Sean Anonymous - Sean Anonymo

Whether Sean Anonymous knows or makes a conscious effort to do so, he is going down the road of being Minneapolis’ “People’s Champ”.  And if you didn’t know, Big Zach (aka Zachariah of Kanser and More Than Lights), has held this unofficial title for many years.  On the surface Sean doesn’t bare any resemblance to Zach: quite short in the presence of the tall, lanky Zach // unabashedly new school from the skinny jeans to the thrift-store glasses in contrast to Zach’s grunge-era backpacker outfits of XXL tee’s, baggy pants and ball sneakers // moves in quick, frantic motions versus the Ent-like hippy swag that is Zach’s confidence.  But the way that both have come up is the same.  Zach is a legend in Minneapolis' freestyle history winning multiple Loring Past Bar battles and owning the Dinkytowner.  I first caught Sean’s wit and somewhat spastic flow at the tail-end of an era of freestyle battles shortly after the Dinkytowner closed in May of 2009.  While some freestyle emcees focus on punch lines it was clear to me that Sean not only had punch lines but his brain and mouth worked so fast that he could come up with three times the amount of words in the same verse and luckily had a flow that would render it intelligible.  This skill unfortunately doesn’t translate well to written lyrics.  In some of Sean’s early recorded work I always felt that 1) he tried to cram too many words in a verse and 2) had a thin, high voice that was hard to listen to over an extended period of time.  This is quite a shame, because these weaknesses in the studio actually translate to an amazing live show.  His live shows earn instant respect and spur excitement that don't translate in the studio.  I went into his new album with hesitation because I think Sean is a fantastic emcee on the battle scene and as a live performer, just not on tape.

To my delight “Sean Anonymo” sees Sean Anonymous finding his stride and finding his voice.  My two biggest aforementioned hang-ups have all but been remedied.  He is more selective with his words and is more focused on a flow matching the beat and energy of the song instead of impressing with his staccato vocals.  And I believe it to be a combination of vocal-chord maturity, more smokes and studio mastering, but his voice, while far from full-bodied, is no longer ‘tinny’.  While his voice still doesn't quite match some of the braggadocio, it at least suits his style.

The standout track for me is "Sunny" where Sean effortlessly sets a scene of inviting a down-and-out lady into conversation and ultimately making her outlook brighter.  Whether the lyrics are directly based a real life event or not, it is something that is Sean through-and-through.  It's a track that I would use as an introduction of Sean Anonymous to someone who has never heard him.

Hype tracks like "Hands High" and "No B.S.", while fun, don't seem to deliver the earnestness that is intended.  Maybe it's because I've seen these tracks performed live and the vibe is impossible to deliver through speakers.  Luckily for everyone there will be plenty of opportunity to catch Sean Anonymous at his best: live and direct from the Nomad.  He's celebrating his first official solo debut with two back-to-back nights this Friday and Saturday.  If you've never caught this up-and-coming Minneap emcee I highly recommend checking out the shows.  And if you are familiar with him I'm sure I'll see you there.