A recent release reviewed

AESOP ROCK
Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives Definitive Jux ***

It's not Aesop Rock's fault that most underground hip-hop sucks beyond redemption. After all, over five albums, he's put down the markers, so if other MCs keep messing up, don't blame AR - he's left the whining and whinging far behind. Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives (a troop's recipe for treacherous times, he rhymes in the first line) is another heavyweight collection of robust, gritty and startling verbal nuggets that deserve to propel the Def Jux boy to box another day in another division. Blockhead's production is a considerable help in this regard, balancing AR's forensically detailed rhymes with wobbly, futureproof funk and battle-hardened beats. There's much to be impressed with, from the ghostly sounds underpinning Fast Cars to the out-there musings on Holy Smokes and the eerie slipping and sliding on Number Nine. The album also features The Living Human Curiosity Sideshow, a 80-page book featuring career-spanning lyrics, artwork and photos. www.definitivejux.net

Jim Carroll