The Spirit World Field Guide has returned with another scenic stop on his tour. We are, of course, referring to the one and only Aesop Rock, who has proven to be one of hip-hop’s most intellectually challenging lyricists, seldom presenting something exactly as it seems. It’s part of what makes him so compelling to revisit, and Aesop’s latest drop continues to spark new interpretations with every new spin.
Today, the Rhymesayers emcee has come through to bring some new visuals to the table, this time holding it down with a clip for “Jumping Coffin.” In typical Aesop fashion, the visuals come courtesy of his longtime collaborator Rob Shaw, who animated macabre imagery over motion-captured footage of pro skaters Emile Laurent, Enzo Kurmaskie, Anthony Del Togno Armanasco, and Silas Baxter-Neal.
Though relatively simple in concept, the clip is actually rather ambitious in execution. It also happens to be on-brand for Aesop, who has long held a fascination with all things skeletal — lest we forget about his underground classic Skelethon, which unsurprisingly featured a skeleton on the album cover. Be sure to revisit “Jumping Coffin” now, and show some love to Aesop Rock in the comments below — have you been keeping Spirit World Field Guide in steady rotation?