To Buy Or Not To Buy: Aesop Rock's None Shall Pass

Earlier this year El-P put out a sharp and distinctly excellent LP. Do you remember the name of it? I don't off the top of my head. (The album is I'll Sleep When You're Dead.) Not to toot my own horn but I am usually the first guy to remember an album or song title. This has become my problem with undie rap post Madvillainy. Nothing rubs me quite the right way enough to stick in my craw. I'm not carrying these albums to the end of the month none the less the end of the year.

Have I been debased? Is the fact that I'd rather listen to Kanye's big tent rap or Ghostface's coke rhymes a reflection on my personal short comings, or is the independent rap scene too concerned with inscrutability to sustain my interest? Could that really be the case for a guy who consistently goes back to albums by Sun 0))) and Suicide?


This all brings me to Aesop Rock and his new album None Shall Pass. My intention has been to buy this album for weeks and now the day has arrived and all I'm thinking about is the Young Marble Giants and Hawkwind reissues I'd like to buy. Thing is I have no doubts about Aesop's quality, the mid to high ratings other critics are handing out make a convincing enough case. (As if his back catalogue didn't already.)

So I'm going to get the album in some sort of a legitimate way. I suppose if the package looks cool or if the price is right I'll buy the album. If not I'll grab it on Emusic. I just hope I won't regret the purchase next week.