AesopROCK: let's see... i guess i wrote my first rhyme like 8 or 9 years ago, but there's only a few select ears that heard me back then, and for good reason.

SQUIRT.NICE: i've been over tony's and seen you phucking with the asr. you still produce shit?

AesopROCK: lately i've been focusing more on the rhymes, but i definitely dust off the asr from time to time. i'm going to be getting some digital recording equipment in my crib soon so i'll probably do some more of my own production at that point.

SQUIRT.NICE: the new shit: "music for earthworms". who did most of the production and how did the percee-p hook up come about? are ya'll boys? have you felt his testicles before?

AesopROCK: let's see...dub-l did most of the beats on that cd. i did one of the old joints (which i hesitate to admit) and my man blockhead did one of the older ones as well. i have a couple of newer tracks with both block and dubs. as far as percee is concerned, let me think... well dubs and this kid plain pat who also makes some fresh beats somehow hooked up with him. they were in the studio one day and i just met them down there. the song "wake up call" was sort of thrown together pretty quickly. dubs had a beat and me and percee just kicked some shit we both had memorized. it turned out cool so we later worked together again on the controls b-side "coward of the year". he's mad cool, a legend. i've never seen his balls.

SQUIRT.NICE: i peeped the controls 12". shit was clean. you ended up being on a second song, "shere kahn" as well. had you ever fucked with ill-company-funded studios before?

AesopROCK: well, yes and no. never one as ill as kampo. that place is sick. the mics just sounded so clean they could make anyone sound dope. i just wanted to stay and rhyme based on how ill the equipment was. "shere kahn" was actually recorded before "coward of the year" at Unique. that place is dope too, but kampo was my shit. I'm also on a song called "home again" on the controls album. most of the shit on my cd was done at graebar studios, that place is like my second home when it comes to recording. it's not ridiculous by any means, but it sounds pretty dope no less. a lot of shit at home studios, peoples cribs. 4-track shit, etc. a lot of shit no one will ever hear is hidden in aesop's secret vaults.

SQUIRT.NICE: haha. what you been bumping man?

AesopROCK: let's see, this is the part when i shout out as many dope mc's as i can in a small amount of time. well it should be easy based on the good/bad ratio this lovely field of music has to offer. slug hasn't left my walkman for awhile now, he's ill. dose 1 no doubt, company flow, latyrx, freestyle fellowship (and affiliated groups), siah is dope. uh... blackalicious, outkast, xzibit, cage. this group canibal ox is coming out soon with vast and vortal of the atom's fam and el-p's production. the shit i've heard from them is cool too. A lot of shit and nothing at all. some days everything sounds good to me, other days I hate all of it. a lot of No Limit shit. mo b. dick. you know...

SQUIRT.NICE: how bout influences? who found permanent residence in the walkman when care bears and galvatron ruled supreme?

AesopROCK: kmd, brand nubian's first one, old hiero shit, old saafir shit no doubt. it seemed like years ago before underground evolved into the monster of the now, shit was just doper. everyone knew what was dope. now everyone's a fucking musician, i can barely keep up with the amount of groups and mcees today. usually i don't even want to. i can only take so much of hearing a 7th generation dub of mc butcherknife from dickdust, oklahoma who used to work with your man's cousin on a My First Sony, 2 and a half track. i don't know. when i get fed up i'd just rather retreat to the lab leaving my influences at the door.

SQUIRT.NICE: what about this internet shit? do you fuck with the web a lot?

AesopROCK: no. i don't even have a computer. they kind of scare me. i leave that shit to block. it's cool though. it helped me sell a lot of cd's and hear opinions on my music. i jump on from time to time just to talk a little shit, but not too much.

SQUIRT.NICE: so what's next for aesop rock? what you got brewing?

AesopROCK: let's see... a lot more music. i'm going to be doing a project with slug from atmosphere, dose 1, and labtekwon with various producers. that's gonna be dope. I think our style's will compliment each other well. Me and blockhead have a song coming out on my man omega's compilation which hopefully will be ready for dropping in the summer sometime. i'm just going to keep making songs with whoever's down to do shit. maybe an ep on vinyl. i'll probably just keep doing tracks with dub-l, block, and whoever's cool to me. once we get a bunch of shit together we'll see. plus i'm working on an album with tim dog and hanson called "floss wit da boss". it's gonna be hot to death.

SQUIRT.NICE: do you floss? i brush my teeth. final words?

AesopROCK: o.k. a little shameless self promotion: buy the "music for earthworms" cd by yours truly. it'll make your world a brighter place. i don't know. i guess i just want to thank the supporters and spoon-feed my balls to those who questioned my intentions. i like music and that's it. music is good. that's it. do i get my little shout out list?

SQUIRT.NICE: sho nuff big daddy!

AesopROCK: like the real rappers?

SQUIRT.NICE: i think you're real aesop!

AesopROCK: love to...vanessa, blockhead, dub-l, jer, mr. roper, chase phoenix, omega, slackjaw, j. fever, percee p, plain pat, o.k. i won't go too far with this shit. i guess that'll be all. by the way thanks for all of this! i owe you a scrotum cleansing.

SQUIRT.NICE: yes please. ruff

FIN