Stanisland Magazine

This is what hip-hop fans want: Fresh release Checkers gives rap lovers a lyrical feast.

It’s hard to convince fellow hip-hop heads of his skill. With research suggesting he holds the highest vocabulary of any rapper in the game, it should at least inspire intrigue.

The legendary Aesop Rock (Ian Matthias Bavitz) is one of few lyricists boasting skill of this calibre. Today, he releases a new single taken from his upcoming album, Black Hole Superette.

New Song Sets the Tone

Checkers features verbal gymnastics of the curated kind, burying hopes of rap game constituents without even making a formal challenge.

READ MORE: Billy Woods Unveils Stunning, Poignant New Album ‘Golliwog’

There’s a stylistic vernacular quality most can only aspire to, and with this being the first glimpse of his new project, it leaves us pondering what else he’s hiding.

What We Know

It’s the first album since his explosive 2023 long play, Integrated Tech Solutions, a screenplay for how reliant humanity is on technology.

This time, the 48-year old produces the entire album. Its motif aims to convert the everyday mundane into narratives of surrealist music.

In a press release, the rapper’s label said it will document the “small” and “overlooked moments” in life. Promising to offer a cerebral and emotionally charged experience, we can expect a foreground of lyrically solid compositions.

Based on previous work, we can anticipate the outlandish and expect to be caught off guard. Through a channel of melodious and highly skilled penmanship, Bavitz will no doubt aim to be a spanner in the works of his contemporaries.

Album Features

The album’s features have already been made available thanks to the publication of a full tracklist. They include: Armand Hammer (billy woods and Elucid), Open Mike Eagle, Lupe Fiasco, Homeboy Sandman, Hanni El Khatib.

Where Can I Buy Copies Vinyl and CDs?

Physical copies including vinyl, cassette and CDs are available for preorder on the rapper’s website starting from £12. Alternatively, you can visit his Bandcamp site. It will be released and distributed by Rhymesayers Entertainment.

Full Track List

Below is the full song roster for Black Hole Superette:

1. Secret Knock
2. Checkers
3. Movie Night
4. EWR – Terminal A, Gate 20
5. 1010Wins [ft. Armand Hammer]
6. So Be It [ft. Open Mike Eagle]
7. Send Help
8. John Something
9. Ice Sold Here
10. Costco
11. Bird School
12. Snail Zero
13. Charlie Horse [ft. Lupe Fiasco & Homeboy Sandman]
14. Steel Wool
15. Black Plums
16. The Red Phone
17. Himalayan Tak Chew
18. Unbelievable Shenanigans [ft. Hanni El Khatib]