Bazooka Tooth

Bazooka Tooth
Studio album by
Aesop Rock
ReleasedSeptember 23, 2003 (2003-09-23)
GenreHip hop
Length70:05
LabelDefinitive Jux
Producer
Aesop Rock chronology
Daylight
(2002) 		Bazooka Tooth
(2003) 		Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives
(2005)

Bazooka Tooth is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist Aesop Rock. It was released on Definitive Jux in 2003.[1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic74/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Alternative Press4/5[4]
Blender[5]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[6]
HipHopDX7.5/10[7]
Los Angeles Times[8]
Mojo[9]
Pitchfork8.2/10[10]
Rolling Stone[11]
Stylus MagazineB[12]

Bazooka Tooth received generally favorable reviews from critics. Metacritic gave the album a score of 74 out of 100, based on 16 reviews.[2]

Rollie Pemberton of Pitchfork called Bazooka Tooth "another strong outing from one of underground hip-hop's most talented, thanks in no small part to its unprecedented wealth of lyrical depth and individual production style."[10] Thomas Quinlan of Exclaim! commented that "Aesop drops abstract poetry, heartfelt stories and new millennial b-boyisms in his gruff monotone flow."[13] Francis Henville of Stylus Magazine noted that "the beats feel somewhat restrained, lethargic and lazy" and "they are perfectly suited to Aesop's limpid down-tempo rhymes."[12]

Meanwhile, John Bush of AllMusic felt that Bazooka Tooth lacks "the catchy, sample-driven flavor" of Labor Days.[3] David Morris of PopMatters gave the album an unfavorable review and said, "Bazooka Tooth is almost a textbook example of what happens when a previously struggling artist gets a handful of success".[1]

In 2013, Danny Brown named it one of his 25 favorite albums.[14]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)ProducerLength
1."Bazooka Tooth"Ian BavitzAesop Rock2:25
2."N.Y. Electric"BavitzAesop Rock5:10
3."Easy"BavitzAesop Rock5:01
4."No Jumper Cables"BavitzAesop Rock5:06
5."Limelighters" (featuring Camp Lo)
Aesop Rock4:33
6."Super Fluke"BavitzAesop Rock4:51
7."Cook It Up" (featuring Party Fun Action Committee)
Blockhead3:45
8."Freeze"BavitzAesop Rock5:32
9."We're Famous" (featuring El-P)
El-P6:21
10."Babies With Guns"BavitzBlockhead5:07
11."The Greatest Pac-Man Victory in History"BavitzAesop Rock4:48
12."Frijoles"BavitzAesop Rock3:48
13."11:35" (featuring Mr. Lif)
Blockhead4:23
14."Kill the Messenger"BavitzAesop Rock4:54
15."Mars Attacks"BavitzAesop Rock4:39

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[15]

  • El-P – executive producer
  • Nasa – engineering, mixing (all tracks)
  • Spence Boogie – assistant engineer (all tracks)
  • Tippy – mastering engineer (all tracks)
  • DJ Cip One – scratches (1–3, 6)
  • DJ paWL – scratches (9)
  • Jer – pots and pans (1)
  • Cannibal Ox – additional vocals[a]
  • S.A. Smash – additional vocals[a]
  • Party Fun Action Committee – additional vocals[a]
  • Murs – additional vocals[a]
  • Tomer Hanuka – illustrations
  • Dan Ezra Lang – design and logos
  • Ben Colen – photos
  • Jesse Ferguson – product manager

Charts

Chart (2003) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[16] 112
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[17] 7
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[18] 1
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[19] 44

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d Credited as "additional trash talking and malarchy" with no track numbers specified.

References

  1. ^ a b Morris, David (November 10, 2003). "Aesop Rock: Bazooka Tooth". PopMatters. Archived from the original on February 4, 2005. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Reviews for Bazooka Tooth by Aesop Rock". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  3. ^ a b Bush, John. "Bazooka Tooth – Aesop Rock". AllMusic. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  4. ^ "Aesop Rock: Bazooka Tooth". Alternative Press. No. 184. November 2003. p. 116.
  5. ^ Ryan, Chris (November 2003). "Aesop Rock: Bazooka Tooth". Blender. No. 21. p. 108. Archived from the original on August 8, 2004. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  6. ^ Drumming, Neil (September 26, 2003). "Bazooka Tooth; Seven's Travels". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 17, 2018. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  7. ^ chrisk; J-23 (September 30, 2003). "Aesop Rock – Bazooka Tooth". HipHopDX. Retrieved October 12, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Hochman, Steve (November 30, 2003). "Aesop's raps need a sharper setting". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  9. ^ "Aesop Rock: Bazooka Tooth". Mojo. No. 119. October 2003. p. 118.
  10. ^ a b Pemberton, Rollie (October 22, 2003). "Aesop Rock: Bazooka Tooth". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  11. ^ Hoard, Christian (December 11, 2003). "Aesop Rock: Bazooka Tooth". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 2, 2003. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  12. ^ a b Henville, Francis (January 8, 2004). "Aesop Rock – Bazooka Tooth – Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on May 10, 2012. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  13. ^ Quinlan, Thomas (January 1, 2006). "Aesop Rock: Bazooka Tooth". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  14. ^ Nostro, Laruren (October 1, 2013). "Danny Brown's 25 Favorite Albums – 23. Aesop Rock, Bazooka Tooth (2003)". Complex. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  15. ^ Bazooka Tooth (Media notes). Aesop Rock. Definitive Jux. 2003.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ^ "Aesop Rock Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  17. ^ "Aesop Rock Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  18. ^ "Aesop Rock Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  19. ^ "Aesop Rock Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 10, 2016.