We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Return2Forever

by Fresh Sly

/
  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      €6 EUR

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 19 Fresh Sly & D.N.S. releases available on Bandcamp and save 70%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Morning, Night Cruise, Impressions Of Cool, Anything Real, Meridians, The Beautiful Triumph, Phoenixology, Hope, and 11 more. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      €29.10 EUR (70% OFF)

     

1.
Sand Castles 04:52
2.
Another Day 03:17
3.
Part Of Me 02:56
4.
Velvet Skies 02:51
5.
Under A Sun 02:53
6.
She Said No 03:04
7.
Searching 03:56
8.
9.
10.
11.
Only U 03:34

about

European hip-hop definitely has its golden nuggets, but like any buried treasure you just have to know where to look. That’s why when I discovered Moldavian rapper/producer Fresh Sly back in 2011 with his stellar solo effort entitled Quiet Storm, I kept my ear out for the latest and greatest by this one of a kind musician. Brandishing a jazzy mindset and a storybook full of rhymes, Fresh Sly finally returns to the hip-hop scene with a transcendent new record appropriately titled Return2Forever.
With one listen, Return2Forever will leave listeners with a solid idea of Fresh Sly’s style. I assume the whole world of hip-hop recognizes Europe’s attraction to old-school, U.S. hip-hop and how the continent tends to emulate those sounds. Well the same story goes for Fresh Sly when he crafts his music; there’s definitely a vintage, 90s East-coast sound infused into the jazzy samples and funky embellishments utilized on this album. There are also numerable old-school hip-hop samples dropped here and there, both from a record and from Fresh Sly paying homage to the music he grew up on.

About 95% of the album is handled solely by Fresh Sly himself. The lyrics, beats and production are created by the capable emcee and producer, and the solo effort shows its colors on this impressive effort. Lyrically, Fresh Sly likes to deliver his lyrics in a somewhat mellow manner. Not exactly enacting a monotone flow, but surely not boasting the energy of the likes of DMX for example, Sly is exactly as his name says – the rapper flows just as smooth as his beats.
As far as subject matter goes, Fresh Sly keeps it down to earth and personal. From the life he lived as a child to engaging love stories, Fresh Sly knows how to craft a track and draw in listeners’ attention. The emcee also has a knack for some nice hooks paired well with the instrumental’s catchy melody (“Nicole, Nicole” is the perfect example of such).

On the other side of things, the album does have a few shortcomings, although none too devastating. For one, the album may come off as a re-run. The themes played with through the instrumentals feel as though they’ve been employed numerous times before, so listeners may feel as though they’ve heard something like this before, although they quite literally may have never even heard of Fresh Sly before. I attest the album’s lush content, yet the old-school sound may be overplayed to some.

Despite any predispositions to the old-school sound utilized on the album, however, it is not boom-bap and there is a heavy jazz influence, so fans of jazzy hip-hop shall find songs of interest within the boundaries of Return2Forever. Given the chance, Fresh Sly knows how to write a powerful song with truly personal lyrics, although it is easy to understand why some may decide to pass on a track or two. Nonetheless, minus any minute number of tracks, there are some truly fantastic beats, bars and more on this grand, follow-up effort.

(c) 2013 hiphopspeakeasy.com

credits

released October 22, 2013

Produced by Fresh Sly

Bass on #10, #11 - Andrei Ciobanu
Bass on #2, #8 - Fresh Sly
Sax on #10 - Grover
Guitar on #10 - Zara
Vocals on #1 intro - Noire

Photography by Stas Walenga

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Fresh Sly & D.N.S. Moldova

D.N.S. is a hip-hop group, formed in 2006. The group is composed of MC/producer Fresh Sly and MC BNT. For live performances, D.N.S. also collaborated with the group "Whynona Ryderz" since early 2011.

contact / help

Contact Fresh Sly & D.N.S.

Streaming and
Download help

Report this album or account

If you like Return2Forever, you may also like: