Written by: The Administrator
When you hear that emphatic "Conductor! We have a problem!" tag followed immediately by Boldy James' calmly nonchalant tone, you know you're inevitably in for a good time. This full project team-up with Kansas City's own Conductor Williams felt almost destined--like the universe demanded a partnership. They are both masters of their respective craft, and arguably operate in a similarly pensive aesthetic lane. The fruits of their collaboration was inevitably going to be worthwhile. My first interaction with Across the Tracks was the lowkey "Off-White Lumberjack," which then prompted me to check out lead single, the emphatic "Terms and Conditions." After that point, waiting for the midnight release was a bit of a chore, but fear not. I made it, folks...and then waited like 4 months to write a review. That's how it's done 'round these parts. Long-term slow-burn musical digestion, or laziness? You decide.
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 Written by: The Administrator I've been very excited to witness the next iteration of Chicago rapper D2X. 2021's The Color Blue was a remarkably polished project for a newcomer, and I really enjoyed the increased confidence and storytelling he exhibited on 2023's heartfelt Hotel 1105. Since that particular project, it has felt like D2X is on the precipice of leveling up, both in terms of artistry and recognition. Enter "FIRE," the first track unveiled from his forthcoming EP, accurately and alluringly entitled The Hunger Era. This single feels like the next rung of the ladder. An evolution into a more forthright and aggressive chapter in D2X's career. Make no mistake: "FIRE" is a clear statement of intent. True to the title, D2X is fired the fuck up, rapping with a burning passion and purpose and intensity. It's a stylistic change that was admittedly unexpected at first blush, but perfectly fits his ambitious go-getter persona. On "FIRE," the delivery is gasping and urgent, and with the heavy breathing in the anticipatory intro, it truly sounds like he sprinted into the booth. He sounds poised and self-assured. One does not rap "in a room full of mirrors I'm surrounded by winners" with this kind of self-assured gravitas unless they really truly feel it. Lest it be forgot, the stellar production is handled by one Ro Moore. This beat absolutely knocks, integrating a rocking groove and edge that feels classic without feeling outdated, cool and assertive without overpowering the bars. The drums are snappy, the cymbals are crisp. I certainly wouldn't be disappointed to hear more beats like this on the EP. D2X is hungry as hell, and that has never been more evident than on this track. In his own words he wants it all, and while the desire for success is almost a near-universal, his drive is uniquely tangible and palpable. The Hunger Era is real. I'm excited to hear what he cooks up next, and sincerely hope his forthcoming project garners this talented man the attention and success he deserves.  Written by: The Administrator Despite a proclamation that 2024 would be the year I review whatever I want, audience expectations be damned, our coverage of hip hop here at the Sleeping Village has been lagging behind my actual listening habits to a pretty significant degree. Here's an attempt to remedy that! Atlanta's up-and-coming BabyDrill released this single on Friday, June 21st, and it's been on solid rotation all weekend. Worth talking about, methinks. I enjoyed ScoreGod, BabyDrill's album released back in February of this year, but admittedly haven't listened to with any regularity since the first few days post-release. With a limited beat variation and a lack of features on the back half, I did find his forceful monotone delivery to get a little repetitive. That said, several tracks were certified bangers. In the context of singles, his flow is fun and engaging. In any case, ScoreGod clearly demonstrated a lot of promise, and this is an overly expository way to say that I was excited to hear this latest track, "Dracula," outside of the context of a larger project. And this is quite possibly my favorite song from him yet. "Dracula" leans into the darker side of the current ATL trap aesthetic, and BabyDrill's delivery is urgent and hard-hitting, yet juuuuust effortless enough to indicate a certain air of confidence. His flow works quite well over the spooky beat, which is focused and polished. Bottom line? While the track doesn't really embody a particularly impactful experimental/horror vibe and is far from a sonic outlier in the current meta, "Dracula" is a pretty damn listenable track that bodes very well for future projects. BabyDrill - Dracula was released June 19th, 2024. BabyDrill can be found:
Written by: The Administrator
The promo email for NODINE's Amateur Land was unexpected but far from unwelcome. The artist behind black metal outfit Ainor switched gears and now makes rap/trap/experimental hip hop under a new moniker, released via Syrup Moose Records? In the world of artistic development, that's an exciting switchup. My interest? Considerably piqued. While the genre tags may imply a shiny polish, this isn't clean stuff from a production standpoint--it feels like the rap equivalent of a classically homegrown bedroom black metal project. That, my friends, is by no means a bad thing. Amateur Land feels homegrown in the best sense, providing an eclectic spread that feels tangible and human and raw. There's some trap, some borderline rage-fueled horrorcore, some minimalistic boom bap, and requisite let-me-get-a-braggadocious-one-in-real-quick freestyles. Every track brings something new to the formula, giving the whole affair a very exploratory feel, almost like NODINE is attempting to map complex terrain via the light of glowstick. In a world where artists are all-too-oft trapped in a trademark aesthetic, I find significant value in a deliberately eclectic collection of sights and sounds. It can make for a jarring listening experience, but consider: being jarred is good. In a continuing attempt to cover more music that would all-too-oft slip through the very large cracks, we slumbering scribes are making an effort to publish short reviews at a greater frequency, thereby shining our very small spotlight on more cool shit. Here's a mini-review of the latest single from an artist that made my 2023 EP list.  Written by: The Administrator It is time, dear readers, for something completely different. che's excellent Crueger made the cut for my list of favorite 2023 EP's, largely due to a sense of overblown excess that smothered the minimalism of his breakout "euphoria." Indeed, to quote my review, Crueger proudly displayed the "maximalism of horrorcore and rage with the arguably more maximalist maximalism of Chicago drill." Given this apparent dedication to generally weird and ominous vibes, I've quite enjoyed che's sound, especially his most recent output. The two singles released this year thusfar are a little more bright, a little less obfuscated and claustrophobic, yet still notably weird. He dropped the one-off "bae" back in February, which I enjoyed, but "Miley Cyrus," released March 27th, is truly excellent in my humble opinion. The production on "Miley Cyrus," courtesy of Prettifun, is comparatively crisp and clean with moments of thickly grounded bass, giving the whole affair a certain oomph. The production is sure-assured, layered enough to feel full yet never overwhelming che's presence. It's also a small thing, but I really enjoy the track's conclusion as the components fall apart in a fun sonic de-evolution. As for che, his flow is trippy and hypnotic; he glides over the beat in a way that feels more effortlessly than past efforts. This is the epitome of smooth delivery. What the fuck is he saying? Individual words and phrases are apparent, but when you string it all together, I have no clue what meaning the lyrics impart. Does that matter? Not at all. The uncertainty of what it all means is only exemplified by the video, which features a series of seemingly random bits of footage--some mundane, some unsettling. The whole thing appears to have been edited by someone swiftly fluctuating between paranoid insomnia and hallucinatory threshold consciousness. It's groggy and delirious and oddly intoxicating. Much like the song itself, I can't see many Sleeping Village regulars vibing with the experience per se, but I wholeheartedly encourage checking out weird underground shit on mere principle. This isn't a bad place to dive in. Overexplaining seems antithetical to the music itself, so I'll shut up and let you check it out below. che - Miley Cyrus was released March 27th, 2024 In a continuing attempt to cover more music that would all-too-oft slip through the very large cracks, we slumbering scribes are making an effort to publish little one-off reviews that would have previously (and arbitrarily) been deemed too short for publication. Here's a mini-review of a fun lil' summertime single.  Written by: The Administrator
There's something special about a song released on January 1st--a cold and snowy day at the Sleeping Village, as I recall--that wholeheartedly embodies a feel-good beach bop aesthetic. SoCal rapper Mr. Lil One's new single, featuring Ari Duarte, hits the nail on the head when it comes to summertime vibes. "To The Sky" evokes sunshine, the sound of surf on sandy beaches, the smell of sunscreen and drinks with little umbrellas. Flip flops, frolicking, warm skin. The beat is smooth and bright, providing a little surfy sun-soaked bounce. Everything here is crisp and warm and clean. Borderline lovey-dovey. Complimenting the light mood, Mr. Lil One's lyrics are playfully unabashed, overtly sexual, and occasionally sweet. His flow is refreshingly straightforward and casual. Ari Duarte's chorus feels classic in a way that is more timeless than old-school per se, and her delivery on the last verse is leisurely and comfortable, like a lazy afternoon after a morning in the sun. Clocking in under three minutes, the song is short and sweet--nothing more than it needs to be. I dunno about your particular locale, but it is cold and dark 'round these particular parts, and tracks like "To The Sky" are a welcome addition to the playlist. Check it out below! Mr. Lil Uno (feat Ari Duarte) - To The Sky was released Jan. 1st, 2024
In a continuing attempt to cover more music that would all-too-oft slip through the very large cracks, we slumbering scribes are making an effort to publish the little one-off reviews that were previously (and arbitrarily) deemed too short for publication. Here's a mini-review of one of Hus Kingpin's many, many 2023 releases.
Written by: The Administrator
The tree has, alas, been discarded. The strands of light coiled in storage. The stockings haphazardly--carelessly, even--crammed in a drawer. Despite a distinct lack of holiday decor 'round these parts, I'm not ready to let go of that alleged magical Christmas spirit quite yet. Hence today's spotlight on Holiday Hus 2: Cocaine Christmas. This seasonally appropriate soundtrack, courtesy of the ridiculously prolific Hus Kingpin, provides a short and sweet lingering taste of the most wonderful--scratch that--worst time of year. Featuring no features and seven tracks across a delightfully brisk eight minutes, this project shows Hus Kingpin's characteristically confident raps over some tastefully dusty, chilly, and occasionally eerie instrumentals. Hus eschews hooks and classic song structure in favor of quick coke rap snapshots, giving the whole affair a laissez-faire and airy feel that contrasts wonderfully with the subject matter. It's a fun juxtaposition, and he plays into the implicit humor of the contrast--the entertainment factor is high. Had I heard this prior to publishing my EPs of the year list, it would most certainly have made the cut. I've had this on repeat for the past few days, and it has yet to grow stale. If forced to pick, my favorite tracks herein are the debonair yet somber "Fireplace" and the calmly menacing narrative of "Snow White." With that said, every song here, including the intro and outro, are absolutely worth your while if you enjoy--casually or otherwise--the allure of underground hip hop. Despite already dropping two (!) additional projects since this EP was released, Hus has another new LP coming in just a few weeks. Before the next in a looooong line of quality releases arrives, I recommend checking out this one out. Listen below and find it here! Hus Kingpin - Holiday Hus 2: Cocaine Christmas was released Dec. 15th, 2023. 
Written by: The Administrator
While compiling my list of 23 favorite hip hop albums of the year 2023--a task which has been significantly more difficult than initially anticipated, due exclusively to figuring out how the fuck to narrow it down--I realized that a variety of tracks were going to slip through the year end list cracks. Thus: a playlist containing 50 of my favorite rap songs of 2023. These are the tracks that I inevitably hit repeat on, the tracks that pumped me up, the tracks that made me return to an artist or project time and time again. This is an unranked list--everything here is fire and most certainly worth your while. Check it out below! 
Written by: The Administrator
Another year, another batch of outstanding EPs! I personally have a strong affinity for releases of the short, concise, and otherwise succinct persuasion, and so my weekly listening is often informed by what new EPs have dropped. The following includes those that made a significant impact and stuck around in my rotation. This list--although perhaps a term such as "loose collection" or "heap" would be a better choice--has not been trimmed or edited to meet a specific quantity. I just kept adding stuff until I hit 23 entries, which felt like an appropriate number, and so here we are. Like last year's extravaganza, this list features a bunch of different genres but is not sorted by genre. My year is defined by eclectic listening habits, and while my albums lists will be divided into hip hop and metal for sake of reading convenience, no such editorial courtesy is reflected here. And lastly, this is utterly unranked. If something appears here, please know that it comes highly, highly recommended. Without further ado, let's dive in! In a continuing attempt to cover more music that would all-too-oft slip through the very large cracks, we slumbering scribes are making an effort to publish the little one-off reviews that were previously (and arbitrarily) deemed too short for publication. Here's a mini-review of a top-notch hip-hop album.  Written by: The Administrator Today, we slumbering scribes reject the "metal review site" tag by publishing a mini-review for a rap album. You can't stop us. One of my favorite hip hop albums of the year thusfar, Champagne For Breakfast positions the magnetic Meyhem Lauren as a paragon of New York rap. Equally luxurious and menacing, Lauren's flow is sublimely confident. It feels like he's been strutting across beats like these for decades. Boisterous aggression isn't necessary, and as a result the self-assured nature of his raps feel relaxed and refined. He's working hard but everything appears casually effortless. His delivery is calculatingly laissez-faire, yet never lacks punch or gravitas. That's a perfect combo, as far as I'm concerned. Madlib and DJ Muggs handling production in dual fashion is a real treat as well. The entire album is delightfully cohesive without eventually feeling stale or overplayed, which frankly feel decently rare in the world of Griselda-adjacent psychedelic boom-bap. Champagne for Breakfast is a smooth album that feels both understated and simultaneously larger than life. Lauren operates at a very high level, and despite absolutely bodying a braggadocious air, his showmanship and persona is never alienating. While there's not a bad track herein, if you're looking to sample, "Fresh Out The Water," "Big Money," "Dom VS Cris," "One of Them Ones," and "Szechuan Capital"--the latter complete with an excellent Action Bronson feature--are all fantastic places to start. In sum: highly recommended! Meyhem Lauren x Madlib x DJ Muggs - Champagne For Breakfast was released April 7th, 2023 via Soul Assassins
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