‘One of underground hip-hop's most talented’ – Pitchfork
2×LP vinyl reissue of Aesop Rock’s third full length studio album, on the artist’s own Block Block Chop Label. Originally released in 2001 on Definitive Jux. Features production work from Blockhead, Omega One, and Aesop Rock. Labor Days is considered by many to be Aesop Rock’s definitive work.
Review:
After finding an eager online audience for his dense soundscapes and even
more complex rhymes, New York MC Aesop Rock released his most potent combination
of words and music on his Def Jux debut. Crammed with references to history and
mythology, as well as the usual pop-culture name checks, Aesop's lyrics remain
unusually verbose and intelligent here, but he's also able to spin them into
compelling stories. The best example is the bittersweet, follow-your-dreams saga
of “No Regrets,” which chronicles a woman's sacrifices for art from
childhood to old age. Besides the wealth of detail, the song doesn't sugarcoat
the loneliness of its subject, even as it shows her at ease with her choices.
And on “9–5ers Anthem,” Aesop – who still works a day job himself –
allays any concerns about him being a hip-hop elitist, offering a shout out to
the blue-collar masses. There are still instances where he gives his listeners
simply too much information to process for a pop song (“The Tugboat Complex,
Pt. 3”), but, overall, he does his best job yet at balancing smarts and
accessibility. Of course, with such a focus on lyrics, it's easy to ignore the
beats behind them – but while the sampled backing is sometimes on the plain
side, Labor Days contains some inventive bites from classical music, and more
than a few tunes will grow on you, if given the chance.
Dan LeRoy, AllMusic.com