Best Song Ever: Defender (Blockhead remix) - Aesop Rock, Blockhead

"Bitch about Lamictal to whichever vics 'll listen. The skin rash, the schism, a million rash decisions."

Aesop Rock has a remix EP, The Recycling Bin, with Blockhead that is absolutely fantastic. You should check it out. The remixes put the previously released music in a totally new perspective. This is best represented by Defender.  I totally missed this song when it was originally released and it on 2016's The Impossible Kid. This is striking to me as the most distinctive aspect of the song is the lyrics, which haven't changed in the new version. Its just the beats and production and how they are presented. Just goes to show how important production can be in hip hop. All that being said, the lyrics and story are awesome. Essentially, Aesop is in the midst of a personal and mental health crisis and feeling pretty shitty.  At the same time, a real practical crisis presents itself in a bobcat loose in the neighborhood. 

I'll let Aesop tell you about in the first verse. 

"New Salem. Brave new voodoo. Wave a witch hammer in a haven for the woo woo. I'm paper china dinner, mostly picking at my stitches. The bloody hair, bad code, bunny ears, dad jokes. Bitch about Lamictal to whichever vics 'll listen. The skin rash, the schism, a million rash decisions. In truth, he had a capital T terrible 2 days. That chewed his plumage to the root. And proved a prequel to malaise. A feud he knew was brewing blew up in his face. He'd been replaying the scenario for days. With the variables replaced. Meh. Loser in the sky with more diamonds than the carpet from the Shining. Part riot, part Orion. We jarred a lot of lightning up. Shook a turkey leg or 10. Maybe we deserve a day of rest. Not to mention...Alex up the street called, said he saw a bobcat. Check your trash can lids, notify your comrades. I said, "I'll take first watch". 1 AM defend the whole block"

There is a lot going on in there, so let's parse it out. Here are some things that we learn from this verse:

1. Aesop is taking Lamictal, likely for his bipolar disorder. Yes, there are plenty of legit off label uses for Lamitcal, but given he is complaining about the million rash decisions that likely came prior to or even with the Lamicital, he is likely referencing it to suggest he is struggling with his bipolar disorder. 

   1. He's not doing well. He is using paper plates for dinner, picking at scabs, and bitching about taking his meds. He even says he had a "capital T terrible two days."

   2. He is upset with himself. "Loser in the sky " I love how he says, "meh" 

2. He also has a more tangible problem in front of him. He has to defend himself against a threat. In the song, a bobcat has arrived. This could be either true or a metaphor for a more tangible problem the animal he has to defend himself against. Regardless, this threat is real. He knows this because Alex, his neighbor has let him know whats up. Maybe he is the animal and his friend is telling him that he saw this other side come out. Either way. It's real and it's a threat. 

Verse 2 has some great word play (in bold).

The coyotes, summon the ghosts of blown diodes. Open and moving like a luchador with no eyeholes. Fried while the pipes froze, life goes Lovecraft. Christ-pose, sitting on invisible hubcaps, up. Call Alex back, daggers in the basil patch. Tell him maybe less badminton more Scrabble Dash. Less Jarts more Rummikub. Whatever keep the scallywags wrapped up in the subterfuge. Gussied up, guarded, and wearing the same armor as the night he argued 'til he dapped his mans up at departures. I could drive into a lake of fire. Pay the piper COD. Aware the pot and kettle shop a little toxin equally at least. It's probably more the kid than the kid. Either way a vital widget in the system is sick. A sea of symptoms in the hinges hit the room all at once. All I can do is plug the roof with my gum. For now I gotta...

At this point then entire focus is no longer on his mental health (merely context setting to his state of mind), but the focus is on this animal threat. Here is what else we learn:

1. Aseop digs The Mountain Goats. As there is no way that rhyming Lovecraft and hubcap is an accident. 

2. Aesop has decided to attack the threat. He is not waiting for the animal to attack. "Gussied up, guarded, and wearing the same armor as the night he argued 'til he dapped his mans up at departure."

3. He is also telling everyone else to stay inside. I just love how he says:  "Tell him maybe less badminton more Scrabble Dash. Less Jarts more Rummikub. Whatever keep the scallywags wrapped up in the subterfuge."

4. He is full of fear. "It's probably more the kid than the kid. Either way a vital widget in the system is sick. A sea of symptoms in the hinges hit the room all at once. All I can do is plug the roof with my gum."

Verse 3 ends without much resolution on the specific animal and more a rumination of the Aesop's place in the world:

"So a third party, who is incidentally not Alex.Seen a black bear catawampus by the college campus. Soon the safety propaganda clamps breeds on leashes. No compost, bird seed out of feeders. Make a lot of noise when you frolic under the ether. Keep a hand on the pepper spray. Sneakers on the detour. They're more scared of you than you them. Although, one of us chews limbs, and one has 2 chins. So leave a couple messages, vomit a couple dollar bills. Guilty in the window romanticizing the potters field. Not sorry, but I never really was a leader. Found money in the speaker, bought lower Manhattan pizza, You meet a few exceedingly forsaken. Sit around the cooler refusing domestication. Then a couple decades pass and you can't even find the wavelength you was on when you was running 1 AM. By the way..."

The song is great and all driven forward by Blockhead's production in this version. Check it out.