Bazooka Tooth

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

Bazooka Tooth
Studio album by Aesop Rock
Released	September 23, 2003 (2003-09-23)
Genre	Hip hop
Length	70:05
Label	Definitive Jux
Producer	Aesop Rock Blockhead El-P
Aesop Rock chronology
Daylight (2002) Bazooka Tooth (2003) Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives (2005)

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	74/100[2]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Alternative Press	4/5[4]
Blender	[5]
Entertainment Weekly	A−[6]
HipHopDX	7.5/10[7]
Los Angeles Times	[8]
Mojo	[9]
Pitchfork	8.2/10[10]
Rolling Stone	[11]
Stylus Magazine	B[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.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer	Length
1.	"Bazooka Tooth"	Ian Bavitz	Aesop Rock	2:25
2.	"N.Y. Electric"	Bavitz	Aesop Rock	5:10
3.	"Easy"	Bavitz	Aesop Rock	5:01
4.	"No Jumper Cables"	Bavitz	Aesop Rock	5:06
5.	"Limelighters" (featuring Camp Lo)	Bavitz Saladine Wallace Salahadeen Wilds	Aesop Rock	4:33
6.	"Super Fluke"	Bavitz	Aesop Rock	4:51
7.	"Cook It Up" (featuring Party Fun Action Committee)	Bavitz Jeremy Gibson Tony Simon	Blockhead	3:45
8.	"Freeze"	Bavitz	Aesop Rock	5:32
9.	"We're Famous" (featuring El-P)	Bavitz Jaime Meline	El-P	6:21
10.	"Babies With Guns"	Bavitz	Blockhead	5:07
11.	"The Greatest Pac-Man Victory in History"	Bavitz	Aesop Rock	4:48
12.	"Frijoles"	Bavitz	Aesop Rock	3:48
13.	"11:35" (featuring Mr. Lif)	Bavitz Jeffrey Haynes	Blockhead	4:23
14.	"Kill the Messenger"	Bavitz	Aesop Rock	4:54
15.	"Mars Attacks"	Bavitz	Aesop Rock	4:39

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[lower-alpha 1]
• S.A. Smash – additional vocals[lower-alpha 1]
• Party Fun Action Committee – additional vocals[lower-alpha 1]
• Murs – additional vocals[lower-alpha 1]
• 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. Credited as "additional trash talking and malarchy" with no track numbers specified.

References

1. Morris, David (November 10, 2003). "Aesop Rock: Bazooka Tooth". PopMatters. Archived from the original on February 4, 2005. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
2. "Reviews for Bazooka Tooth by Aesop Rock". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
3. 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.
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. 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. 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.CS1 maint: others (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.

External links

• Bazooka Tooth at Discogs (list of releases)