Aesop Rock - Bazooka Tooth

Aesop Rock
Bazooka Tooth
Definitive Jux 2004

I finally listened to Aesop Rock's Bazooka Tooth in its entirety and while AR is impressive, I still find him a little bit short compared to precision word payload delivery technicians like Beans and as an overall sound statement, lacks the kind of seamless funkussive brilliance that Omega Watts's debut hit me with. Maybe it's the voice so nasal at times, it makes you think his lips are attached to his nostrils, or that he has cement mucus slabs impeding his sinuses. There are some exceptional standouts however, most notably 11:35 (with the unflappable Mr. Lif), Freeze and the El-P toe-to-toe We're Famous, which has a determined guiding track and sharp verbal flows.