Aesop Rock has shared short explanations of every single track on his wonderful new album The Impossible Kid. Considering how fast he raps, and how detailed his lyrics are, this a pretty damn beneficial cheat sheet for those who want to learn more. That said, this is probably his least cryptic album to date, but a non-cryptic Aesop Rock album is still more detailed and difficult to decipher than most (and that’s why we love him).
Posted to Facebook, he shared the following details about the backstory of each track:
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; one of the many aspects I admire most about Aesop Rock is his ability to confront his own experiences with mental health, depression, his worries and thought processes in a way that’s had a profound impact on me, and undoubtedly thousands of other fans. So to see him break it down in this frank way is pretty cool. It’s particularly significant to hear him discuss the effects of the death of Camu Tao like he has in Get Out Of The Car, as well as his feelings of worry, displacement and getting help, all the while showing off his sense of humour in Shrunk, Kirby and Tuff among others, not to mention the more singularly reflective tracks like Blood Sandwich, Rabies and Rings.
Anyway, for those who spent hours and hours deciphering his lyrics on Genius or among friends, this should be of use to you. Especially if you’re anything like this guy:
@MCSkelteon yea? The opening line “let me put you up on bob’s donuts” didn’t point you in the right direction?
— Aesop Rock (@AesopRockWins) May 16, 2016
Image: Mass Appeal