You know the situation is grim if even Aesop is like “I don’t even have the words”

"Who the fuck is fuckin Steven" hit me hard when I was at work. I'm picking an order and then I just start laughing out loud when that line came out. I ordered a physical copy of this album, I always pay for an Aesop Rock album even though I can listen to it on Spotify. I've been listening to him since I was 17, I am 40 now. He's my favorite rapper, hands down. There is no one like him and there will never be another one like him. You can listen to his albums for years and they never get old because there's just so much in there.

pissing me off how aes can make an album this amazing and not immediately get over 100k views he deserves more fucking recognition

Use to live next to Ace and can verify this is a true story... been keeping this to myself this whole time

Honestly, this song is absolutely heartbreaking.

Way to show people how to treat others Aes, "do you wanna be a victim?" is one of the most important lines of the whole album. Easily one of my favorite songs of the year.

This track needs an animated video ASAP

Might be my favourite song on the album, amazed at how Aes manages to have it shift from hillarious to depressing so quickly

Man, it's so clear how natural this has become for Aes, dude's voice acting in the flow, the prose's got personality while still flawlessly fitting in the meter, the story is compelling, the message hits, the jokes land. Whole album slaps but this one completely got me all the best to steven

The same way we look back on the masters like Rembrandt, Rubens, Michelangelo, Raphael, etc, I firmly believe they will look back hundreds of years from now on Aesop Rock in the same light. An absolute master of his craft. I am SO inspired by his unwillingness to sell out. He could have made music that was easier to digest, he didn't, he did what HE wanted to do. Thank God for Aesop Rock! Long live tha king!

“Wafting a brutal bouquet” is just.. damn, that’s poetry

As long as people are listing lines that hit them hard "This isn't working, the energy is berserk and we're backing up to the hallway and down to the office nervous." Not sure why, but I just love it

The cadence switch in the second half is milk on my brain.

This song is lyrical fire. What a fun coincidence, My name is Steven and I work at a Psychiatric Hospital. This song is an amazing encapsulation of the problem with the USA's approach to mental health. A revolving door of lack of community supports/understanding, under-funding, and over prosecution (among other things). I have met SO many people with stories almost exactly like the Steven in this song. Aesop Rock knocked it outta the park with this one.

Its the manager and super with a man in my nikes, oh thats my leather too, eject him but God Damn he look nice. 😂😂😂 Love it.

Aesop can describe any situation and turn it into pure poetry

banger of bangers, king of kings, all the best to Steven

Plot twist: after hearing this, Steven got the help he needed and just got a job working security for the building....🤔🤷😂

"Someday you'll all eat out of my cold hand" yeah this is it

The description is so good you can really see every moment of this insane story play out 🤣

"Programs exist but none of them work, its either charge him with the crime of feed him back to the earth " I'm very much Steven at this point

Fucking incredible. I try to stop myself from replaying tracks when im listening to the album for the first time, but the god damn "who the fuck is fucking Steven" made me press replay immediately.

Very strong "long legged larry" vibes on this one. Just as good of a story too.

This entire album is one funky joint.

This instrumental is incredible.

His flow on on the last verse is absolutely absurd. What a record. What an album.

I cant remember listening to an album this much in opening couple of weeks, especially with having a kid now but its so goddam addictive! This is the song i look forward to most though. Its so funny, unnerving, sad and real all at same time with crazy flow. Thank you Aes!

This album was superb

Glad Kirby doing good though.

The album is over an hour long?! Praise whoever!

Man the storytelling in this track is INCREDIBLE. The imagery he uses to tell the story really makes you feel like you’re there watching this unfold yourself. What a great song and album. The fact that he managed to make this song hilarious at some parts and incredibly sad at others shows true talent.

Tbh this whole album slaps hard af.

Aes has to be the only rapper alive where 'I dont even have the words' means so much.

The flows and beats on this album have been on a whole nother level man

Wow. Just wow. Almost hits as hard as TV on 10. Such an amazing flow and storytelling. Obviously not as devastating of circumstances

This is one my favorite tracks on the record, it brings back a funny memory for me. I immediately busted out laughing at "Yea hi...so there's a naked guy in my ceiling, The staff look up at me tripping like "Oh my god, is it Steven?!" Uh...who the fuck is fucking Steven?" I laugh because I had the same exact response about 20 years ago when my boss told me I will be working with this guy named Frank, whom I never met. I was like "who the fuck is fucking Frank?" exactly the same way. Incredible story telling Aes!

goated storytelling

My brother is a similar Steven. Definitely needs help, but he's likely just eating lunch in a hotel with a few felonies.

S tier story telling ❤

This is the kinda shit that made me fall head over heels for Aes' stuff. Absolutely masterful storytelling.

Everytime i listen to one of aes' songs, it's like I've delved into a sacred text, hidden in some forbidden library. It's more magic than it is music at this point.

Anyone else can see the video-clip to this song right before his eyes? What a great telling... i love this song and the message!

This song desperately needs a video treatment omg

I love how he gets there at around 10am, ends up aending him on his way after time had passed and dude was back on the street by lunch (12 noon) too dope

2 tracks on the same day!, what a way to go into the weekend. Time to burn this into my mind.

Been on heavy repeat for the past 48 hours

I think the best line in this song is “I don’t even have the words…” cause like; this is Aes. And even he is so caught off guard by the blatant disregard for this dude, that Aes, of every person on this planet, is at a loss for fucking words. I think that speaks volumes.

Definitely in my top 5 boy!

Haha I'm so happy Aesop is still rapping

master class of lyrical poetry. Aesop Rock, Alan Ginsberg....pick your poison they're both amazing.

This the one, right here. This is the best song of 2023.

Thank you Ace Rock!! Missed ya

I need this animated

ABSOLUTE FIRE

This is such a wonderfully constructed song. The way Aes rolls down the scales perfectly and so smooth. The melody of his voice keeps you in pace while youre trying to keep up with his metaphors

So cool that he got Link from Good Mythical Morning to pose for this art.😆

Love these story songs.

Yeah, this is superb

the beats cut so nice, its like a reggae drag. Always good stuff

Holy my man the shhhh fire 🔥🔥🔥

Definitely bomb gonna have to listen thoroughly to get the points that Aesop always have,but definitely lyricism is the shizzx, Bomb track for sure

"Got home one morning maybe 10 o'clock Grabbed a coffee, ran into my friend outside the hair salon She said, she on her break, can she come up and roll a jay? We'll say her name is Abby, though Abby is not her name Ok, scan the FOB talking neighborhood goss' Elevator to a maze, it snake around to my spot Before the key hit the lock, she was asking me "Is that yours?" Beside the door a navy button down balled up on the floor Weird, I take a knee on some "I do have one like it, but no" And pick it up slow to revеal a few other items Abigail likе "Oh that is certainly a tweaker's pile of stuff," A realization that demand a weaker tea inside my cup White noise hummin' in my ear to the wood I hear the bath water running something is clearly afoot Someone is clearly inside, I look at Abby like "I'm going in Maybe you should stay here", she said "No, I'm in." Holy shit... Be cautious... keep calm... Sneak the door open the apartment is tossed Everything everywhere all at once, all the faucets are on Let's draw the room so you can better picture all that befalls I got this loft that when you walk in the ceilings are pretty normal Then a dozen feet later it's 20 feet of beams and mortar I inch in far enough to peek around that first corner No sign of life in the bathroom only debris and disorder We baby stepping 7 feet in, where the kitchen begin Records and books in the sink, the condition start to sink in Another few to that rubicon where the pad opens up To see the answer to my questions in the rafters above There is a man with no shirt on wearing his pants around his ankles Jungle gym-ing over both us, I mean we are talking angles He's mumbling incoherently, there's something in his system I'm processing but need to make decisions, ok let's go "Hey! You need to get down right now" Abby yelling "Get the fuck down and get out!" He's on a different planet, drifting to a distant moon I'm pretty sure he don't even know we are in the room Hey, you need to get down right now, get the fuck down and get out You need to get down right, get the fuck down and get out Hey, you need to get down right now, get the fuck down and get out Get the fuck down and get out, get the fuck down and get out This isn't working, the energy is berserk and We're backing up to the hallway, then down to the office nervous "Yea hi... so there's a naked guy in my ceiling" The staff look up at me tripping like "Oh my god, is it Steven?!" Uh... who the fuck is fucking Steven? Y'all seem to know some shit I don't, I ain't exactly meet him The manager on some he and this building have got some history We'll attempt to go and talk and him down, but also called the city 30 go by, when the elevator ding And drop a trio in the lobby and heaven and nature sing It's the manager and super with a man in my Nikes Oh that's my leather too, ejected, but god damn he look nice Steven is glum and despondent, wafting a brutal bouquet They sit him down on the sofa, he look confused and ashamed But if I'm honest also looks like he could pull out a blade That's when 2 officers show up and all is fully explained... Ok the police are with Steven to see if he's even lucid I'm on the other side of the lobby completely stupid The super and the manager finally get a sec To offer some backstory 'bout this morning's events They tell me Steven suffers from mental illness and drug addiction His episodes have kept him in and out the shelter system Some lady in the building use to give him her couch But his condition led to far too many issues to count He's even scaled up the building before and jimmied inside And been aggressive with the tenants like infinity times He not permitted on the premises, but this is your life That's when the officer invited me to give him my side I said "Well, first of all I ain't the one that called But also we're like a meter from the player involved I can brief you on the basics if the aim is resolve But I ain't trying to agitate him if I say something wrong How 'bout we move 10 feet around the corner to talk?" He said "I can't leave my partner alone with someone this gone" Ok uh... seems fast to be at an impasse Then he pulled the pen and paper out, and this is what he ask "Do you wanna be the victim?" "What? No, I didn't want it. I'm not sure what you want" "Do you want to be the victim?" "Ohhh... you're doing a script Over communing 'bout the nuance of a human at risk How bout we skip to where you tell me what the future can hold?" He said "A felony B&E and whatever he stole We'd take him down to the jail and they'd put him back on the street They just just ain't got the kinda resources a Steven would need" I said "He doesn't need a felony he doesn't need a cell There's gotta be a way to get him headed for some help." He said "Programs exist but none of them work It's either charge him with the crime or feed him back to the earth." That's the bleakest shit I ever heard I don't even have the words I'm 'bout to run to see what evil was done I guess the jacket was a gift but he can leave in the dunks Upstairs sucked, the cat's doing fine, the rest is just stuff... I just seen Steven eating lunch..."

aesop rock and kool keith are the few rappers I'm still interested in since I got known of them decades ago!!!

This is just.. absolutely brutal. Absolutely brilliant work of art.. it’s still kinda hard to stomach tho

Fuckin warrior! We are all responsible to make the right choices in these situations. Aesop is the most underrated in this shit!

My favorite song for about the past week. Usually i don't like to replay stuff too frequently. This though. This does it. On like play 7. I dunno man. Reminds me of my dad. I gotta sober up and get ready for the class im teaching in 8 or so hours.

He doesn't need a felony, he doesn't need a cell. There's gotta be some way to get him headed to some help 💯

We absolutely need this. The lyrics are AR regular insane level of articulation both spoken and versed AND his regular level of artistry. We don't need to talk about the topic being actual for any place in the modern world, probably. But also the beat's produced in a regular ear bliss way and hits you like a brick wall greased with butter. I fucking love AR legacy.

This is the 1st video ever i picked up the phone to like

From now on if I encounter a person who has an unpleasant fragrance I'm just going to let them know by saying "you're wafting a brutal bouquet"

The under the breath, I just saw Steven eating lunch….boinggggg. Just picturing the most confusing look of false worry this could be a film, the shift of tempo when the cops get there like this is music opera

"ITS. ITS, the future." - I had to write that down to appreciate ITS beauty lol

The fact that this beat was made by him makes this worth it.

Weekend!!! Just got home… thnx

Thanks man

Leave it to Aesop to make a song about the homeless and vagrancy problem and it's still a fucking banger.

Dankie Bazooka Tooth Kruger!

Damn, ITS the future.

This one needs a video 🔥

I wish Aes and Ra scion would do a joint together. That'd be dope.

WHO THE FUCK IS FUCKIN STEVEN? Shit got me 😂

The beats and bass are reaching a new level always 🔥

I need these lyrics under here! Fire

Dude is getting way too real with the flow.

What a wild beat! Anyone know what the sample used is !? That vocal break down at the end of the verses is heavenly

"No, I'm in! Holy shit!"

Aes is the goat! I’m sure this wasn’t his intention but now any time I see a junkie all fucked up out on the street my mind immediately goes “Oh my god is it Steven?!” 😅😅🤣

Aesop fables

Best ever

If you live in the city and you had to deal with tweakers then this track hits way harder😂😂😂😂

We NEED a music vid for this

This has rusen to become my favourite on the album

This is some bob dylan story telling

I hope this song gets a dedicated video.

Ol boy st8 up was in the Twilight Zone. 😳

YO, please make an animated video for this beauty

You know it's bad when Aes doesn't have the words

I'm finna Steven it up

I so desperately want to meet / see aesop...

I want to find a parallel universe where this is bumping on the radio instead of trash