Oh My Rockness

Brooklyn's Aesop Rock has got one of the smoothest flows of any MC around. Like a more laid-back Kool Keith, Aesop Rock lets his smart, storybook rhymes slip out as casually as if talking with a friend over a cup of coffee at Friendly's. 2001's Labor Days was hands down the strongest hip-hop album of that year and his follow-up, 2003's Bazooka Tooth, proved he's no one-album wonder.

He also gives credence to the opinion that the label Def Jux is dishing out some of the most innovative and exciting hip-hop albums in the industry. With his talent, it's amazing Aesop Rock's star isn't brighter than the lights of Times Square.

You won't see him opening nightclubs or creating the Aesop fashion line. He's not flashy and won't bowl you over with his bling bling (in fact, he still has a day job), but he's a rapper's rapper. He's true to the rhymes and the music. Everything else is secondary. And because of this creed, he's better than just about anybody. -Patrick-

Published 12/20/06