is by far one of his greatest! Other good ones are Appleseed, Music for Earthworms, Float, Daylight, Bazooka Tooth, Fast Cars Danger Fire and Knives..
For all those of you who heard his music and couldn't guage its level of merit, its not my fault you brain functions at the level of a 3 year old and his vocabulary is to difficult to understand..go back to school! ha!
Submitted by Ricky Rayns (Miami Beach, Fl)
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