Aesop Rock (born Ian Matthias Bavitz, 1976) is a hip hop musician (rapper and producer). Aesop's style blends a varying tone and delivery with lyrics that contain intricate sequences of widely varying imagery, metaphors, puns, absurdism, and pop culture references, while including the occasional touchstones of traditional hip hop storytelling and self-promotion. As a result of this unorthodox style, Aesop has become a controversial rapper among hip hop enthusiasts
Aesop Rock married Allyson Baker, guitarist of San Francisco rock band "Parchman Farm", in 2006. They reside in San Francisco together. His move was a highly discussed topic in the internet community, as he was well known for representing New York City in his work and his life.

He has tattoos on each forearm referring to the chorus of his song "Commencement at the Obedience Academy". His Left arm says the words "Must Not Sleep", as the right says "Must Warn Others", quoting the line "Must not sleep, must warn others, trust blocks creep where the dust storm hovers". Bavitz is a graduate of Boston University.