The Impossible Kid (album)
2016 studio album by Aesop Rock
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Impossible Kid is the seventh studio album by American hip-hop artist Aesop Rock.[1] It was released on April 29, 2016, through Rhymesayers Entertainment.[2] The album was produced by Aesop Rock.[3] The cover art was created by Alex Pardee.[4]
| The Impossible Kid | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 29, 2016 | |||
| Genre | Hip-hop | |||
| Length | 48:32 | |||
| Label | Rhymesayers | |||
| Producer | Aesop Rock | |||
| Aesop Rock chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from The Impossible Kid | ||||
| ||||
To accompany the release of the album, Rob Shaw directed an abridged shot-for-shot remake of The Shining using small figurines, which was set to the album in its entirety.[5] Additionally, music videos were created for "Rings",[6] "Blood Sandwich",[7] "Lazy Eye",[8] "Dorks",[9] "Kirby",[10] "Shrunk",[11] and "Get Out of the Car"; released eight years after the death of the song's subject and Aesop's good friend, Camu Tao.[12]
Reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 85/100[13] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [14] |
| The A.V. Club | B+[15] |
| Clash | 8/10[16] |
| Consequence of Sound | B+[17] |
| Exclaim! | 8/10[18] |
| Pitchfork | 8.2/10[19] |
| PopMatters | 8/10[20] |
| RapReviews | 10/10[21] |
| Under the Radar | 8/10[22] |
| Vice (Expert Witness) | A−[23] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, The Impossible Kid received an average score of 85 based on 11 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[13]
Kyle Mullin of Exclaim! gave the album an 8 out of 10 and said: "For years, Aesop Rock has been beloved for his ambitious, loquacious lyricism, but on The Impossible Kid, he's reached new artistic heights by using that elaborate wordplay to offer us a simple yet powerful glimpse at his scarred psyche."[18]
Track listing
All songs written and produced by Aesop Rock, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mystery Fish" | 3:09 |
| 2. | "Rings" | 3:47 |
| 3. | "Lotta Years" | 1:59 |
| 4. | "Dorks" | 3:33 |
| 5. | "Rabies" | 3:06 |
| 6. | "Supercell" | 3:51 |
| 7. | "Blood Sandwich" | 4:25 |
| 8. | "Get Out of the Car" | 1:53 |
| 9. | "Shrunk" | 3:09 |
| 10. | "Kirby" | 2:47 |
| 11. | "TUFF" | 3:51 |
| 12. | "Lazy Eye" | 2:45 |
| 13. | "Defender" | 3:11 |
| 14. | "Water Tower" | 3:51 |
| 15. | "Molecules" | 3:23 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16. | "Syrup" (featuring Homeboy Sandman and Open Mike Eagle) | Aesop Rock | 3:00 | |
| 17. | "Dorks" (Blockhead Remix) | Bavitz | Blockhead | 3:42 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[24]
Musicians
- Aesop Rock – lead vocals
- DJ Zone – scratching
- Grimace Federation – synthesizer (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10, 13, 14), Rhodes (3), guitar (4, 12), organ (6)
- James Lynch – bass guitar (2)
- Hanni El Khatib – additional vocals (3)
- Rob Sonic – additional vocals (5)
- Allyson Baker – guitar (7)
- Carnage the Executioner – beatboxing (11)
- Kimya Dawson – additional vocals (11)
- Chuck D – additional vocals (12)
- Onry Ozzborn – additional vocals (13)
Production
- Aesop Rock – executive producer
- Brent Sayers – executive producer
- Slug – executive producer, project coordinator
- Joe LaPorta – mastering
- Joey Raia – mixing
- Skye Rossi – project coordinator
Design
- Jason Cook – project coordinator
- Alex Pardee – artwork, layout
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|