Sean Anonymous & Dimitry Killstorm – ‘Better Days’ Review
Posted: by Sean Gonzalez
Minneapolis has always had a fiery hip-hop scene. Acts like Sean Anonymous are just making sure the fire is still lit while also spewing their own lyrical gasoline to make it brighter and keep the hype spreading. Better Days is the rapper’s new release, teaming up with fellow Minneapolis producer Dimitry Killstorm. While not in the scope of mainstream artists, this new record has enough in it to combat with the underground clubs, guaranteed to gather attention from the genre’s enthusiasts across the board.
Mr. Anonymous has a lot to say on this new release. He uses these songs to expel inner stories of where he came from and to take swings at the rap game with concise flows on gritty beats. He opens the record with ‘Better Days’ and lets loose his motive for the album, “I got a lot of wisdom plus I got a pot to piss in plus a little contradictions, what’s a little competition?” ‘Ring The Bells’ finds Sean Anonymous collaborating with other rappers boxing it out in the rink. The track is anthemic, allowing each feature (Haphduzn, Wordsworth, Aceyalone, & Phillip Morris) to weave their own verses about the hardships of the music industry together. Each one coming off as explosive as the previous one. He is not completely about being in the game, reflecting on how he began his career from the day he was born on ‘Pack Your Bags.’
The ability of Sean Anonymous to construct dynamic flows helps certain songs have a more volatile impact. Lead single ‘Big Bang’ provides listeners with a quick paced verse to kick off the track, making sure to syncopate certain parts with the big piano hits coming from Killstorm’s beat. Fellow local rappers Lizzzo and P.O.S. give their own seismic verses that make this track a banger and one of the stand out tunes of Better Days. In almost an immediate contrast to the big production of ‘Big Bang,’ ‘Invisible Ink’ enters the mix with a more simplistic attitude, focusing on Anonymous while showcasing how versatile Dimitri Killstorm is as a producer. The two really work well together, each allowing the other to have their own room for space in the mix that infectious and groovy, for examples ’54 Bison’ or ‘Chapters.’ ‘Like I Do’ is a spacey introspective tune with an either done right or tastefully bothersome high pitched vocal sample.
In smack middle of the album is ‘What Is Your Name’ which features Haphduzn and a personal favorite artist of mine, Del the Funky Homosapien. Each rapper is discussing a brief history of their life trying to stand out in a defunkt industry while also trying to one up each other on their own street element. Haphduzn offers a truthful look at fame with his reflective mood, “I don’t need to be considered great, when self is the only focus that’s when friendships disintegrate.” Del has a very psychedelic appeal to his delivery which contrasts beautifully with the other two rappers, allowing for three different styles to harmoniously mesh over a gracious beat.
Better Days is an album that screams for hip-hop fans alike to listen to. The duo that is Sean Anonymous & Dimitri Killstorm pack a bunch of larger than life beats with compelling wordplay. For an underground release, this project has a lot of tenacity and ambition to snowball into many album of the year lists. Make sure you find your better days by pickup up a copy of this album tomorrow, July 14th.
Score: 8.5/10
Find the album here! https://seananonymous.bandcamp.com/album/better-days-2
