Aesop Rock/Rob Sonic & DJ Big Whiz/Busdriver

Starting out in the underground hip-hop scene in the late ’90s, rapper/producer Aesop Rock climbed his way up thanks to critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, New York Magazine and Entertainment Weekly. And yet he keeps an indie demeanor to himself artistically, and can be described as a hidden gem in the hip-hop genre. ‘Zero Dark Thirty,” his most popular work as of late, is the single he made for the political thriller Zero Dark Thirty, as if that wasn’t obvious. The song has military-based imagery and profound, challenging messages in the lyrics. His most recent album, Skelethon, is further prove of his intelligence and features songs about haircuts (“Racing Stripes”) and mummification (“Homemade Mummy”). Aesop’s approach on the lyrical side of things is certainly a road less traveled and considerably difficult to follow, but that only means the result is undoubtedly interesting and even awe-inspiring. On Skelethon, his rhyme scheme is admirable and his wordplay is unique. His vocabulary in his lyrics is also vast, even if to a fault. It may be wise to have a dictionary handy while listening to the album. (Sam Mendez)