Aes has always been underrated, in my opinion. Love to see him getting love. ❤

Good stuff bro. You did a good job. The fact that you could just choose any song on any album over a 20 year span and get this exact reaction shows how great he really is.

Aes isnt underrated. Everyone knows justhow good he is. The heads that dont talk about him? .. they're scared

Nobody listens once and gets everything. I appreciate you acknowledging that theres a difference between a song to dance and vibe too and a song you need to sit down and absorb and listen to.

Aesop is one of the best lyricist of all time!! And he’s been rapping since 1997. If you haven’t already, GO LISTEN TO ALL His albums. You’ll thank me

This song is about his days at art school and how he misses it

I always thought the "cut you down so they can count your rings" line meant the tree metaphor, of course, but also alluded to people distilling their heroes down to a certain criteria. Like focusing an athlete's career/life down to how many championship rings they had. Like, these are the people everyone looks up to and they poured their entire existence into this one thing but it's only important how many times they were the best, not the dedication to their art. It signifies the divide between what you put into and get out of doing something versus what others get from you doing the thing that defines you.

This video truly captures what it feels like to listen to an Aesop Rock song for the first time. NIcely done sir

Nice work, man. The video kind of reflects Aes dissecting his own psyche and what happened in his past to influence who he is now, similar to how a trees rings can give you insight on their history and what may have affected them.

Mind if I correct every mistake you make? Cool. Aes isn't throwing double meanings into this track. It's nearly 100% direct. When he says he used to draw he's just saying he used to draw. He stopped drawing and the first part of this song laments that loss of a loved activity. Same with the paint portion of the song. He's describing the joy and discovery of painting that he has let slip away from his life. He didn't quit because it was difficult or he didn't have the skills he just got busy becoming the best rapper ever to hold a mic. OHHHH!!! You NAILED the theme of the autopsy but allow me to elaborate. Aes wrote a few songs called Crows. It describes his feelings on strangers dissecting his dead best friend. The chorus of Rings is heavy and describes a way he thinks about being dissected by people who wont know, as you said, the secret parts of him that can't be weighed and measured. Last edit. Aes has been my number 1 pick since 1998. I speak Aes. Any song, any meaning, I can help :P

Im loving this content. I hope you continue these deep dives of aesop, it is really fun to hear another persons view on his lyrics.

Great reaction brutha. Keep being 🫵🏾✌🏾✊🏾

Really really good reaction, helps me alot with the song as a non english speaking native

I like your interpretation of the lyrics haveing hidden meanings inside the overarching message of doing what you love and not worrying abbout being "good anuf"

Check out the uncluded. It's aesop and kamil dawson

bro, there is no "accurate" read on any of his songs, that is the beauty of it. everyone takes a little bit of a different meaning, his songs are cryptic, and I love it. Thanks for your commentary on one of my fave songs from him

That was lit!!🔥 Wishes for a great week ahead Dear Javier 🙏❤

love your energy dude, i make bad blends but im glad you on the Rock

Aes spent the first 20 years of his life working on his visual artistry, and attended art school to focus on those pursuits. Then, he walked away from it all to focus entirely on rapping. The song is about what he left behind, the regret that he feels, and wondering what might've been. As he said in the Lice song So Strange Here, 'I walked a million miles away from my original muse.'

It also helps to know who Midas is when he says "The trials of the anti midas". A myth in Greek legend, it was said everything he touched turned to gold.

in the video he wasn't "shot" he was hit by a car

you can even see the front of the car hit him!!

Do Water Tower.

Dude used to be a visual artists. The only thing he successful at was rapping. Rapping at least not his first passion.

Aesop Rock is definitely an artist that you need to have the lyrics pulled up... and a couple of search tabs to look up the references. Honestly, his videos are so theatrical and involved, it's almost better to do the lyrics first, then watch the show.

@6:10 ish you can NEVER read too muc into aesop lyrics! i could see u started to get giddily expanding out into some higha level thoughts of ur own & i would urge u to glide & float along all streams of consciousness that aesop opens. any of us who love watching aesop reaction, GET HIGH WHEN REACTOR STARTS READING TONS TONS TONS OF STUFF INTO HIS LYRICS!!

I think he feels like he lost a part of himself when he went all in on rap.

whats up with the sound on this video, it sounds so bad

You listen to this, but then you listen to fascist propaganda like Shapiro, Tate and Tom McDonald, and I'm like, open a fkn book bro