The ’90s birthed a lot of new music and new artists via its underground scene. And while the rap scene in the decade was taken over by loud voices like Tupac and Biggie Smalls, there was underground talent practicing in the shadows and waiting for its turn to come into the spotlight.

One of those underground artists waiting for their time to shine was Aesop Rock, who started surfacing in the late ’90s and early 2000s. People loved the complexity of the rhyme schemes he used in his raps, along with the relatable content. Instead of his songs being about gangs and shootings, like most of the rap at the time, it was about the struggles of the lower middle class, striving to make each day a little better than the last.

Who is Aesop Rock?

Obviously Aesop is not the artist’s real name. Instead, his name is Matthias Bavitiz, and he’s from a lower-middle-class family in Long Island, New York. Before he turned his attention to rap music, Matthias was in love with skateboarding and did it everywhere. If he wasn’t at school, he was skating around Northport, with his walkman tight over his ears.

Dead Kennedy’s and Public Enemy

What was he listening to on that walkman while he skated? Dead Kennedy’s and Public Enemy – two groups whose influence you can clearly hear in his music. His professional started out with features on tracks by Percee P, then on Float, and Coward of the Year. He didn’t hit the big time until he put out the single Daylight in 2001 – his breakthrough hit.

Though going viral was different then, (YouTube was just a baby) the radio play and media mentions were enough to show the world he was a serious artist. And it’s all been uphill and full of success since then! Dying to go to an Aesop Rock concert? We don’t blame you. His live shows are a blast.