Rhymesayers legend Aesop Rock has always marched to the beat of his own drum, never sacrificing or dumbing down his densely poetic abstract lyricism. As such, he has remained one of the most compelling hip-hop writers to unpack, even if his imagery requires repeat visits to the mind palace. Now, Rock has come through with the soundtrack to Freedom Finger, a largely instrumental video-game score that happens to feature three fully-formed songs, including "KOWP."
The slow-riding bounce is the perfect backdrop for Rock's fantastical musings, as he finds his pocket and never lets up. It's wonder he rhymes so effortlessly; the beat was crafted by his own practiced hand, after all. "I could drive a car through a fence, Bonnie sitting shotty, not Barbie and Ken," he begins, drawing on familiar faces and placing them in outlandish predicaments. "Probably dip instead of weathering your whims and woes / the piss and moan, I prefer sticks and stones."
Check out the full track now, and sound off with your thoughts and interpretations below -- it's likely the average Aesop Rock verse could benefit from a scholarly study or two, but we'll take what we can get. How do you factor him into the conversation of hip-hop's great writers?
QUOTABLE LYRICS
The piss and moan, I prefer sticks and stones
From the unrelenting filigree of digital Rome
I throw a signal fit to eclipse Videodrome
More than pics of your pets, every pixel explodes
And viewership has an emotional and physical toll
I'm an 8-bit invader who vacate the cartridge
Upgrade, now I make waves in the lawless
Y'all still decorate an office in rainbows and dolphins