Aesop Rock “None Shall Pass”

My sisters and I drove together to our parents' house for Christmas this year. On our way back we reminisced about the drives to and from school when I had to drop them off when I started driving. They had to suffer through all of my weird music and mix CDs .

As we talked more they recalled one song, however, that they always enjoyed and still remember to this day; "None Shall Pass" by Aesop Rock.

Aesop Rock, or Ian Matthias Bavitz, is a hip-hop artist with lyrics and flow so intellectually on point, you can't help but feel intimidated at times.Aesop was even named the rapper with the highest vocabulary in all of hip-hop; the rapper with the most unique words out of all of his music.

"None Shall Pass" has every indication of this too. The first verse, "Flash that butter gold, jittery zeitgeist"starts things off with no leniency. As much as I hate to say it...I honestly have no idea what this song is about. My only guess can be that of the urban hierarchy that exists within our society from the rich all the way down to the poor; and the lifestyles that come with each position.

"Eye for an eye, but the bog life swamps and vines
They get a rise out of frogs and flies
So when a dogfight's hog-tied prize sort of costs a life
The mouths water on a fork and knife"

Pretty deep stuff huh? What do you think it's about?

The first two people to leave a comment and explain what they think the song is about will receive 10$ iTunes giftcard.



 

Comments

  1. UnknownDecember 29, 2017 at 5:42 AM

    My best guess is it’s related to politics and stuff overseas at the current time. At least in the first verse it appears there’s a subtle stab against Mike Huckabee, who was running in the election around the time of the songs release “are we to heart Huckabee”. And then goes on to say “Colorfully vulgar poacher, “Ima pull the pulse out a soldier and bolt”. Which I assume is him saying we are sending our military overseas to be executed. Later he says
    “No score on a war-torn beach
    Where the cash cow's actually beef
    Blood turns wine when it leak for police
    Like, "That's not a riot; it's a feast, let's eat!" Maybe insinuating that the only basis behind war is political gains and money to be made. Not sure just a guess.

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