“Must not sleep; must warn others/ Trust blocks creep where the dust storm hovers.” With lyrics tattooed to his forearms and a giant grin, Ian Matthias Bavitz, or more commonly known as “Aesop Rock” delivered those lyrics in a performance unlike any other in Wiegand gymnasium. Even though Aesop Rock forgot to introduce himself until half way through the concert, his reputation as being one of the artists at the forefront of new wave underground Hip Hop superseded him, as he rhymed the very first lyrics.
The Cool Kids “just press and twist knobs” just to make heads nod, and that’s exactly what they did on November 14 when they rocked the concert at Carnegie Mellon. Consisting of Antoine “Mikey Rocks” Reed and Evan “Chuck Inglish” Ingersoll this Midwestern Rap duo has created quite a buzz in the last few years.
The pair met in 2005 through MySpace when Reed wanted to buy a beat produced by Ingersoll. Inspired by classic Hip Hop artists like “A Tribe called Quest” and “Eric B. and Rakim,” they decided to do some recording together. One can see the influence of these old style classic raps through many of the Cool Kids’ beats. The minimalist sound, the funky undertones, and diverse samplings are just some of these characteristics. Eventually, Josh Young of Flosstradamus (these guys came last fall!) noticed this pair of retro-inspired, throw-back artists and booked them for a DJ performance. At this venue, they happened to meet Diplo (of MIA fame). Diplo offered to release their mixtape on his label, Mad Decent, but Reed and Ingersoll decided to release on their own “C.A.K.E.” label.
Although their music is mostly released online, this Rap duo has quickly gathered quite a large fan base. Their music was used in the video games NBA Live 08 and MLB 2K8, and later, even in an episode of HBO’s Entourage. After all this, they played at Pitchfork Music Festival, opened for MIA and even worked with other artists like Asher Roth, Kenna, The Bloody Beetroots , Maroon 5, and Lil Wayne. What makes these guys so different is their blend of new and old elements. When asked about their style, Mikey responded in an interview that they “definitely take some of the ill-er elements of old school hip-hop where dudes used to have fun and party. But we also take elements from other types of music old and new as well.” For these reasons, these guys are seen as a breath of fresh air in the Hip Hop world. Some just brush it aside as “Hipster Rap,” but looking more closely at the lyrics and self-produced beats will reveal much more intelligence than that. Though they may not be deep, the cartooney, sort of party rhymes just make their music fun. The concert at Carnegie Mellon was the high energy, bass bumpin’, banger you expected it to be. With all the snarky comments and retro flash intact, they truly delivered a great performance. They even had time to stop by at a party afterward. Like they said, they love college concerts for some key reasons:
While hype of the Swing revival has since faded, Neo-Swing is still very much alive. In many clubs, ballrooms, and dance schools, young people still jump, jive, and wail to the familiar sound of Swing.
Pretty Ladies, Tons of Beer, Party Favors, Awesome Food, Intense Crowds
Not influenced by market strategists and not influenced by fashion labels. Even if you aren’t into the whole hip-hop scene, one thing is for certain. You’d agree these guys are different and they definitely play concert music.
“Must not sleep; must warn others/ Trust blocks creep where the dust storm hovers.” With lyrics tattooed to his forearms and a giant grin, Ian Matthias Bavitz, or more commonly known as “Aesop Rock” delivered those lyrics in a performance unlike any other in Wiegand gymnasium. Even though Aesop Rock forgot to introduce himself until half way through the concert, his reputation as being one of the artists at the forefront of new wave underground Hip Hop superseded him, as he rhymed the very first lyrics.
Born and raised in Long Island, New York, Aesop Rock has produced five albums and three EPs that have received incredible acclaim from the alternative music community. This may be because Aesop Rock’s lyrics are so complex and detailed that all meaning has been left to the listener. His work is a truly subjective sound when compared to most mainstream Hip Hop. For the most part, Hip Hop lyrics are like a dick slap to the face. They’re crude, have zero meaning, and leave listeners with an impression on their cheeks that they wish would go away. However, Aesop’s style is something to marvel at. Just like how the Beatle’s lyrics were deciphered in school, Aesop Rock’s lyrics deserve the same amount of effort to interpret their true meaning. In an age where all mystery and meaning in an artist’s lyrics have gone out the proverbial window, hitting a child as they land, Aesop Rock’s lyrics are more accessible to the world because each person can find different meaning in each song.
Aesop Rock is quoted as saying, “it may pose a slight challenge to the listener beyond your average Pop song. I’m no genius by a long shot, but these songs are not nonsensical, that’s pretty preposterous.” He goes on to say that anyone can pull something out of his work and it will be an original thought. I can remember the first time I listened to Aesop Rock. It was in my beaten down Volvo with the front bumper dragging across the pavement producing a distinctive crackling that overpowered the full volume of my speakers. But in between the bumps and potholes in the pavement, I heard something I can honestly say was special. I didn’t know his name or acclaim at the time, so what I heard was without impression. But a grin came across my face, just like the one Aesop Rock had as he leaned back on Saturday night’s stage, and it lasted through the encore.