Malibu Ken (Aesop Rock and Tobacco) - Malibu Ken (Blue Vinyl)

Teaming with the playful producer Tobacco, Aesop Rock has a joyous playdate with his overlooked senses of humor and storytelling on this collaboration project, Malibu Ken. Fueled by Tobacco’s sugar-jolt beats, Aesop lets the zingers fly on singles like "Tuesday".

Aesop Rock has been credited as one of the most verbose MC's in hip-hop today. Known for his dense and abstract wordplay, he manipulates language to illustrate elaborate stories and difficult concepts with sharp clarity. Tobacco is a member of psych-electronic band Black Moth Super Rainbow. Known for working with pre-digital electronic instruments like analog synths and tape machines, he crafts distorted, experimentalist beats that intertwine feelings of tension and anxiety with sensations of bemusement and pleasure. Together, Aesop Rock and Tobacco are... Malibu Ken.

Aesop Rock has always been funny, though listeners could be forgiven for not noticing. Anybody who raps this often about cats doesn’t lack for self-awareness. But between the claustrophobic production, the miserabilist worldview, his imposing delivery, and the sheer density of his wordplay, his music scans as dead-serious even when it drips with pitch-black humor. He’s funny, sure, but he’s a lot of other things first. If he just needed the right producer to highlight that wit, he’s found a choice one in Tobacco.

Heavyweight BLUE vinyl produced by Rhymesayers Entertainment in 2019. Deluxe die-cut gatefold sleeve featuring pop out wearable mask. Includes lyrics and download card.