While attending college, Bavitz initially recorded and released two self-financed efforts, "Music for Earthworms" (1997), a full-length featuring underground artist Percee P on two tracks. Bavitz also released a music video to "Abandon All Hope", which was one of the tracks on the CD. The album sold over 300 copies, largely from a grassroots internet-based promotion at his website AesopRock.com and then-popular web portal, MP3.com. With the money he made from his previous release, he then released his "Appleseed" EP in 1999 which received critical acclaim in the underground hip-hop circuit. His early records were mostly produced by a long-time friend Blockhead, and underground producer Dub-L.