Pitchfork

Because nothing screams "let's go for a run!" like a guy who raps about the seedy underbelly of the human spirit, Aesop Rock is the latest artist to contribute to Nike's "Nike + Original Run" series. (You might recall that the last person to do this was some dude who calls himself LCD Soundsystem.)

The Def Jukie's piece, entitled All Day, is "a 45-minute continuous mix [that] was created specifically with runners in mind and reflects Aesop Rock's distinct and unique style." The snippet that we've heard has a retro space-funk feel, laidback with Aesop's typically gravelly voice flowing on top. Not exactly pump-you-up kind of stuff, but maybe this is just the warmup? Or the cool-down?

In a press release, the man known to his mother as Ian Bavitz had this to say: "I wanted to create something that evolved enough that the sound was constantly fresh and attractive, as if the runner were moving through a set of differing cities or landscapes."

All Day: Nike + Original Run will be available only at the iTunes store starting February 13. It will set you back $9.99.

We guess this is what Aesop Rock was talking about back in December, when he posted on his MySpace page about a mysterious project that's "not really an album but it kind of is."

As previously reported, Aesop Rock is currently working on his next full-length, None Shall Pass, due out sometime this year. It features production by Blockhead, El-P, Rob Sonic, and Aesop himself, as well as guest vocal appearances from El-P, Cage, Camutao, Breeze Brewin, Rob Sonic, and John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats. Album art is being handled by artist Jeremy Fish. Aesop recently posted a snippet of the title track (produced by Blockhead, with cuts by DJ Big Wiz) on his MySpace. The track will also appear on the Def Jux/Adult Swim compilation Def Swim, out February 26.

Aesop Rock also appears on the new El-P album I'll Sleep When You're Dead, out on Def Jux on March 20. And he scored a short film entitled "Walleyball: Yeah Yeah, We Speak English. Just Serve." for the latest edition of McSweeney's DVD Magazine Wholphin. Yes, it's about playing walleyball on the U.S./Mexican border.