https://aesoprock.com/products/aesop-rock-tobacco-are-malibu-ken?_pos=1&_psq=malibu&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Aesop Rock sells Malibu Ken directly off his website, just as he does with Garbology.

https://aesoprock.com/products/aesop-rock-x-blockhead-garbology?pr_prod_strat=jac&pr_rec_id=34c5e6824&pr_rec_pid=6714252820528&pr_ref_pid=4421860687920&pr_seq=uniform

‘Aesop Rock and Tobacco are Malibu Ken’

vs.

‘Aesop Rock x Blockhead’

To me, this would imply Aesop Rock considers it part of his discography, his personal work.

Blockhead is also just one guy, a musician / producer, just like how Tobacco is just one guy, a musician / producer.

Garbology and Malibu Ken are both collabs between Aesop Rock and one other very talented musician.

If you’re going by discography lists put together by third parties like wikipedia or spotify or whatever, I’d say say that’s less of a direct source than… the actual artist’s official website.

Hell, even discogs.com shows Garbology and Malibu Ken in Aesop Rock’s discog, Garbology in Blockhead’s, and Malibu Ken in Tobacco’s.

https://www.discogs.com/artist/28104-Aesop-Rock

https://www.discogs.com/artist/142933-Blockhead

https://www.discogs.com/artist/903328-Tobacco-3

Is … is there some interview Aesop gave where he specifically says he doesn’t consider Malibu Ken to be ‘his personal work’, but he does consider Garbology to be?

If yes, then I’ll happily stand corrected.

If no, then I don’t think your latter claim here has much merit.

Both are team up collab albums between two people.