Small Eyez

NWORDS – the newest EP by Atlanta rapper Small Eyez – dropped Tuesday and the buzz has yet to ebb. Don’t be fooled by the number of tracks on the EP, this isn’t a one-track and done listen and y’all would be best served to hear everything he has to say. Small Eyez spits verbal poetry on some of the tracks, but the producers who teamed up on the EP really set it off. Sal Dali (5-7 tracks), Abnormal and Clear Cutt put in work and each contribute to the mixtape’s overall success. If I could, I’d recommend four or five of the tracks — but that’s not realistic, so here are my top 3 tracks off the album.
To The Sky: Takeoff! The first song on the album brings the heat on a fresh beat courtesy of Sal Dali. Eyez’s flow dominates this track and starts the album off on a high note.
Shurikens: This was my favorite track on the EP. Not only does the intro meld perfectly into the chorus, but it also sets the course for the rest of the song. Small Eyez hits the ground running on this track and spits fire. Rap game take cover, Eyez will hit you in the head with a shuriken.
NWORDS: Last, but certainly not least — Eyez slows it down as he closes out the EP in style and puts a stamp on the mixtape. Not sure what’s in store for this young emcee, but I’m certainly keeping an eye out. - RESPECT Magazine

Small Eyez is ready to take on the world via his independently released EP Vipassana. A sincere affair made even more remarkable by his ability to give his audience front row seats to his thoughts, feelings and most importantly, state of mind. The biggest challenge, it seems, was creating positive music clear of the blinged out trappings of hip-hops current state.

This album is a soulful narrative of one mans life to date. Nothing new or original there, however, Small Eyez is what happens when pure ambition and good taste come together in one place. There is also an endearing humility that re-enforces his accessibility, making it easier to find something to relate to in his music. Lyrically he delivers the most personal emotions without weighing the listener down, smartly using his beats to lighten the heaviest of moments.

Beat wise he made some interesting choices, some of which work and some that dont. At this point he is not breaking any new ground which is not a bad thing because there is enough potential for that to happen a few more albums in. For the most part he is actually a good rapper, with intense delivery and style that will continue to serve him well.

Still, for all the good things about the EP it still feels like a demo at times. I was left expecting more, mostly because I felt like he has more to offer. In some places songs seemed to run into each giving me the feeling that I was listening to the same song all over again without hitting the rewind button. This seemed to actually prevent some of the songs from standing out, although joints like Earth, Wind and Fire, So Special and Holly-Wood (Tryna Get Big) are solid jams to look out for. The bonus joint The Dream (produced by 9th) is also a definite keeper.

Again, none of these things actually sink this project; they simply take away a few elements that could have helped make it a better EP.


Enyi Emesih - Okayplayer

Small Eyez: 'Past, Present, & Future'

Open Mic, October 2, 2006 · The founder and CEO of Mind Musik Records, Small Eyez wrote "Past, Present, & Future" about the course his life has taken. Produced by Knetik, the track can be found on Eyez's album Vipassana. Vipassana means to see things as they really are and is a term used in Buddhist practice.

Born Emman Twe in Cincinnati, Ohio, Eyez says he "always had a passion for music." His Rastafarian father inspired him with the Roots, Reggae and Soul music brought home. People told Eyez he could never play a musical instrument due to birth complications that left him with the use of only one arm. So, he turned to freestyling and writing to emit his talent, creating his first eight-track CD demo at the age of 14.

Now 22, Eyez has preformed with artists such as Talib Kweli and Dead Prez. With the addition of Awful Truth and The Soul Stirrer to his label, Eyez says "this year will definitely be the Year of the Mind."
- NPR

Small Eyez :: Vipassana :: MindMusik Records
as reviewed by Matt Jost

Album intros are often wasted one way or another, so any intro that tells me that it needs me "to believe, see the forest for the trees, envision the seeds, acknowledge the leaves" and concludes with a pearl of wisdom like "Choice is the mother of freedom / gain control of your soul and it starts breathin'" scores plenty of brownie points where other albums already make me reach for the fast forward button.

Small Eyez is a young man in his early twenties representing the State of Ohio, specifically the City of Dayton and his birthplace Cincinnati. He currently operates out of Atlanta, where he strives for higher education at Morehouse College. Interestingly, the student derives the title of his recording debut "Vipassana" not from the Western world but from India, where vipassana denotes an ancient mediation technique and translates to 'insight' or 'to see things as they really are.' It's a fitting title for a CD that perpetually urges you to take a good look. Small Eyez acts as the narrator and interpreter of his environment, detailing how we all fall victim to the dream-chasing inspired by the entertainment industry on "Holly-Wood (Tryna Get Big)," reflecting on aspects of the visual sense on "Blink," or directing your attention to the "war goin' on outside" ("...it's not Iraq, it's not suicide bombers / they killin' us through the crack, smugglin' guns through government funds") on "Look Around You."

Small Eyez would only be half the artist he is if he didn't require the listener to pay acute attention. I for one have trouble decoding the 'hidden message' he keeps referring to on the song of the same name. But I guess I wouldn't be completely wrong if I said that Small attempts to revive the messages of Martin and Malcolm (whom he both mentions). If any categorization is needed, Small Eyez can be labelled a conscious rapper, and if any references are needed, sometimes he flexes a youthful vigor reminiscent of Poor Righteous Teachers lead rapper Wise Intelligent ("Hidden Message"), sometimes he channels the passionate lamenting of Rhymesayer Brother Ali ("Blink"), and sometimes he goes for the confessional intimacy of Kanye West ("Look Around You").

Displaying virtually none of the nihilism many of his peers opt for, Small Eyez is thoroughly good-natured ("Put my foot in it? Nah, I put my heart in it"), yet he's still keenly aware of the obstacles many people face. Personally, however, he must have come across something that renders him optimistic. Freedom is the term he chooses himself, relating in "Past, Present & Future" that he found freedom in life and that this liberty is expressed in each and every one of his words. Elsewhere he dubs his entire body of work "freedom music," and voices his intent to "feed the people through it."

The beats on "Vipassana" fit this attitude like a glove. Supported by a cast of aspiring producers, the CD takes a very soulful approach to hip-hop. The soul just keeps pouring out of the speakers, often in the form of highly melodical samples combined with drums that sound rawer and whose arrangements are more complex than what today's listeners are used to. With "Hidden Message" Ms. Cooley concocts a beat that would be at home on a Little Brother album, KNetik conducts the upbeat, uptempo posse track "Earth Wind & Fire," SaiClops parallels Small's journey to Africa and into his people's past on "Afrikan Roots," while A-BOTS are the main responsibles for the album's smooth structure. A highlight they contribute to substantially is "So Special," a song sketching the beginning of a love story so subtly most confessions of 'thug luv' you hear these days will appear even clumsier.

If "Vipassana" wasn't such a small-scale release and radio wasn't so thoroughly commercialized, I'd urge everybody to call their radio stations and request this song immediately. Then again, when the album title's encouragement to call it like you see it is to be taken serious, there's no denying the fact that Small Eyez still has a couple of steps to perfection ahead of him. At this point, the beats and raps are not yet compact enough, everything needs to come closer together to form a truly convincing whole (post-production is also suggested). As a human being, Small Eyez may already be wise beyond his years, but as an artist, he'll be able to mature a great deal.

Nevertheless, any rapper that realizes that "failure is a blessing" should get a particularly warm welcome in today's cold corparate climate. Since we started with the intro, it's only right to end this with the outro, which consists of extensive shout-outs. It is rare for a rapper to show gratitude to everybody who contributed to his CD, but Small Eyez is such a rare artist.

Music Vibes: 7 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 7.5 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 7 of 10

Originally posted: August 29, 2006
source: www.RapReviews.com

- RapReviews.Com

Small Eyez: Vipassana

Mind Musik, 2006
Vipassana cover

Small Eyez is a rapper from Ohio, and this is his first EP. Vipassana is a nice debut, though it’s a little uneven. On “Hidden Message� Small Eyez lays down his philosophy. Asked if he’s trying to get rich, he replies, “I’m trying to achieve and breathe life.� His style is original—occasionally his voice breaks as he quickly, passionately explains himself. Ms. Cooley’s beat is a simple, catchy loop. “Holly Wood� is somewhat more poppy, with a soul sample courtesy of A-BOTS. Small Eyez compares himself to Nas and seems to contradict his message from the previous track, admitting he’s “trying to get big like the Hollywood sign.�

“So Special� is a better fit between rap and production. Small Eyez tries to avoid mistakes while picking up a lady. “Past, Present, & Future has a weird beat, but I like Small Eyez’ Coltrane references. Oddly enough it also contradicts the previous track—suddenly Small Eyez has a wife and child! Another highlight is “Earth Wind & Fire� featuring Da Truuf, Iyana, and Jonate. It’s a classic posse cut, with some really strong verses. “AfriKan Roots� is a powerful meditation on human history. Small Eyez reminds, “Bush and Saddam got African roots… everybody ‘round the globe got African roots!�

I have a feeling this album would be more cohesive if it weren’t so lo-fi, but I applaud Small Eyez for publishing on his own Mind Musik label. Some bigger label should definitely pick this guy up!

Jacob Arnold, Jun 2, 2006 - Gridface.com