"The idea with the enhanced CD never really appealed to me because, like, anytime I've ever gotten one, I've never actually put it in my computer," he explains. A lot of fans had been asking him to put his lyrics into the liner notes of the albums, so he decided to "knock it all out at once." Thus, with a lot of time and energy, The Human Curiosity Sideshow was born.

Fans who have long wondered exactly what Aesop Rock is saying finally have the answers Ð but that doesn't mean the lyrics will make any more sense. He transcribed them himself, and even he had to go back and figure it out.

"I literally was going through my old records, listening to them and pressing pause every ten seconds and writing it down," Aesop jokes.

Of course the work seemed overwhelming at times; the transcription for the booklet was due before the songs for Fast Cars had been written. But in the end, Aesop was able to release a unique bonus package that's dedicated to who else but the fans.

"I don't need to have a book of my lyrics, really. I know what they are," Aesop laughs.

And really, all the time and effort is for the fans. Aesop says he's not the kind of person who "takes any of the acceptance or the fan base that I have for granted." He is consistently shocked and appreciative.

But that doesn't mean Aesop's thinking about the fans as he's writing his music; he often forgets that what he's writing will ever see the light of day. Then, on the release date, it hits him.

"I'm like, ÔOh shit, all this shit I've been secretly working on in my house for the last year is going to be public property tomorrow.'"

Forgetting the public is a necessity. He can't let himself get caught up in what the critics say or what his fans may want from him in his next album. Instead, he chooses to follow his "natural music evolution" and continues to express exactly what's on his mind at the time. He believes he's cheating himself by doing anything else.

Fast Cars, Danger, Fire, and Knives touches on everything from his religious upbringing (hear "Holy Smokes") to more political issues (hear "Food, Clothes, Medicine"). In "Winners Take All," war language flourishes and violence and senselessness become obvious. Aesop says that though he's tried to avoid talking about war and other more political issues for a while, it's becoming unavoidable. As is the case for many New York artists, 9/11 shook him up and forced him to realize that "it's officially time to sort of stop avoiding it and kind of write about it."

But he doesn't want to come off sounding like a preacher. He believes there is too much gray area to be able to stand up and tell the world the knows the truth, and nobody else can do it, either.

"No, you don't really know everything because you're in your house just like me watching it on TV." He has decided to stick with the obvious and instead merely say, "War is bad."

"What I'm saying is a no-brainer, but if I can say it in a creative way and kind of approach it in an interesting way, then it makes an interesting song," Aesop explains.

As far as the future is concerned, Aesop Rock is only now hitting his stride. He used to think 30 was the cut-off age for rappers, but as he gets closer (he'll be 29 this summer), he doesn't feel like it's ending.

"Everyday I want to try something new that I never would have thought of, like, five or 10 years ago."

This is music to every fan's ears!

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