On the #RAP50 Countdown this week is our Spotlight Artist, Aesop Rock, with the song "Rings" from his 2016 album The Impossible Kid. Born Ian Bavits on June 5th, 1976, Aesop Rock is a rapper, songwriter, musician, visual artist, poet, and producer who was born in New York but currently resides in Portland, Oregon. This multi-talented artist has had a career spanning two decades, during which he landed a deal with Run the Jewels' El-P's Definitive Jux label. Aesop Rock has been officially making music since he was a college student in the 90's, and has been a member of the groups The Weathermen, Hail Mary Mallon, The Uncluded, and Two of Every Animal.
After playing a character named Aesop in a film he made with friends, Ian states that the name “Sort of stuck. The rock part came later,” after putting it in a few rhymes. After high school, Bavitz made the decision to attend college at Boston University in Massachusetts. There he studied visual arts and received his bachelor's degree in '98. Through college, however, Aesop would freestyle, opening the door to meeting a future collaborator, Blockhead. Growing up, the constant commute to New York with his family had a major influence on the artist's perception of Hip Hop culture, leading him to begin rapping for himself in the early 90's. Influenced early on by artists like Public Enemy, BDP, KMD, and Run DMC, along with rock acts such as Dead Kennedys, Fugazi, and Ministry, Aesop Rock recorded and released two self-financed efforts, Music for Earthworms (1997) and a music video for “Abandon All Hope," all while he was still in college. With the money earned from selling the first CD, he was able to launch the Appleseed EP in 1999, which gained notice in the underground hip hop world. More recently, Aesop performed at Coachella (2013) and earlier this year he released the song “Rings,” and announced his 7th studio album The Impossible Kid, which was released in April of this year.
By Kianna Woods for RAPstation.com
