Aesop Rock Rocks the Mic, Tries to Impress His Parents

It Happened Last Night

Aesop Rock Rocks the Mic, Tries to Impress His Parents

WASHINGTON, D.C. The Def Jux rapper fills every last moment, barely stopping to breathe.

By Jeffrey Parker 09.11.07 3:00 AM

PHOTOS BY JOEL DIDRIKSEN

"I've never had a dream in my life," Aesop Rock spat. "Because a dream is what you wanna do, but still haven't pursued." Strange dreams these be, but based on his cerebrally manic set at the 9:30 Club last night (Sept. 10), one gets the sense that Aesop is living his fantasies. A decade into his run as one of the game's most idiosyncratic emcees, and fresh off the release of None Shall Pass, he showed no sign of slowing. In white tee and Yankees cap, the California transplant seemed positively impish, but then he opened his mouth, and that flow, dense as a black hole, got things serious fast. Highlights included new tracks like "Citronella" and "39 Thieves," as well as old mindbenders such as "We're Famous" and "Daylight." This is not to say it wasn't a party, though -- Aes, whose parents were in attendance, was all smiles between the similes, and at least one of the songs he performed was a slow banger about the pleasures of certain smokable substances the tight security at 9:30 made sure no one had. The Long Island native spent most of the time wrapping his rhymes around each other like rubber bands, though, spinning the minds of everyone trying to keep up while still keeping their hands in the air.

We asked: Aesop Rock's new record is influenced by adult things like getting married and moving across the country. What's the least adult thing you've done recently?

Name: Eddy Nieves
Age: 30
Hometown: Washington, DC
Occupation: Real estate
"Dude, I'm probably burned out right now -- smoked some weed."

Name: Nicole Bobik
Age: 17
Hometown: Bowie, MD
Occupation: Sushi restaurant, Tsunami
"Got a ticket for eluding police, along with a $160 speeding ticket."

Name: Josh Burdette
Age: 31
Hometown: Kensington, MD
Occupation: Crew chief at the 9:30 Club
"Whenever I have Eggo waffles, I have to eat the ring of dough around the waffle before I can enjoy it."

Name: Daryl Vaughn
Age: 34
Hometown: Washington, DC
Occupation: Carpenter
"Getting drunk, riding a bike, crashing in to a parked car, and puking immediately after I did it.

Name: Chris Federson
Age: 28
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Occupation: Government contractor
"Drank a tall can of Bud on the way up here, while driving."

Name: Nick Foster
Age: 25
Hometown: Copenhagen, Denmark
Occupation: IT director of Half Yard Productions
"Gotten drunk for the past four weeks straight, and found a girlfriend who is crazier than me."

Name: Mike Ball
Age: 22
Hometown: Detroit, MI
Occupation: Security officer
"Drank a pint of Hennessy."

Name: Bill Olden
Age: 17
Hometown: Bowie, MD
Occupation: Tech assistant
"Got arrested for trespassing."

Name: David Curtin
Age: 28
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
Occupation: Songwriter/bartender
"Fell off my bicycle."

Name: Gena Gora
Age: 26
Hometown: Kiev, Ukraine
Occupation: Real estate agent
"I wasted a shitload of education getting wasted every night for a month. My brain is very expensive."