Sleeper Cell Crew

THE HIP-HOP BEAT
BY: TJ REYNOLDS
NUVO NEWSPAPER
JUNE 18, 2008

SLEEPER CELL, ‘THE TIME IS NOW’
I keep coming across new talent in the city, and I’m continually impressed with how many people are passionate about creating and performing hip-hop music. The local group Sleeper Cell recently released their debut album, The Time Is Now. As soon as I put on the CD, I knew it was going to sound good. The production is pretty stellar, with a dark mood permeating throughout, though some of the beats could’ve developed into something slightly more complex. With such heavy beats and a name like Sleeper Cell, you almost expect the lyrics to have a political edge to them, especially after a couple of news samples in the opening track. Unfortunately, the subject matter doesn’t quite match the depth of the beats. The group is at their best when taking on a motivational sentiment with their lyrics, such as on the title track and the Lynda Sayyah assisted “Best Effort.”
Overall, this album is a solid effort built by artists who know what they’re doing. These guys are a welcome presence in the community. More than anything, what I hear in The Time Is Now is great potential.
- Nuvo Magazine

Sleeper Cell is a local six-strong hip-hop group of emcees and producers going by the monikers of Keen, Abztrakt, Scorpo, Seyce, Silo, and Soulsauce. What’s important, however, is not their names but their talent. Nicely produced by Jeff “Silo” Thomas (except for one track), their debut The Time Is Now sounds great, with live instrumentation and samples of keyboards, acoustic and electric guitars, glockenspiel-like bells, and flutes all contributing to the great grooves set down by the bass and drums. The title track opens the disc, with the group swapping the mic as they rap about the hip-hop staples of their goals as rappers and their love for the music, with all members joining in the chorus which states that now is their time to shine. Second track “Move Forward” puts forth a kicking beat and a beautiful scratching chorus that incorporates vocals cut and sampled to give a unique, stuttering feel that contrasts nicely with the song’s soulful groove. The group also shows their lyrical talents here, as when they rap, “It’s like I was born with a microphone cord instead of an umbilical/My life is lyrical/Music is a miracle….Always hustling, never stopping/Moving forward ain’t no problem”. “Best Effort” features a slower groove paired with fast rapping which plays off a nice woodblock-like percussion line, with the chorus taking a neo-soul approach courtesy of guest emcee Lyndah Sayyah. Again, great lyrics are present as they spit, “I’m walking through the night/Developing my flow/My best foot is right/Because it’s steppin’ towards my goals”. “Getting Silly” has the aforementioned flute sample and a great bass line, the combination of which conveys an appropriately “floating” feel to a song about the joys of smoking dope. With all this talent present, it is unfortunate the group does mar a few of their songs by focusing on the standard rap misogyny of “ho’s” and “bitches”. That aside, this is a brilliant debut by a group that demands listening to at present and watching in the future. - Broad Ripple Gazette

SLEEPER CELL ATTACKS!!!
What Is Sleeper Cell?

Filled with an abundance of energy and passion, Sleeper Cell is a collaboration of emcees and producers looking to emerge in the hip hop world. By definition, a sleeper cell is a small group of people that belongs to a large organization, usually in reference to a terrorist group. The cell "sleeps" (lies dormant) inside a population until it decides to act. The group loosely bases their name on this description; relating the hip hop community as the large organization and replacing acts of terror with great music. Furthermore, the sleep reference also relates to the common mentality in the local area that "Naptown" emcees are being slept on as a whole.

The Time is Now

The Time is Now is Sleeper Cell's debut full-length studio release which features 16 riveting songs that inspire listeners to get up and move to the rhythm. With a strong sound that captures the true essence of hip hop the album hits on a vast array of topics. The introductory track "Move Forward", takes us back to the days when hip hop was intended to motivate the crowd through a combination of catchy rhythms and clever lyrics. Next, the listener becomes captivated by the radio-friendly cut which features Indiana 's recording artist Lynda Sayyah titled "Best Effort." This track has amazing production and promises to be an inspirational cut that will make any listener want to sing along with the powerful hook. Each verse provides a unique style as the lyrics urge their listeners to grab a hold of their dreams and live life to the fullest. The title track, "The Time is Now", engages audience's attention while the group shows their ability to rock crowds as they begin their conquest as emcees. In the tone of newer hip hop, the group then changes it up on you and hits the album with a song that will stay in your head for days "Pay For What". This track shows their ability to take a simple subject and give it that special Sleeper Cell twist.

As the album progresses, the group utilizes music's ability to create enjoyment for the listener as well as the performer. With fun tracks like "I'm Not the One", Sleeper Cell shows that it's okay to let lose. While some may consider this style of songwriting down grading to women, "I'm Not the One" takes quotes from "The 40 Year Old Virgin" to fully develop the comical relation. This humorous mentality stays evident on other tracks with the same underlying tone such as "Getting Silly" and "Come and Go".

"Time Flys" shows the listener that time is precious and that they should use it while it lasts. The powerful lyrics throughout the song emphasize the group's strength of inspiring audiences off all types. The closing song on the album titled "I Don't Know Where I'm Going" breaks the rules of common music composition. With extraordinary verses Sleeper Cell manages to leave their fans waiting to hear more.

Sleeper Cell's The Time is Now shows that the group has confidence in their art and displays a passion that is energetic to anyone is willing to give it a listen. The album is filled with a variety of songs and is sure to create a stir.

To hear a couple of tracks from Sleeper Cell go to their website at:

www.myspace.com/sleepercellcrew

Author: Jason Keenan
Email: jason2122@comcast.net

Jul 23, 2008 at 11:01 PM | Permalink
- www.hiphoppress.com

Sleeper Cell Crew's The Time is Now has just been selected by FM102x as the song of the day for Feb. 6th 2009.
http://www.fm102x.com/2009/02/sleeper-cell-time-is-now.html

Thanks to everyone showin support!!

- www.fm102x.com

Check out the new review of The Time is Now at Wildy's World.
http://wildysworld.blogspot.com/2009/02/review-sleeper-cell-time-is-now.html



Sleeper Cell – The Time Is Now
2008, Sleeper Cell Recordings

Drawing on influences ranging from Tupac Shakur to Eminem, Sleeper Cell blasts out of Indianapolis, Indiana with their debut recording, The Time Is Now. The album opens with a sample of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “This Day Will
Live In Infamy” speech on the title track. Whether or not intentional,
the use of an event that signaled the coming out of the United States
as a world power is a strong and pointed message in a song about
Sleeper Cell’s self-introduction to the world. Sleeper Cell seems to
struggle with its own best intentions throughout The Time Is Now, at times expressing deep yet subtle socio-political commentary while at other times falling prey to the stereotypical conventions of Gangsta Rap. Move Forward is a song about survival and can be heard on many levels given the current economic environment. This is one of the things that makes Sleeper Cell so unique and concurrently so frustrating. In one verse you might think they’re talking about life on the streets and in the next it may sound like they’re talking about life in the boardroom. This could be intentional, and if so it shows
signs of lyric genius. The ability to essentially tell a parable that
applies to both the street and the boardroom with the same moral is a
rare gift. But given some of the more mundane material presented here it is hard to know whether these moments are cases of transitive genius
or pure luck.

Just for the record, we’re leaning toward the transitive genius argument, but it’s still open for discussion. Best Effort
addresses the corporate race to the top in street vernacular, exhorting listeners to give their all but not to forget themselves along the way. Once again the song could apply to many different settings and speaks to an ability that is uncanny. The backing vocals provided Lynda Sayyah are amazing. We don’t know much about her, but suggest that if she
hasn’t already considered recording some material of her own that she do so. My Mistress takes a turn for the more mundance side as
Sleeper Cell falls into a stereotype that diverges from the path
they’ve chosen thus far on The Time Is Now. The trend continues through Pay For What, Husslin’ For Mine and Time Flies.

I’m Not The One stays with the stereotype somewhat but at least shows a little more depth. It also makes use of some interesting dialogue samples of Steve
Carrell from The Forty Year Old Virgin. Always On The Grind returns to some of the higher minded intellect that Sleeper Cell shows early on. Blame The Game adds some funky guitar work to the mix in one of the more personal and well thought out rhymes on the disc. Respect is a song that anyone who’s ever worked for a living can identify, like an apt epilogue to the movie Office Space. Get Paper
expresses the thought that rhymes are the motivation for Sleeper Cell,
not money or notoriety. Based on the material here I would guess it’s
at least partially true. What’s Your Profession would seem to support this idea as well. The set closes out with I Don’t Matter, a big Drum N Bass rhyme.

Sleeper Cell create some moments of genius on The Time Is Now.
They also fall prey to their own baser instincts at points on the
album. This is a group with real potential to lift Rap Music back up to
the level of art form that it once was. Sleeper Cell believe they’ve
grown as artists in the four months since the release of this album.
Based on what I Hear on The Time Is Now I’m willing to take that on credit. Sleeper Cell has the ability to reach for higher concepts in street terms and speak to a slew of fans for whom they hyperbole of profanity and base concepts generally turns them away
from rap. At their best Sleeper Cell are masters or rhyme and reason.
It will be curious to see what comes next. For the moment, The Time Is Now is an outstanding debut.



Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Sleeper Cell at www.myspace.com/sleepercellcrew. You can purchase a copy of The Time Is Now at Underground HipHop.com.
- Wildy Haskell

Sleeper Cell Crew has been included in Vol. 5 of D.A.M Magazine. Please follow the link below to read complete interview.

http://www.thedammagazine.com/DAM%20May%2009-final.pdf - D.A.M Magazine

You can visit the archived link for the interview at:

http://www.twogroove.com/blog/2009/08/26/past-present-future-sleeper-cell-crew

Past, Present, Future: Sleeper Cell Crew
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

Sleeper Cell Crew is a five-piece hip hop group from Indiana. The music is heavily produced without sounding overly done; a feat accomplished due to the fact that all of SCC’s members are producers or emcees. They are not dominated by one thing, incorporating a number of styles into their sound. A good example is the song “Sunshine”, where upbeat hip-hop lyrics meets strings and piano. It’s a happy song and will have you nodding your head.

Check out our interview with the Crew, listen to the music below, and visit them on the web.



Members: Soul Sauce, Keen, Shay, Seyce, Silo

Year Formed: 2007




1. Past: What is your musical background? What has led you to this point?
We have all grown up listening to many different genres of music. From Punk to Hip-Hop, and because of that you can hear the difference in our music. Individually we all have our different reasons for making the music that we make, but one thing that we have in common is our music is all real and comes from the soul.

2. Present: Where are you at now in your career? What are you currently working on?
Right now Keen and Shay are working on their debut solo CD’s which will feature everybody from Sleeper Cell Crew. Soul Sauce has been taking the graphic game by storm adding a whole other dynamic to the crew. Silo is working on many projects and remixes including “Sunshine” Ft. Keen (The Remix), which will be the single off of Shays Debut EP.

3. Future: What’s coming up for you?
We have decided to get more involved and educated with the business side of music. We are in the early stages of starting our own promotional/entertainment company Level Up Promotions. Level Up will provide a wide range of services such as finding and developing up and coming talent, event coordination and other various promotional services. We hope to achieve these goals by providing our own unique brand to the industry that will be more focused on the artist.

4. Where can people find more of your music?
www.sleepercellcrew.com
www.sonicbids.com/sleepercellcrew
www.soundclick.com/truscience

5. Anything you’d like to plug?
Look out for future projects from each one of the members of Sleeper Cell Crew and Level Up Promotions
- Two Groove

Hailing from Indianapolis, Indiana, Sleeper Cell is a foursome of white Midwestern rappers. Keen, Abztrakt, Soul Sauce, and Seyce share the stage, producing rhymes that are clearly enunciated, though colored by a slight Indiana twang, so that fans can hear every word. The tracks on their full-length debut album, The Time Is Now, are paced slightly slower than other hip-hop acts I’ve heard but that enhances the ability of their lyrics to be understood, which seems to be something these guys really want to happen. Within each song, the microphone duties flawlessly move from rapper to rapper, often with two or three rapping in sync. It will be interesting to see how Sleeper Cell develops as they mature in their craft. They are currently working on a new album.
- Skope Magazine