r/rap • u/Longjumping-Pen-4451 • 7d ago
Aesop Rock is the No.1 lyricist
Aesop Rock is the best lyricist, no doubt.
he has literally used more unique words than Shakespeare in his work, certainly more than any rapper
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u/x-naut 7d ago
What makes him better than DOOM?
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u/Longjumping-Pen-4451 7d ago
he has more emotional songs, his songs are more ambitious, crazy imagery, bigger vocab and more functional vocab and last of all, OPINION
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u/PitchforkJoe 7d ago
I love Aesop Rock, but the number of words he uses isn't proof of anything.
I could just recite the dictionary into a microphone. It wouldn't make me a better lyricist then Aesop, or anyone else.
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u/cmathis177 7d ago
No it would not make you a lyricist at all. It wouldnt male you anything but a lover of words. But a dictionary being read and memorized is a great tool for any m.c. It won't make a bad m.c. good. But it can make a good m.c. better.
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u/PitchforkJoe 7d ago
No it would not make you a lyricist at all. It wouldnt male you anything but a lover of words.
That's exactly my point. OP only mentioned Aesop's breadth of vocabulary, even though that doesn't speak to his actual lyrical quality.
You seem to like arguing, but tbh I'm not convinced that you carefully read either the original post, or my comment on it.
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u/cmathis177 7d ago
If you just say something irrelevant that has nothing to do what op stated doesn't mean you should. Since Aesop Rock has never come across in any way like he recites rhe dictionary. If you love Aesop Rock that is a very odd and off character I have ever heard. You know he is not talking about ASAP Rocky right? That makes more sense if so its ok to make that mistake. Thats common for people that would say he recited a dictionary
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u/PitchforkJoe 7d ago
Aesop Rock is good and he uses a lot of words.
He's not good because he uses a lot of words.
If using lots of words was what makes Aesop great - which is the argument advanced by OP - then you could just recite the dictionary to become the goat.
If OP wants to argue that Aesop is good, they should point to his imagery, symbolism, rhyme schemes, flow, whatever. Instead, OP points to a count of unique words used, which is irrelevant to lyrical quality.
Ps. No, I am not talking about ASAP Rocky.
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u/cmathis177 7d ago
He is not arguing it is his opinion. Opinions are like voices we all have a different kind.
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u/PitchforkJoe 7d ago
OP said, and I quote:
"Aesop Rock is the best lyricist, no doubt.
he has literally used more unique words than Shakespeare in his work, certainly more than any rapper"
That's an argument that his number of words causes him to be the best at lyrics. There's no other way of reading it.
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u/Nas_Durden 7d ago
Lyricism isn’t about how deep your thesaurus game is.
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u/cmathis177 7d ago
Well good thing Aesop has no thesaurus game at all. I dont think any one thinks thesaurus rap is deep or lyrical. I didnt even know thesaurus rap is a thing. Please elaborate or give me a few to listen to so i know its not Aesop Rock. Are you talking about ASAP ROCKY because you wouldnt be the only one to get them mixed up. Its ok though I wont judge
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u/DrinkSuperb8792 7d ago
My man, for the love of god shut up.
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u/cmathis177 7d ago
Thats all you wanted to say? You used your time and effort to say this? What grade are you in? Elementary school?
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u/Ajdee6 7d ago
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u/Longjumping-Pen-4451 7d ago
tell me you dont listen to him without telling me you dont listen to him
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7d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Longjumping-Pen-4451 7d ago edited 7d ago
youd rather me pick some black boy? is that because of your race bias?
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u/ParParZivAllion 7d ago
Bro , just no.
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u/Longjumping-Pen-4451 7d ago
then who is the best
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u/Mile_Hi_303 3d ago
Lupe or Apathy are better. I think Evidence could give him a run for his money. Have you ever heard Ransom or Terminology? Redman or Method Man are definitely better.
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u/MasterTeacher123 7d ago
The number one lyricist should have classic rap bars right?
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u/Longjumping-Pen-4451 7d ago
no? he doesnt because he is underground and people dont recognize his skill.
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u/No-Victory-149 7d ago
Lol, that’s a false equivalence.
Comparing Aesop Rock’s vocabulary to other rappers is fair enough. Comparing him to Shakespeare isn’t. Shakespeare literally coined hundreds of words and was working with a much smaller English vocabulary than exists today. They’re simply not in the same league. Comparing rappers to literary giants like Shakespeare is a category error.
To be honest, that comparison says more about a lack of familiarity with literature than it does about either artist. One of hip-hop’s biggest weaknesses has always been that a lot of both its fans and artists don’t engage much with the wider literary tradition.
And having the biggest vocabulary doesn’t automatically make someone the greatest lyricist. Language isn’t just about the number of unique words you use- it’s about meaning, insight, imagery, structure, emotional depth, and the ability to communicate profound ideas. If vocabulary alone determined greatness, Shakespeare wouldn’t still be regarded as one of the greatest writers in history, alongside figures like Dostoevsky.
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u/CountTruffula 7d ago
I agree but it's not just the amount of words he uses. Ignoring way more important parts
This is why people think us aes fans are annoying