3 out of 5

Label: Rhymesayers

Produced by: Various

An interesting idea with mixed results backed up by a mixed bag of extras.

Labor Days was a rewarding listen for me, but due to the way I came into Aesop’s catalog – starting after that album, when I’d say there was a different type of synergy between Rock’s flow / lyrics and his beats – it’s honestly not an album I return to much, or at least without purpose of wanting to revisit the artist’s discography. During my listens and relistens, though, I don’t think the track Daylight ever stuck out to me much. It’s long-winded ode to individualism is, as always, packed with some amazingly clever bars, but the message didn’t feel as pointed as other tracks on the album, as with much on Labor Days, the production just doesn’t grab me very much, and maybe the Beastie Boys sample feels a little pedestrian.

The idea to “mirror” the song – day turns to night for the paralleling ‘Night Light’ on this EP – is definitely intriguing, and I will say I ultimately prefer the mirror’s more oppressive take on the subject matter. However, since the original doesn’t have a very strong musical hook or melody, the mirroring is primarily lyrical; I wish the songs were more notable inverses of each other through and through. And maybe they are, but not in a way that feels immediately accessible to me. Those lyrics also require an attentive ear to actually pick up the shtick; even the chorus feels too removed to “get it” without being in the know, which makes the whole concept feel a bit empty. And just to top it off, Aesop’s mix vs. Cryptic’s on ‘Daylight’ confusingly gives ‘Night Light’ a more playful vibe overall.

Our two guest tracks after that have great MCs but fall relatively flat. Nickel Plated Pockets is pretty linear stuff; El-P’s production is hard to evaluate in the vacuum of the EP, not standing out much; Blueprint adds a little spice with his production, but it amounts to a scratch track, with Rock only jumping in for a brief moment.

Instrumental Forest Crunk from Blockhead is great, hinting at the more expressive combos between these two to come. Similarly, Rock’s production on Bracket Basher makes for some of the most interesting beats on the EP. Closer Maintenance previously appeared as a B-side on the Coma single; it’s nice having it here, but it falls in the same realm of Labor Days run-off as Daylight for me, though the secret track One of Four is another point of interest, stepping towards the more personal work of then-forthcoming albums.

Re: the Rhymesayers edition versus the original Def Jux release: as far as I can tell, artwork stayed the same and this isn’t a remaster or anything, so no push to own one version over another.