He’s frequently been hailed for his unusually large vocabulary, which some claim is the biggest in all of hip-hop. Paired with murky production and stuttering beats, his music is far from rap’s mainstream, but even though it may seem excessively abstract to some, his lyrics are often drawn from personal experiences and balance introspection with technical proficiency, making them relatable as well as intellectually stimulating.

He began self-releasing material during the late ’90s but first received national attention with 2000’s ‘Float’. Subsequent releases for El-P’s Definitive Jux stable, including 2001’s ‘Labor Days’, confirmed his position as one of underground rap’s most crucial figures.