Rock's coming of age

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Fiery and focused: In person, rapper Aesop Rock is more reflective than his music might lead you to expect

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The heavens have ripped open and maverick wordsmith Aesop Rock is sheltering from the downpour under an outdoor bar canopy. 'This looks like the most beautiful place in the world,' he drawls, as the sky darkens over London. Aesop, aka Long Island-born Ian Bavitz, has always seen life slightly differently - it's given his music an invigoratingly wry and punchy slant, put to excellent effect on his fifth album, None Shall Pass.

In person, Aesop is more reflective than his torrential rapping style might suggest. 'None Shall Pass is a coming-of-age record, partly because I turned 30 in the middle of making it,' he says. 'My first self-released CD was ten years ago and I decided I've spent too much time talking about me, me, me. Rappers can get stuck in a rut; if you're not bragging, you're preaching. This time, I'm trying to act more like an author, telling people stories from different periods of life, round-the-campfire style.'

Hip hop is bonded to youth culture; does that make its artists more conscious of their advancing years? 'Yeah, maybe. It's also a fairly young medium; unlike jazz or rock music, there aren't that many acts who've had the chance to prove themselves beyond their forties.

'When I tour, the audiences are still in their teens and twenties - it feels like I'm rapping to a younger version of myself. It's cool, as if I'm giving something back to the community, but it's weird; I don't even f***in' wanna think about being someone's hero.'

Through splendidly surreal works such as Float (2000), Bazooka Tooth (2003) and his collaboration with British duo Evil Nine, Aesop has been lauded alongside some of his own heroes, including Slick Rick and Rakim. 'I listen to Tom Waits incessantly, too,' he says. 'He's got this hobo on a train thing goin' on, and I wanna write lyrics like him. I've also been a fan of John Darnielle (of US folk rockers The Mountain Goats) since the mid-1990s; he's on the track Coffee on this record, which is awesome.' He generally keeps his idols at a distance, though: 'John's a great guy but I've met people I've admired before and felt really let down. Maybe that comes with getting older, too. Before I know it, I'll be outta people to look up to.'

Aesop's talk of campfires and hobos, and penchant for bluesy guitars, seem unusual for someone who makes city music. Thunder drowns out our conversation and his blue eyes widen incredulously: 'Whaddaya mean, sissy music?' No, I said city music. 'Oh! Well, I've forever had this dream of living in a shack, in the middle of nowhere.

In some ways, I can't wait to be 70.' Phew! Looming at 6ft 4in, Aesop isn't someone you'd want to have a misunderstanding with. Ironically, his rapid-fire performance often makes it tricky to comprehend his lyrics - but they're always worth chewing over: a break from a mainstream diet of designer labels and overblown feuds. 'Fiddy' Cent would probably choke on such tongue-twisting lines as: 'Flash that buttery gold/Jittery zeitgeist wither by the watering hole' (from the title track None Shall Pass).

Elsewhere on the new record, Aesop skitters from rhymes inspired by suburban adolescence (39 Thieves) to the druginduced breakdown of a love affair (Fumes). Another number, Citronella, expounds a love/hate relationship with TV; it's like a sci-fi sequel to Video Killed The Radio Star. 'Growing up, I was constantly parked in front of the TV and I think I turned out OK. Then again, TV has had a negative effect on music by focusing on image too much. Now MTV won't even consider your video if it's four minutes long.' Aesop admits that he's really grafted at getting his own way: 'I had this weird fear that the industry would turn me into a puppet. I didn't even set out to be a professional musician; I went to art school, then I had manual jobs which sucked and my music hobby, which was awesome - the last thing I needed was for someone to threaten that.'

Nowadays, he's considerably more in his element on the entertainingly offbeat label Definitive Jux, although he adds that 'the best record label I could be on is one that doesn't even let me know they're there'. At the same time, this individualist has been headhunted by Nike, for whom he's just created a 45-minute workout soundtrack.

'I wanted to do it because it's a f***in' weird idea, and I had final say in the creative process. When Nike approached me, I was like: "This is great because I've spent my entire career doing things on my own terms and now I have this massive corporation calling up."' He's firm that he won't mellow with age. 'With this latest album, my life's more grounded than it's ever been,' he grins. 'But trust me: I'm even more fiery when I'm focused.'

Aesop Rock's single None Shall Pass (Definitive Jux) is out today; his album of the same title is out on August 27.

 

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