Any long time fan of Aesop Rock will tell you this: It is by no means a simple task to decipher most of Aesop's lyrics. I think a large part of understanding Aesop is understanding where he comes from... his name that is. If you do a search for "bio of Aesop" on google you will be forwarded to a page with this paragraph: "Aesop is famous for his fables: short tales which illustrated truths about life and human nature. Most of his fables feature familiar animals, including "The Grasshopper and the Ant" and "The Tortoise and the Hare." Little is known about the true life of Aesop himself, and some believe that no such person ever really existed. Those who believe Aesop existed generally agree that he lived during the 6th century B.C., lived for some time on the island of Samos, and was for at least part of his life a slave. It's also generally agreed that not all of Aesop's fables were actually created by him; has fame grew so great that many other fables were eventually put in his name." The above pretty much sums up the intentions of Aesop Rock. It's also why he chose the name "Aesop". What is interesting is his response when he was asked about where his name originated; he says and I quote: "I had like a line in my friend's home video. The character's name was Aesop and it just stuck." To me this answer reflects exactly what Aesop wants from you. He wants you to think, and think you shall if you want any comprehension of his lyrics. I say this with confidence: They are by far the most complex lyrics you will ever hear. Every single line carries some sort of metaphore... and those metaphores require constant persistance to un-puzzle. He is in every since of the word a poet. And I believe that is what makes him unique. Confidence mixed with poems mixed with tight music loops. Welcome to Aesop Rock, a new and fresh drug. He wants something from his listenners other than your money, he wants you to gain new ideas and to expand your mind. I have nothing against other rappers, in fact I enjoy a lot of them... even 50cent. But if I were to judge based on originality it would be like comparring a Van Gogh painting to your little sister's kindergarten drawing. I would also like to add that listenning and finally understanding some of his lyrics or even just a line or a word can be a very rewarding experience. This is a rare delicacy that you are hard pressed to find in other artists these days. In the words of Aesop: happy thinking!