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AESOP ROCK: None Shall Pass (Definitive Jux)

Months after indie mainstay Def Jux returned to the big-time with label pres El-P’s five-years-in-the-making I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead, that other flagship Jukie — Aesop Rock — steps into the spotlight with his fourth original full-length. And while Aes’ beat selection and mic technique are impressive (his pitch, delivery and flow dip and dive without a hitch), you still can’t figure out what the hell he’s rapping about. The man remains one of indie hip-hop’s most inscrutable lyricists, more interested in how his lines sound than in what they mean. This can work, like on the title track, which is loaded with witty absurdism like “Not enough young in his lung for the water wing.” Too often, though, the words just fly by without leaving much of an impact.

3 Stars

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