stefanoneder Album Reviews

Sleep – Branded (2014)

Branded

 

Artist: Sleep (2-Man Cypher)

Album: Branded

Tracklisting:

1. Question 1
2. Question 2
3. Question 3
4. Question 4
5. Question 5
6. Question 6
7. Question 7
8. Question 8

Note:

Sleep from 2-Man Cypher has never fallen short on creativity.   He has done songs narrating from the perspectives of different individuals.  He has even done tracks from the outlook of the devil.    And with his latest EP, Branded, he takes creativity to a whole new level.

On this EP, Sleep, takes on the persona of the tragic story of Damon Winton.   The story is real, making this EP biographical in context.    Branded is the tale of a troubled youth that is abandoned by the system and family that was supposed to protect him.  Each song is introduced by a question from a reporter to the social worker in charge.  After the social worker answers the reporter’s question in dubious fashion, Sleep narrates a tale from the perspective of Damon.   It is incredibly powerful, because this is real life.   These are things that happen to children on a daily basis.

Continue reading “Sleep – Branded (2014)” →

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2 Man Cypher – Broken (ft. Koren Jackson)

If this song and video doesn’t get you, you are cold m’fer.   The illest duo making hip hop takes a look at the bottom of the barrel of humanity with their single, Broken.  Sleep and Cocaine Chris are like the ghosts in the room looking at the harm a man can do not only to himself but also his loved ones.  If this song sounded dope to you, then I suggest you peep their new project, Queen City Bastards, because the album is loaded with top choice cuts.

stefanoneder Album

2-Man Cypher – Queen City Bastards (2014)

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Artist: 2-Man Cypher (Sleep x Cocaine Chris)

Album: Queen City Bastards

Tracklisting:

1. A Message From The Fans – Buzzin’ (Intro)
2. Locklandville
3. The Hunted
4. Project 48
5. Ain’t Playing With You
6. Broken ft. Koren Jackson
7. Lady In Black
8. Queen City Bullies (ft. Mike Tombs)
9. Heartless (ft. Koren Jackson)
10.First Born
11.Sad World (ft. Trademark Aaron & Nick Pedigo)
12.Top 5 (Cuts by DJ Madhandz)

Note:

The first few weeks of 2014 have been extremely slow for music, especially GOOD music.  But when I heard Queen City Bastards, I got excited.   And it takes a lot for a blogger to get excited about music because we go through so much of it on a daily basis.

Continue reading “2-Man Cypher – Queen City Bastards (2014)” →

stefanoneder Singles

The Fraternity – 2014 10 Man Cypher (Prod. by Dope Antelope)

http://youtu.be/dmsCq8I-r7I

The Fraternity is 10 emcees scattered across North America who are all very dope with unique styles.  I have never heard all the members on one track before and at almost ten minutes I get to hear the complete camp over a scintillating Dope Antelope production.  I usually don’t post singles in YouTube format but I like how you are able to get a visual of each emcee and learn more about where you can hear more music from each artist.  You are bound to hear an emcee you like in this cypher, if not all of them.  Stay tuned for more material as HHD is going to be a prime supporter in 2014.  Bet!

Here are the members if you want to check them out individually: Jus Ra, Loose Logic, J-Scriptz, Speciez, Xavier Medina, Kue the Vandal, Frank Knight, Annex, Cocaine Chris, and Sleep.

stefanoneder 2013

Top 50 Songs (2013)

Disclaimer:  It is hard and challenging to pick 50 tracks from the thousands upon thousands that dropped this year.  It is merely an attempt to list my favorite cuts of 2012.  Click the links to listen to the song!  I think it’s a great list.  There were a lot of great songs crafted this year and I know I left off some good ones.  I listened to 5,000+ tracks from 2012 alone this year, so as an artist, if you made this list you know you are on the forefront of my iTunes!

1. Said Before – Goldini Bagwell

2. Rhyme Of The Year – Nino Bless

3. Believers – Mayday

4. Outlive, Outshine – Theo3

5.  War – Stryfe and Marc Byrd

Continue reading “Top 50 Songs (2013)” →

stefanoneder Video

Sleep – How To Rob (prod. By Dope Antelope) (Video)

http://youtu.be/8D3fJXqErOQ

If I had to pick my new artist of the year (meaning new to me) right now I would be going with the artist Sleep.  I’ll never forget when I heard about the video Leonidas, I was actually checking for another artist who goes by the same name.  Ever since then, this is the Sleep I am checking for.  This guy just gets it.   He has a unique mind for making songs.  He can do the boom-bap that the streets love but he also has the intellect to drop songs that relate to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.  That’s legit on any level.

Meanwhile this song is menacing.  The lyrics…menacing.  The beat by Dope Antelope…menacing.   This is terrorist music and I mean that in a good way.

stefanoneder Video

Sleep – The Rise of Legion (A Monologue to the Pale Horse) (Prod. by Dope Antelope) (Video)

http://youtu.be/tgvcjYJ7PSQ

This video gives me the creeps.  For those of you not up on your theology, Legion is a demon that is actually mentioned in the Bible that actually is confronted by Jesus and cast out.   The imagery in this piece is disturbingly intriguing.   I premiered Sleep many months ago with his song Leonidas.   I thought he was not only dope but also unique.  This cut only strengthens the argument as he is speaking as the voice of the Satan.   The production comes from Dope Antelope.

stefanoneder Video

Sleep – Leonidas (Video)

http://youtu.be/slvIXrBpJN4

Ok.  I got confused.  When I saw the name, Sleep, I automatically thought of the emcee from Oldominion who has rocked that monniker for a while.

I could have easily have turned this video when I found out this wasn’t him.  I am glad I didn’t.  This Sleep has not a real nice flow and he ain’t playing nice with that mic device.  He is coming to take heads.

With that being said…I don’t know anything else about this man, but this track is going to make me dig a little deeper. The dope production is handled by Dope Antelope.  (Yes.  You heard that correctly.)

Update:  Sleep has this album out from February of this year entitled, Lockland 95.  What I have heard has been dope.