Aesop Rock

Hip-hop

Boasting a roster so talented and diverse it rivals the early days of Def Jam, the Def Jux label always seems to be on the verge of something big. Now one of the label's prime movers, Aesop Rock, is poised to make a breakout. He is a storyteller of the first degree, spinning nimble and thought-provoking New York City fables. After two self-released albums, the man hit his stride with the release of Labor Days in 2001, galvanizing both freethinking hip-hop fans and more adventurous rock-heads with his lyrical flow and inventive production. Bazooka Tooth, his latest, seems to be pushing him beyond dorm rooms and underground circles and into the sight of the masses. Joining forces with fellow Def Juxers Mr. Lif and Murs, Aesop Rock will come to town with his socially conscious message and thought-provoking wordplay, but he'll also be more than ready to take any haters to task.

Wed., Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m., $15, all ages, with Mr. Lif, SA Smash and Murs, First Unitarian Church, 22nd and Chestnut sts., 800-594-8499.

—Paul Burress

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