Sean Anonymous

Minneapolis’ Sean Anonymous has enjoyed a good run as one of the city’s brightest and most promising MCs over the last few years. But he’s getting ready for the upgrade to household name with his forthcoming Better Days LP, which will be arriving next Tuesday, July 14th with a sprawling list of guest appearances. Today we’re happy to bring you a taste of the record with the premiere of its latest soul-strutting cut “What Is Your Name,” finding the MNPL MC blazing through bars with earnest words and catching the assists from underground legend Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and Sean’s Mill City homie Haphduzn, who round out the cut with their own visceral verbal regimens. Better Days will also feature appearances from Metasota, Lizzo, P.O.S., Aceyalone, Phillip Morris and plenty more, so keep your ear to the ground for the release next week. In the meantime, catch the vibes from Sean Anonymous, Del and Haphduzn on “What Is Your Name” and peep the full track listing for the record below. - Okayplayer

Sean Anonymous and Dimitry Killstorm's Better Days was released to the waiting ears of the world today, and along with it came the video for the album's fourth track, "Big Bang" featuring Lizzo and Doomtree's P.O.S.

The three emcees are ready to explode into the world's clutches in the visual for "Big Bang," where they smash anything in sight. These three names are relatively new to me, but they have an odd confidence that borders on funny and charming. Their quick flows match the madness and zaniness of the ensuing video, which kid of looks like the set-up for a comedic heist movie.

Watch the visual for "Big Bang" above, and stream Better Days below. Download the album on Bandcamp or iTunes. - 2DopeBoyz

Fresh off his crowd-surfing performance in the Fifth Element tent at last weekend’s Soundset, Sean Anonymous went straight into raising the promotional tent for his new album with beatmaker partner Dimitry Kilstorm this week. The first single, “Big Bang,” shows how much the scrawny, thorny, wiry wordsmith rapper means business this time. The jaggedly explosive track features his longtime pal Lizzo channeling Carly Simon in one fiery verse and their mutual motivator, P.O.S., on another. Hear the stellar results below, or click here to hear it via Soundcloud.

A road hound over the past couple years, Sean has been playing everywhere from the Warped Tour to countless Upper Midwest headlining gigs (including a First Ave set in January). He’s been working toward the release of “Better Days,” the album due to land June 23. Other guests on the record include California indie-rap veterans Aceyalone and Del the Funky Homosapien, plus Haphduzn, Phillip Morris and Wordsworth.

To mark its release, he’s putting on a two-night mini-fest of sorts July 17-18 in 7th Street Entry with guests including Haphduzn, Manchita, Big Zach, Mike the Martyr and Milwaukee’s Klassic, plus hosts MaLLy and Muja Messiah (click here for tickets). - Star Tribune

Better Days are ahead for Booth newcomer Sean Anonymous. No, really, that is the title of his forthcoming album, a collaborative project with producer Dimitry Killstorm. On single What Is Your Name the two Minnesota natives recruit fellow Twin Cities emcee Haphduzn and Oakland veteran Del The Funky Homosapien, together delivering a lyrically-focused, head nodding affair that sounds great under headphones. The album, available for pre-order now, is due for release on July 14. - DJ Booth

There have been whispers of a solo EP from Twin Cities rapper Sean Anonymous for a few months now. It’s been a slow boil of anticipation for fans of Anon’s work in Wide Eyes and Bottom Feeders. And the expectancy was intensified with the December drop of the music video “Fast Forward,” the lead single from Anon’s forthcoming releaseAnonymo. “Fast Forward,” with its sunny and upbeat languid roll, is the perfect platform to display Anonymous at his best. He bends the pace of his delivery, jogging his verses out fluidly to subtly display a seemingly new, polished flow. Wrapped around the adept backseat production from DJ Corbett, the song shows Anon growing into one of the more solid rappers in the scene. And if the single is any indication of the quality of the Anon’s EP as a whole, then now may be the best time to see him, as he vaults and backflips into training camp before Anonymo drops and things take off. - The Onion (A.V. Club)

Ladies and gentlemen, I have been caught sleeping. In my defense, if shit doesn’t make it to my inbox I really don’t have too much time to go searching it out. Regardless, Minneapolis emcee Sean Anonymous hit me up last night about his video for “Hot To Death” and the joint is definitely Certified fresH. Filmed on the last day of SXSW, the video embodies the fukery that ensued in Austin that week. I’m a little surprised I didn’t run into Sean down there… or maybe I did. “Hot To Death” comes off the emcee’s Anonymo project wich can be streamed and purchased now via Bandcamp. Do it, you won’t be disappointed. - KevinNottingham.com

While many are scanning Etsy or Telaflora for the perfect gift for Valentine's Day, the Twin Cities hip-hop community is working on breath control and verbal acumen. You see, Saturday's Best Love is Free event is steadily approaching, and it's fixing to be a classy evening that should prove to be has heavy on the lyrics as it is on the love. Just recently, a video with performers from the event -- and those who appeared on its yearly compilation -- emerged. Need a reminder of the ridiculous range of our area emcees? Marvel as Sean Anonymous, MaLLy, Toki Wright, Carnage on beatboxing, and many more show their devotion.

Directed by Adam J Dunn, the multi-angle clip gathers the considerable beatmaking gifts of Carnage and FM Beatbox's Slowkid, and the diverse local stylings of Sean Anonymous, Phillip Morris, Wize Guyz, Culture Cry Wolf's Botzy, Lizzo, Ceewhy, St. Paul Slim, MaLLy, and Toki Wright.
- City Pages

Undoubtedly one of the most gifted and hard-working emcees in the Midwest, Minneapolis’s Sean Anonymous has been steadily on his grind for at least the past seven years now, since joining the Twin Cities crew Wide Eyes in 2005. Having toured extensively throughout the U.S. as a solo act and with a variety of other groups – including Wide Eyes, Death Ray Scientific and Bottom Feeders – Anonymous is now poised to take on even greater acclaim with his upcoming solo EP, Anonymo, produced by DJ Corbett and set to drop in June.

Even before the release of their first EP, Situation, in early 2008, Wide Eyes was a force to be reckoned with in the Twin Cities’ Hip-Hop scene because of their intense and energetic live show. Anonymous in particular is known for a stage presence that can best be described as “wildin’ out,” as he truly puts his whole body and mind into every live show. In his best performances, Anonymous often appears to be on the verge of exploding, but at the same time never loses focus as he delivers intricate, versatile flows with a rapid-fire delivery that remains accessible even at its most technically challenging. This summer, you can catch him performing live at the Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Bonnor Springs, and Maryland Heights stops on the Vans Warped Tour.

Perfectly complementing the rest of Wide Eyes – fellow emcee Tony Phantom and producers Dimitry Killstorm and DJ Name – with his sound, Anonymous can’t help but stand out on certain tracks, such as his mind-boggling first verse on “Borrowed Time,” from the 2009 Wide Eyes album, Hands Tied (pay close attention beginning at about 0:56 to hear how hard he goes in). Since the release of that video, Anonymous has been hard at work capitalizing on the advantages of this visual medium with stellar new videos for “Fast Forward” and the upcoming Anonymo track “Hot to Death” (coming in August), both directed by Dave Wilson.

The great thing about the music of Wide Eyes is how simultaneously old school and forward-thinking it is, with undeniably head-nodding production by Killstorm and Name layered under thoughtful but gritty flows by Anonymous and Phantom. Anonymous has also found success collaborating with other notable Twin Cities emcees Spy MC and Shelltoe in the darkly humorous group Bottom Feeders, and shows great comfort joining in live performances with some of the finest underground rappers in the nation, such as Ohio’s Blueprint, L.A.’s Abstract Rude (both of whom will be guest-starring on Anonymo), Chicago’s Phillip Morris and Juice, Minneapolis’s own MaLLy, Toki Wright and many more. Incidentally, Anonymous is one of the friendliest and most approachable emcees you’re likely to meet, and his goofy, unpredictable sense of humor is especially evident in his latest music video, “Name Droppin,” which you should watch at least twice below. - www.esdmusic.com

Minneapolis rapper Sean Anonymous of the Wide Eyes crew should have plenty more name recognition following the string of events surrounding the release of his debut solo EP, "Anonymo." He's part of this week's Warped Tour lineups in St. Louis, Kansas City and Shakopee, and in between those dates he's throwing a two-night album-release party. Backed by Cincinnati beatmaker DJ Corbett (Bun B, Saigon), Sean delivers a strong batch of slow-grooving, weedy, wry jams, including the highlight "No BS," featuring guest verses by Rhymesayers mainstays Blueprint and Abstract Rude. The first night will feature Sean with the whole Wide Eyes crew and openers Illuminous 3 and DJ Snuggles. He will then be backed by improv rockers Dream Crusher on Night 2, with the Unknown Prophets, Duenday and others opening. (10 p.m. Fri.-Sat., Nomad World Pub., 21 & older, $5-$7.) Riemenschneider
- Star Tribune