I’ve been listening to Aes for more than 20 years. You have to be willing to do the work if you are going to be able to understand him; but it’s always worth it.
a "flatfoot" is a cop. cops love donuts. Jelly-day is jelly donuts. has the image of a cop's face covered in powdered sugar after eating powdered jelly donuts. But that's just the analogy. He's really talking about rappers spending their successes on cocaine and cocaine-fueled parties. So he wants a better rap scene with something better to celebrate than a bunch of blow, a bunch of powder on your face. hence the following line: Are we supporting the artist or enabling the addict?
There are Aesop songs that I've listened to for years because I like the sound, but never understood and then one day it dawns on me what he's actually saying.
Than powder on a face like a flatfoot (another moniker for cops) on jelly day (Jelly donuts are often powdered sugar covered), Something to celebrate than serving your immediate gratification is how I've always interpreted this line. I give you props for taking on a guy with his vocabulary and the number of times you rewind to catch bars. His lyrics are more open to interpretation than most I've listened to.
That was my initial assumption as well until I learned that the term flat-footed describes someone who is awkward, clumsy, or most pertinently uninspired. Basically your average person who exists as little more than a cog in the system. These people who live otherwise uneventful lives will break from their routine when someone offers something as menial as a donut. I personally imagine this bar with the image of a cubicle jockey half-consciously meandering into a donut shop to experience the pinnacle of his work week. This parallels with later references to all of the talented individuals he saw leave behind their integrity to make the same catchy crap that's been pushed since record executives learned they could capitalize on perverting the entire genre of hip hop. Aes is praying that the reciprocation for the dedication he's continually put into his career amounts to something more substantial and fulfilling regardless of whether that's received in a fortune in cash, the ability to destroy with impunity those bad actors (A-alike androids with cartoon cigars💥), or at the very least be granted an experience that gives him cause not to view the future so bleakly. (In order: a nest egg; a death ray; something better to celebrate) The powder on the face could also easily be a double entendre that references insufflated drugs like cocaine, which is also abstractly referenced by "immoral magnets" and more directly with "enabling the addict." This would definitely be in line with the notion of transient joys as a break from the norm. Also, the way he so vividly paints the scene in the second verse sounds like the come up on a powerful psychedelic or hallucinogenic compound. Though, there's a lot more that doesn't seem to line up with this assessment. I'm probably trying to read too much into it through a lens clouded by my own perspective. Aye, I find that necessary interpretation is what separates good artists from amazing ones. Unfortunately, it also distances them from the public. The majority of people who listen to music are passive listeners, coincidentally the same kind who are most susceptible to the kind of messages promoted by mainstream, low effort crap. How many songs we gonna have about money, shakin' booty, getting high, and being antagonistic and violent before the public actually clues in and stops "listening for the beat" and actually pay attention? _Apologies if this isn't a cohesive series of thoughts. I am quite tired and kept veering off in an attempt to be comprehensive, but that'd require a damned essay. I figured this was the best stopping point I'm going to get at the moment._
Also, there is a type of shoe thats called jellies. Idk if it helps or not... Aesop has so many layers it's hard to know if he meant this, that, or the others or all of it lol
"Powder on a face" can refer to someone putting make up on their face, or could alude to doing cocaine - both meanings seem to suggest a celebration, as putting make up on is something done for a party, and cocaine is something done at a party - metaphors for indulgence. However, people do these things when they are not celebrating also. "flatfoot" probably refers to a clumsy person, though it is actually a medical condition as well - when the arches on the inside of your feet flatten against the ground when pressure is applied to them. "jelly day" is a confusing phrase as it doesn't seem to mean anything in particular. My best guess is that Aes is talking about basketball here. In basketball, Jelly basically refers to switching up a lay up by adding some extra creativity. For example, switching hands or going through your legs. With Aes being from NYC where basketball is hugely popular this is a reference he will probably be aware of. Jelly can also refer to the food - and the powder on the face definitely suggests something like a donut, which is also an indication of indulgence (and potentially a reference to police) As for the meaning of the line as a whole, I think that it aludes to celebrating someone messing up but ultimately it's important to look to the previous lines "Pray fortune return to his favor, swiftly/Maybe in the form of a nest egg/Maybe in the form of a Tesla death ray/Or a solid gold scene with something to celebrate/Than powder on a face like a flatfoot on jelly day". Aesop is basically saying that he hopes something good will come out of his efforts - maybe good, maybe bad, maybe lucrative, maybe enjoyable. There is so much to unpack in every single one of Aesop's lines and that is why he is (in my opinion) the greatest lyricist of all time. And I've certainly missed things here, just thought I would dive into this one line to see what treasures it holds.
not the best song to start with but DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS MAN. listen to Rings, Dorks, Klutz, Coffee, Drums on the Wheel, Jumping coffin, mystery fish, none shall pass, kirby, pigs, rouge wave, shrunk, the gates, corn maze, whales, , Daylight, Nightlight. Thats some of his bangiest of bangers.
Agreed^ Starting people on aesop is tricky sometimes. I like to start people w The Harbor is Yours if they dabble, Sabbatical w Options if they will not be aiming for the apple 🤓
went to the same high school as him. His older brother was is the same age as me, had AP Calculus together senior year. His older brother was ridiculously smart and ive always assumed Aesop was as well. ive been enjoying his masterful word play and lyrics for 20 years now and really enjoy seeing how TH-cam is exposing a new generation to his amazing body of work.
Bro he's saying any real artist has been bought out. "A huntable surplus too one." He is the last real artist out there. Everyone is bought and sold to corporate from his era
you ain't wrong about aesop. He's dense but there's often deeper meaning in his cryptic lyrics. You keep saying "I don't get the reference" but most of the time it's just Aesop inventing a brand new sang or rapping a riddle and it's kind of on the listener to break down and decide what it means to them. It's often more about the picture that the words paint than it is relating to any specific, objective thing. This song is pretty dense. I recommend checking out something like Dorks or Rings or Kirby with the lyrics pulled up.
Check out “Dork”, “Klutz”, “Pizza Alley”, “Kirby”. Or anything else really. I’ve been listening to rap since ‘85 & Aesop Rock is my favorite of all time.
"He's extremely lyrical" He's actually the MOST lyrical lol. Dude is the shakespear of hiphop. He's known to have the largest vocabulary in hiphop as well as the most cryptic in that he uses so much metaphors and double meanings, triple meanings, then he changes the meaning completely with the next sentence and changes it again with the next. He's just a lyrical genius above all other. He still considers himself a failed artist though, because he's actually a fine artist (Painting and drawing and shit) and does most if not all art in his videos I would suggest checking out "Rings" which is all about art and isn't THAT cryptic
There was a study on most unique words used out of artist’s whole catalog. He was almost removed from the study as an outlier because it skewed the data that much.
I understand this song better after thinking about it watching you think about it. It's about his struggle to make it in a weird industry having seen the industry being an outcast and seeing the degradation of people in the scene.
i like seeing which somegs people recomend as his 'best' cause it really just your personal favorites lol aesops songs like a painting, everybody got a different one they vibe with
bro the fact that you understood any of it at all means you should check into more aesop, his newer stuff is more digestible and easier to follow. his cadence and flow got even better too
Mystery Fish is another great way to dive into Aes. His album Impossible Kid is the stuff of legends imo (although every album he puts out is a separate creature in itself and special lyrically and in production).
it might be the quintessential aes album, purely based on how much he wears his heart on his sleeve for it. if you want to delve deep into ian bavitz, the man, its a good place to start
His early stuff is amazing, but as it is more digestible than most of his stuff to someone without a dictionary in hand, I have to agree, this new shit bangin. He's been a God since Skelethon and he's only gotten better. TIK and SWFG are 2 of the best rap albums I've ever heard, and Garbology is goddamn amazing, love to hear an older Aes on Blockhead beats again.
Welcome to wonderful world of Aesop pernounced (A - sop)like the fables... The most complex writer maybe ever. Been around since 97. Underground legend. He was the guy with the biggest vocabulary in hip-hop on that study.. there is a really good piece Lupe fiasco does on him. He also considers him the best rapper alive. Skill wise. It's not digestible in one meal which turns people off but there isn't a single person I've met who isn't a big fan after they dive in and parce his language and start getting everything. He does a lot of metaphors but mostly it's imagery. He paints beautiful landscapes of places and emotions, it's funny, sad, etc. If you like lyrics that truly will satisfy you and have is forever replayable. You found him.
@@durere I think be auae he's so unique they don't get it and you can't really explain it and it does take a while to get that "it" factor with Aes. You're probably right though in many instances. Lol
Like and a sub for anybody reacting to aes been a fan since ‘09 check out coffee the first song I heard by him also daylight nightlight the whole impossible kid album all of it aes is the goat
"A solid gold scene with something better to celebrate than powder on a face like a flat foot on jelly day" That bar is pure Aes genius. Indirect, vivid imagery, talking about something very real. Basically about underground rap scenes destroying themselves through excessive drug use and celebration of self annihilation in the search for recognition and fame. Aes still and always one of the goats.
I had to sit on the first song my friend sent me for a while but then I just kept going back to it to try to figure it out, and now here I am convinced that he's the messiah Either that or some errant wayward disciple, the one who left to walk the earth for eternity in an ever futile attempt to - ..... I mean I don't even know who would I be to say. Maybe he just left 'cuz the party wasn't it, maybe he has no goal nor divine task/punishment, he just strays in an attempt to quell his nigh-omniscience Or, he found a portal to a dimension full of those proverbial monkeys who type at keyboards for eternity except the monkeys are shakespeare from the year 276543899 in galaxy prime, and he just cops their swag _swoop down from the trees with potpourris of other bandits_ ..xp
I could make em all dance or I could sleep...I could walk with a limp and make your step feel incomplete.... Aesop is the best MC to ever grace the mic
Its so hard to pick a song to introduce someone to Aes. He has a huge library of fantastic songs. Do you start with the wild shit or give them something more understandable to ease them in?
Mars Attacks is an easy intro song. It's super complex but being able to just say "This song is about aliens invading earth and Aes gathering his crew to fight back against the mothership."
No Regrets for sure. People enjoy long legged Larry, if you show the video with it. 1st one I heard was Daylight, then Big Bang. Been hooked since '99.
You should check out the video of Lupe explaining his appreciation for Aes. It gives you so much insight as a first time listener. I’ve been listening to Aes since he was on Def Jux with El-P, Cannibal Ox, Mira, Company Flow, etc. He’s extremely dense with his lyrics, but the talent and skill is mind blowing. I completely agree with Lupe’s analogy as Aes being the Jackson Pollock of lyricists. You should definitely watch that video. Just look up Lupe Fiasco Aesop Rock and it’ll be the top search result. ✌️ 💯
Jar(head) at the mall is an army guy handing him a recruiting card. Zero dark thirty is a reference to the operation that supposedly killed osama bin Ladin.
5:27 I’m sure other people have told you by know “The power on the face of A flat foot on jelly day” Is a cop with powdered sugar on his face from a jelly doughnut, because they had a special that day. 🐼
Than powder on a face like a flatfoot on jelly day- Powdered donut sugar on a cops (flatfoot) face. I'm guessing jelly day just means donut day; like a special event sale, ie (free slushy day at 7-11) slurpy day
Mr Aesop is super lyrical. Lots of references I don’t understand. I don’t get half the stuff he says lmao but he’s got no bad songs. Gotta check out “Long Legged Larry” if you want something more digestible
dang in the top 100 tracks ever 50+ would be aesop tracks & zero dark thirty wouldn't be one of em! this vid got me to subscribe tho!! if only one thing could be created it should be aes's Dryspell or Big Bang & i mean they should be created over engines, chapstick, cheese in a can "i'm on the genius plan, author a marvel of engineering to rival the great pyramids and cheese in a can"--aes next best thing AFTER 20+ YEARS LISTENING I STILL PAUSE & SAY 'DID HE JUST SAY THAT?'
I'm pretty sure the "flatfoot on jelly day" is a reference to the annual Peanut Butter & Jelly Day celebration in NYC, and a flatfooted person (a condition where your soles lack an arch, which tends to lead to foot pain and reduced mobility) using their condition as an excuse to avoid participating in a social event. Aes is known for referencing anxiety, depression, isolation, and other mental health topics in his lyrics really heavily.
@@defeatstatistics7413 I think there's also a basketball event or something in NYC called Jelly Day, so I fully expect that I'm just talking out my ass, lol. But that's the image I get from the verse.
It starts at "pray fortune returns to his favor" then he lists ways fortune could return, first is a nest egg. Second is a tesla death ray. Last is a solid gold scene(society) with something better to celebrate than powder on a face like a flatfoot on jelly day. Flatfoots are a name for police. A flat foot on jelly day is saying a cop with a jelly donut which has powder on top so when eating you get powder on your face. The line is saying give me something better than celebrating powder on my face(cocaine) like a flat-foot on jelly day(cop eating a jelly donut) as both people have powder on their face. This is followed up by the line moral compass all batshit implying society's morals are misplaced
Lots of people make the mistake of starting on Aesop's more esoteric stuff. Try some of his tracks from"The Impossible Kid." They're a lot more digestible than some of his more word vomit style earlier work. I like the old stuff, don't get me wrong, but it's definitely a tough sell for people who really want to know what the rhymes are about. Spending a half hour reading a breakdown of his references is a bit high effort. I like the cadence and the beats. If I don't get a reference here or there I'm cool with it. I'll pick them up in time. Or maybe I won't. Still sounds dope. Makes me nod my head to the beat.
I know its been an age of man since this came and went but "powder on a face like a flatfoot on jelly day" Flatfoot is an old name for a cop, Jelly day reference discount days for doughnuts. Powder is talking about drugs here . So he is saying no better way to celebrate than enough powder to dust your whole face like a cop on powdered jelly doughnut day.
@thatsingerreacts … great reaction. It’s definitely NOT trash. Check out bloodsandwich the video makes the lyrics super easy to get and if you have brothers it means more.
“powder on her face iike a flat foot on jelly day“. I assume he is talking about someone’s face is covered in powder like a flat foot (patrolman cop) gorging on donuts.
I’ll comment again just to say that being able to admit on the first listen that the lyrical content is Mariana Trench deep is a sign of intelligence it’s a lot
The solid gold team gotta have a better reason to celebrate. Then powder on the face like a flat foot on jelly day. (Meaning there's gotta be a better way to celebrate other then getting messed up on coke)
To put him to the side because you didn't catch his bars first time around would be ri-god-damn-diculous. His songs can't be fully appreciated on one listen alone: it's layered and should be absorbed lyrically and musically. Try his newer stuff off of Spirit World Field Guide or Garbology - it's still very dense but less wordy than his earlier stuff.
Cop eating a jelly donut happy with the powdered sugar? Just spitballing. As it Seems to be about his place in hip/hop, maybe the hungry enzymes are like thirst for something mpre but end up just drinking 100 dollar t- shirts ( mothmen, textiles)?
@@mmmmike0 I wasn't really spitballin' it. The powder is coke, I believe, in the greater context of the song, yeah? Regoddamndiculous is from a movie? Comedian? I've only heard this song 10- 15 times so it's still kinda impregnable. Ha ha
@@williamcraig1306 Yeah, coke. I think he's lamenting artists starting hungry to change the world (enzymes both break things down and build things up), but ending up biting others' "yarns". The scene becomes about fame and drugs, and feeding that addiction to fame and drugs, instead of creating new art. And it's making him puke, literally, at Zero Friends, the place where the vid was shot and he's performed, feeling alone still trying to create something original. Makes him wants to retire, or else just destroy everything. I'll add "fucking" in the middle of almost anything with 3-4 syllables, like abso-fucking-lutely, toooo-fucking-rific, etc. Don't know when that started, maybe Adam Sandler or when I found out Guns 'n' Roses originally called themselves G'N'F'R. Just more fun to say. Here I think he was just doing it to match most of the internal vowel sounds from "the god’s last cigarette" to "ri-god-damn-diculous".
People are always scared of what they don't understand. To even say, "I'm not going to brush this to side as being like trash." Run back to your pop rap where they say the same thing over and over. Ha!
I’ve been listening to Aes for more than 20 years. You have to be willing to do the work if you are going to be able to understand him; but it’s always worth it.
Always
I define his style as ....Heavy Mental Hip Hop 🔥
Guys vocab and metaphor’s are crazy. In 1000 yrs he will heralded as the Shakespeare of our age and kids will be studying his bars in class 😂
Me too bro music for the earthworms. Aes Rock is the most lyrical mc .PERIOD
@@vancerants Fuck if this isn't the most perfect description of Aesop, I don't know what is.
a "flatfoot" is a cop. cops love donuts. Jelly-day is jelly donuts. has the image of a cop's face covered in powdered sugar after eating powdered jelly donuts. But that's just the analogy. He's really talking about rappers spending their successes on cocaine and cocaine-fueled parties. So he wants a better rap scene with something better to celebrate than a bunch of blow, a bunch of powder on your face. hence the following line: Are we supporting the artist or enabling the addict?
There are Aesop songs that I've listened to for years because I like the sound, but never understood and then one day it dawns on me what he's actually saying.
RUBY 81 is the greatest story ever told
It is. Puts a tear in my eye every time i listen to it.
Than powder on a face like a flatfoot (another moniker for cops) on jelly day (Jelly donuts are often powdered sugar covered), Something to celebrate than serving your immediate gratification is how I've always interpreted this line. I give you props for taking on a guy with his vocabulary and the number of times you rewind to catch bars. His lyrics are more open to interpretation than most I've listened to.
That was my initial assumption as well until I learned that the term flat-footed describes someone who is awkward, clumsy, or most pertinently uninspired. Basically your average person who exists as little more than a cog in the system. These people who live otherwise uneventful lives will break from their routine when someone offers something as menial as a donut. I personally imagine this bar with the image of a cubicle jockey half-consciously meandering into a donut shop to experience the pinnacle of his work week.
This parallels with later references to all of the talented individuals he saw leave behind their integrity to make the same catchy crap that's been pushed since record executives learned they could capitalize on perverting the entire genre of hip hop. Aes is praying that the reciprocation for the dedication he's continually put into his career amounts to something more substantial and fulfilling regardless of whether that's received in a fortune in cash, the ability to destroy with impunity those bad actors (A-alike androids with cartoon cigars💥), or at the very least be granted an experience that gives him cause not to view the future so bleakly. (In order: a nest egg; a death ray; something better to celebrate)
The powder on the face could also easily be a double entendre that references insufflated drugs like cocaine, which is also abstractly referenced by "immoral magnets" and more directly with "enabling the addict." This would definitely be in line with the notion of transient joys as a break from the norm. Also, the way he so vividly paints the scene in the second verse sounds like the come up on a powerful psychedelic or hallucinogenic compound. Though, there's a lot more that doesn't seem to line up with this assessment. I'm probably trying to read too much into it through a lens clouded by my own perspective.
Aye, I find that necessary interpretation is what separates good artists from amazing ones. Unfortunately, it also distances them from the public. The majority of people who listen to music are passive listeners, coincidentally the same kind who are most susceptible to the kind of messages promoted by mainstream, low effort crap. How many songs we gonna have about money, shakin' booty, getting high, and being antagonistic and violent before the public actually clues in and stops "listening for the beat" and actually pay attention?
_Apologies if this isn't a cohesive series of thoughts. I am quite tired and kept veering off in an attempt to be comprehensive, but that'd require a damned essay. I figured this was the best stopping point I'm going to get at the moment._
Also, there is a type of shoe thats called jellies. Idk if it helps or not... Aesop has so many layers it's hard to know if he meant this, that, or the others or all of it lol
"Powder on a face" can refer to someone putting make up on their face, or could alude to doing cocaine - both meanings seem to suggest a celebration, as putting make up on is something done for a party, and cocaine is something done at a party - metaphors for indulgence. However, people do these things when they are not celebrating also.
"flatfoot" probably refers to a clumsy person, though it is actually a medical condition as well - when the arches on the inside of your feet flatten against the ground when pressure is applied to them.
"jelly day" is a confusing phrase as it doesn't seem to mean anything in particular. My best guess is that Aes is talking about basketball here. In basketball, Jelly basically refers to switching up a lay up by adding some extra creativity. For example, switching hands or going through your legs. With Aes being from NYC where basketball is hugely popular this is a reference he will probably be aware of. Jelly can also refer to the food - and the powder on the face definitely suggests something like a donut, which is also an indication of indulgence (and potentially a reference to police)
As for the meaning of the line as a whole, I think that it aludes to celebrating someone messing up but ultimately it's important to look to the previous lines "Pray fortune return to his favor, swiftly/Maybe in the form of a nest egg/Maybe in the form of a Tesla death ray/Or a solid gold scene with something to celebrate/Than powder on a face like a flatfoot on jelly day". Aesop is basically saying that he hopes something good will come out of his efforts - maybe good, maybe bad, maybe lucrative, maybe enjoyable.
There is so much to unpack in every single one of Aesop's lines and that is why he is (in my opinion) the greatest lyricist of all time. And I've certainly missed things here, just thought I would dive into this one line to see what treasures it holds.
not the best song to start with but DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS MAN. listen to Rings, Dorks, Klutz, Coffee, Drums on the Wheel, Jumping coffin, mystery fish, none shall pass, kirby, pigs, rouge wave, shrunk, the gates, corn maze, whales, , Daylight, Nightlight. Thats some of his bangiest of bangers.
Agreed^
Starting people on aesop is tricky sometimes. I like to start people w The Harbor is Yours if they dabble, Sabbatical w Options if they will not be aiming for the apple 🤓
I'm a big fan of the harder to find songs. Bosico, tomorrow morning, zodiaccupuncture, then pretty much everything from Hail Mary Mallon.
KOWP is a heavy banger!
Cycles to Gehenna as well
Coveralls fits on that list.
Awesome reaction man 🔥 first time I've heard of him
Flatfoot is a cop. Powder jelly donuts. Something more to celebrate than donuts to a cop.
Wow! Never expected to see an Aesop song on your channel. Pleasantly surprised 😊 I think you'd like his song No rEgrets
Lucy was 7, and wore her hair in blue barrettes...
went to the same high school as him. His older brother was is the same age as me, had AP Calculus together senior year. His older brother was ridiculously smart and ive always assumed Aesop was as well. ive been enjoying his masterful word play and lyrics for 20 years now and really enjoy seeing how TH-cam is exposing a new generation to his amazing body of work.
Bro he's saying any real artist has been bought out. "A huntable surplus too one." He is the last real artist out there. Everyone is bought and sold to corporate from his era
you ain't wrong about aesop. He's dense but there's often deeper meaning in his cryptic lyrics. You keep saying "I don't get the reference" but most of the time it's just Aesop inventing a brand new sang or rapping a riddle and it's kind of on the listener to break down and decide what it means to them. It's often more about the picture that the words paint than it is relating to any specific, objective thing.
This song is pretty dense.
I recommend checking out something like Dorks or Rings or Kirby with the lyrics pulled up.
Omg...... I have been waiting for you to react to Aes for so long. Please do Jumping Coffin or Drums On The Wheel.
yes!! please more AESOP! please
Check out “Dork”, “Klutz”, “Pizza Alley”, “Kirby”. Or anything else really. I’ve been listening to rap since ‘85 & Aesop Rock is my favorite of all time.
"He's extremely lyrical" He's actually the MOST lyrical lol. Dude is the shakespear of hiphop. He's known to have the largest vocabulary in hiphop as well as the most cryptic in that he uses so much metaphors and double meanings, triple meanings, then he changes the meaning completely with the next sentence and changes it again with the next. He's just a lyrical genius above all other.
He still considers himself a failed artist though, because he's actually a fine artist (Painting and drawing and shit) and does most if not all art in his videos
I would suggest checking out "Rings" which is all about art and isn't THAT cryptic
he doesn't do all the art in his earlier stuff none shall pas and the video for pigs are an artist named jermy fish
There was a study on most unique words used out of artist’s whole catalog. He was almost removed from the study as an outlier because it skewed the data that much.
Do rings it's one of his best and also one of the easiest to understand loved your reaction!
Bar master 😊😊😊😊😊😊
GOAT.
I understand this song better after thinking about it watching you think about it. It's about his struggle to make it in a weird industry having seen the industry being an outcast and seeing the degradation of people in the scene.
Aesop been killing it for 15+ years. TONS of great stuff of his out there.
GOAT
Aesop Rock is a different breed
Yeah, 🐐of all🐐's. Probably your favorite rappers favorite rapper.
i like seeing which somegs people recomend as his 'best' cause it really just your personal favorites lol aesops songs like a painting, everybody got a different one they vibe with
bro the fact that you understood any of it at all means you should check into more aesop, his newer stuff is more digestible and easier to follow. his cadence and flow got even better too
Mystery Fish is another great way to dive into Aes. His album Impossible Kid is the stuff of legends imo (although every album he puts out is a separate creature in itself and special lyrically and in production).
it might be the quintessential aes album, purely based on how much he wears his heart on his sleeve for it. if you want to delve deep into ian bavitz, the man, its a good place to start
I liked and subscribed solely for Aesop Rock reactions. The greatest underground rapper.
Probably something off the last two albums would be a little easier to digest as an introduction to Aesop. His early stuff is.... dense.
His early stuff is amazing, but as it is more digestible than most of his stuff to someone without a dictionary in hand, I have to agree, this new shit bangin. He's been a God since Skelethon and he's only gotten better. TIK and SWFG are 2 of the best rap albums I've ever heard, and Garbology is goddamn amazing, love to hear an older Aes on Blockhead beats again.
Welcome to wonderful world of Aesop pernounced (A - sop)like the fables... The most complex writer maybe ever. Been around since 97. Underground legend. He was the guy with the biggest vocabulary in hip-hop on that study.. there is a really good piece Lupe fiasco does on him. He also considers him the best rapper alive. Skill wise. It's not digestible in one meal which turns people off but there isn't a single person I've met who isn't a big fan after they dive in and parce his language and start getting everything. He does a lot of metaphors but mostly it's imagery. He paints beautiful landscapes of places and emotions, it's funny, sad, etc. If you like lyrics that truly will satisfy you and have is forever replayable. You found him.
People have been overlooking him for years because they don’t want to put in the work to understand him
@@dvancebum that and it threatens the quality of popular music. what's good vs what's popular.
@@_Jake.From.Statefarm_ Ye, people get very defensive when I play them some Aesop. Mayhaps it low key makes them feel bad for not getting it.
@@durere I think be auae he's so unique they don't get it and you can't really explain it and it does take a while to get that "it" factor with Aes. You're probably right though in many instances. Lol
took my twin a paper tab of mind expander to get his music lol
Aesop Rock has the most diverse vocab of all rappers past and present. The BAR G.O.A.T hands down. 🎤
'Flatfoot' is an old slang for a cop.
Cops and donuts.
They would call cops flatfoots, so powder on the face from a jelly Donut.
Aesop is damn near the greatest modern poet we’ve got
Like and a sub for anybody reacting to aes been a fan since ‘09 check out coffee the first song I heard by him also daylight nightlight the whole impossible kid album all of it aes is the goat
He got a new one out. Mindful solutionisms
"A solid gold scene with something better to celebrate than powder on a face like a flat foot on jelly day"
That bar is pure Aes genius. Indirect, vivid imagery, talking about something very real. Basically about underground rap scenes destroying themselves through excessive drug use and celebration of self annihilation in the search for recognition and fame.
Aes still and always one of the goats.
Heavy Mental Hip Hop 🔥
My man Aes is a lyrical giant.
Flatfoot is a cop
I had to sit on the first song my friend sent me for a while but then I just kept going back to it to try to figure it out, and now here I am convinced that he's the messiah
Either that or some errant wayward disciple, the one who left to walk the earth for eternity in an ever futile attempt to - ..... I mean I don't even know who would I be to say. Maybe he just left 'cuz the party wasn't it, maybe he has no goal nor divine task/punishment, he just strays in an attempt to quell his nigh-omniscience
Or, he found a portal to a dimension full of those proverbial monkeys who type at keyboards for eternity except the monkeys are shakespeare from the year 276543899 in galaxy prime, and he just cops their swag
_swoop down from the trees with potpourris of other bandits_
..xp
yeah you get it
I could make em all dance or I could sleep...I could walk with a limp and make your step feel incomplete.... Aesop is the best MC to ever grace the mic
Its so hard to pick a song to introduce someone to Aes. He has a huge library of fantastic songs. Do you start with the wild shit or give them something more understandable to ease them in?
depends on who your trying to introduce him too, if they already a hiphop head id start with bazooka tooths no jumper cables
I give 'em no regrets usually
Mars Attacks is an easy intro song. It's super complex but being able to just say "This song is about aliens invading earth and Aes gathering his crew to fight back against the mothership."
No Regrets for sure. People enjoy long legged Larry, if you show the video with it. 1st one I heard was Daylight, then Big Bang. Been hooked since '99.
Start em with Kirby. Anyone with mental struggles and a favorite pet can relate.
Re God damn diculous. Is just like saying giahugeic. Combo of gigantic and huge. It's so ridiculous it's God damn ridiculous. Come on man
You should check out the video of Lupe explaining his appreciation for Aes. It gives you so much insight as a first time listener. I’ve been listening to Aes since he was on Def Jux with El-P, Cannibal Ox, Mira, Company Flow, etc. He’s extremely dense with his lyrics, but the talent and skill is mind blowing. I completely agree with Lupe’s analogy as Aes being the Jackson Pollock of lyricists. You should definitely watch that video. Just look up Lupe Fiasco Aesop Rock and it’ll be the top search result. ✌️ 💯
:-:" He said Alot of stuff that just flew over my head" 😂😂😂 That's a pretty normal reaction.
try Tuesday. It's from a recent collab album and is one of my favourite of his
A flat foot is a term for police or an authority figure, powder on the face (powdered donut) on jelly day (jelly donut).
Jar(head) at the mall is an army guy handing him a recruiting card. Zero dark thirty is a reference to the operation that supposedly killed osama bin Ladin.
Aes is like studying cars on a freeway, you can do it, but there’s a lot to process and they aren’t slowing down
5:27
I’m sure other people have told you by know
“The power on the face of A flat foot on jelly day”
Is a cop with powdered sugar on his face from a jelly doughnut, because they had a special that day.
🐼
"Powder on the face like a flat foot on jelly day" a cop eating a powdered jelly donut
Gotta go through Impossible kid and Spirit World Field Guide -- They're both excellent :)
Aesop is the greatest lyricist alive. Check out his tracks Jumping Coffins, Mara Attack, or Pizza Ally
"..Powder on his face like a flatfoot on jelly day." A cop eating powdered jelly donuts.
He said cops are happy on doughnut day...jelly doughnuts got powder sugar
Than powder on a face like a flatfoot on jelly day- Powdered donut sugar on a cops (flatfoot) face. I'm guessing jelly day just means donut day; like a special event sale, ie (free slushy day at 7-11) slurpy day
Mr Aesop is super lyrical. Lots of references I don’t understand. I don’t get half the stuff he says lmao but he’s got no bad songs. Gotta check out “Long Legged Larry” if you want something more digestible
dang in the top 100 tracks ever 50+ would be aesop tracks & zero dark thirty wouldn't be one of em! this vid got me to subscribe tho!! if only one thing could be created it should be aes's Dryspell or Big Bang & i mean they should be created over engines, chapstick, cheese in a can "i'm on the genius plan, author a marvel of engineering to rival the great pyramids and cheese in a can"--aes next best thing AFTER 20+ YEARS LISTENING I STILL PAUSE & SAY 'DID HE JUST SAY THAT?'
Flatfoot .. ( a cop) jelly day the jelly doughnut day with sugar powder on it
No one gets Aesop Rock in five minutes. It's music for earthworms. Ya gotta do some digging. Always worth it, though.
I'm pretty sure the "flatfoot on jelly day" is a reference to the annual Peanut Butter & Jelly Day celebration in NYC, and a flatfooted person (a condition where your soles lack an arch, which tends to lead to foot pain and reduced mobility) using their condition as an excuse to avoid participating in a social event. Aes is known for referencing anxiety, depression, isolation, and other mental health topics in his lyrics really heavily.
Flat-footed can also mean unready or unprepared, caught off guard, so like, something rolls around and you aren't ready for it, and it passes you by.
@@defeatstatistics7413 I think there's also a basketball event or something in NYC called Jelly Day, so I fully expect that I'm just talking out my ass, lol. But that's the image I get from the verse.
A flat foot is a cop,
Do your research 🐼
Powder on a face like a flat foot on jelly day.. flat foot is a cop. Jelly donut day…
It starts at "pray fortune returns to his favor" then he lists ways fortune could return, first is a nest egg. Second is a tesla death ray. Last is a solid gold scene(society) with something better to celebrate than powder on a face like a flatfoot on jelly day.
Flatfoots are a name for police.
A flat foot on jelly day is saying a cop with a jelly donut which has powder on top so when eating you get powder on your face.
The line is saying give me something better than celebrating powder on my face(cocaine) like a flat-foot on jelly day(cop eating a jelly donut) as both people have powder on their face.
This is followed up by the line moral compass all batshit implying society's morals are misplaced
I recommend Aesop Rock - Untouchable
It's dope, it's slower and hella funny.
Lots of people make the mistake of starting on Aesop's more esoteric stuff. Try some of his tracks from"The Impossible Kid." They're a lot more digestible than some of his more word vomit style earlier work. I like the old stuff, don't get me wrong, but it's definitely a tough sell for people who really want to know what the rhymes are about. Spending a half hour reading a breakdown of his references is a bit high effort.
I like the cadence and the beats. If I don't get a reference here or there I'm cool with it. I'll pick them up in time. Or maybe I won't. Still sounds dope. Makes me nod my head to the beat.
Powder on the face like a flatfoot on jelly day just means cops like donuts
I know its been an age of man since this came and went but "powder on a face like a flatfoot on jelly day"
Flatfoot is an old name for a cop, Jelly day reference discount days for doughnuts. Powder is talking about drugs here . So he is saying no better way to celebrate than enough powder to dust your whole face like a cop on powdered jelly doughnut day.
Flatfoot = Cop
Jelly day = eating donuts
@thatsingerreacts … great reaction. It’s definitely NOT trash. Check out bloodsandwich the video makes the lyrics super easy to get and if you have brothers it means more.
Powder on the face Like a flat foot on jelly day. Cops and donuts?
“powder on her face iike a flat foot on jelly day“. I assume he is talking about someone’s face is covered in powder like a flat foot (patrolman cop) gorging on donuts.
N yes he demolishes bars
I think that flat foot on jelly day is being the slowest to get to the jelly donuts … so powdered face … left with the powdered donuts no one likes ?
A flat foot is a beat cop. It's a donut joke
Aesop is probably the closest thing to an alien living on earth. Nobodys mind works this way lol
I’ll comment again just to say that being able to admit on the first listen that the lyrical content is Mariana Trench deep is a sign of intelligence it’s a lot
The powdered face on a flatfoot jelly day. It a comparison to the previous bar. You look like gold or a flatfoot (cop) on jelly (donut) day.
The solid gold team gotta have a better reason to celebrate.
Then powder on the face like a flat foot on jelly day.
(Meaning there's gotta be a better way to celebrate other then getting messed up on coke)
To put him to the side because you didn't catch his bars first time around would be ri-god-damn-diculous. His songs can't be fully appreciated on one listen alone: it's layered and should be absorbed lyrically and musically. Try his newer stuff off of Spirit World Field Guide or Garbology - it's still very dense but less wordy than his earlier stuff.
Cop eating a jelly donut happy with the powdered sugar? Just spitballing. As it Seems to be about his place in hip/hop, maybe the hungry enzymes are like thirst for something mpre but end up just drinking 100 dollar t- shirts ( mothmen, textiles)?
Yea, that's it. "Flat-foot" is ol' timey slang for the cops. Referencing the cheap boots they wear.
@@mmmmike0 I wasn't really spitballin' it. The powder is coke, I believe, in the greater context of the song, yeah? Regoddamndiculous is from a movie? Comedian? I've only heard this song 10- 15 times so it's still kinda impregnable. Ha ha
@@williamcraig1306 Yeah, coke. I think he's lamenting artists starting hungry to change the world (enzymes both break things down and build things up), but ending up biting others' "yarns". The scene becomes about fame and drugs, and feeding that addiction to fame and drugs, instead of creating new art. And it's making him puke, literally, at Zero Friends, the place where the vid was shot and he's performed, feeling alone still trying to create something original. Makes him wants to retire, or else just destroy everything.
I'll add "fucking" in the middle of almost anything with 3-4 syllables, like abso-fucking-lutely, toooo-fucking-rific, etc. Don't know when that started, maybe Adam Sandler or when I found out Guns 'n' Roses originally called themselves G'N'F'R. Just more fun to say. Here I think he was just doing it to match most of the internal vowel sounds from "the god’s last cigarette" to "ri-god-damn-diculous".
do hologram by felt. You will thank me later, even if you don't do a react, this is your new daily.
like a flat footed cop on jelly doughnut day?
Do any MF DOOM
People are always scared of what they don't understand. To even say, "I'm not going to brush this to side as being like trash." Run back to your pop rap where they say the same thing over and over. Ha!