NOTE: PATREON SUPPORTERS RECEIVED ACCESS TO THIS REVIEW ON August 3rd, 2024.

This album was released on July 8th this year. As I recently said on Instagram, Sleep Sinatra is perhaps my favorite rapper alive right now, so when I read the Bandcamp description for this project and saw that it was being promoted as Sleep’s most personal work yet, I was more than intrigued. Everything about the way this album was presented to me was appealing. I love the simplicity of the album cover. It just looks so underground. I love the aesthetic. I was also excited when I learned that this is completely self produced. The last self-produced Sleep Sinatra album we got was DIVINENATION, which is one of my favorite albums from him. I kinda knew at a certain point that I was gonna love this album, but it surpassed even my expectations.

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The album starts with a really cool intro called A Living Testimony. I love the instrumental here so much. It sounds the way the album cover looks to me. I think this was the perfect way to prepare listeners for what follows this track. The way the song’s name is repeated after every line is really cool. As the title indicates, Sleep is really taking us to where he’s from with this project.

The Spirit of Baldwin Ave
Where you can find your path or choose to remain stuck
The Spirit of Baldwin Ave
Where generational pain and the past gets numbed by various substances and strains
The Spirit of Baldwin Ave
Let me guide you through where Sleep learned to outlast in the game
With The Spirit of Baldwin Ave

I love everything about this track. The way the instrumental kinda dismantles itself and winds down as the song is ending is really cool. Track 2 is called Regina’s Son, and this is the song that convinced me to buy the album before I even heard anything further down the tracklist. This shit is fucking amazing, man. I’ve always liked the beats I’ve heard from Sleep, but it feels like he leveled up here. The vocal sample that he looped up here is fire. Sleep is in peak condition on the mic as well.

Felt your spirit close to me every time that I got scared
Now when I put it in the air, think about how you would care
Told me, "Always keep your fist up, don't let 'em pump you with a stare"
I stumbled through life, trippin', my vision was impaired
This is for my niggas still hitchin' on them stairs
When I see you, you know I'll holler, got a little time to spare
Had to sit inside my feelings when they wasn't mine to share
Had to drop a couple tabs just to make the picture clear

I thought the first verse was fire already, but then he came back in for a second verse that’s somehow way stronger. He absolutely slaughtered this shit.

I'm Regina's son, Sydney's last bastard
The black sheep that rose out the concrete from Lancaster
Life been haphazard, I been seekin' to rise
Finally put the drink down, and shortly after Josh died
Transmute the grief to motivation, prayin' to find
I ain't sayin' I'm fine, I been troubled all of my life
The difference is I can see the resemblance in all the light
Self made chaos erasing your prime

I felt it, man. The song is just so soulful. I think it’s amazing. The following track, The Spirit, is somehow even better. The beat here sounds like some underground lo-fi G-Funk, and it’s amazing. It sounds like nighttime in the form of music. I love how hard-hitting the snare is too, and Sleep sounds so fucking good over it. The first verse is fire.

The pain's worship, I learn how to be grateful
Knowin' that it's 'bout the sacrifices that'll make you
Lil niggas is ape food, just spectatin' at the zoo
Wise ones unlearn the bullshit and stay true
As long as I can gain intelligence then I can't lose
While every year my pen increase in appraisal
Dig deep since the cradle, was drownin' in fifths
My coffin' floated to a grave view
Cracked the lid open, seen light out the haze hue
Nigga, I paid dues

Once again, the second verse is incredible as well. The song doesn’t throw any curveballs at the listener. It’s just a fire beat with top tier rapping. This is a far cry from the off-kilter, experimental, niche listen that was Memory(ummm…). This is far more accessible than most of the stuff on that project. I love both. This shit is dope as fuck. Track 3 is called H.O.P.E.

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This song really resonated with me on a deep, emotional level. The acronym in the title, “hold on, pain ends,” was written on the wall in the mental hospital in which I stayed for three months in 2018. When I heard Sleep say it on this track, it shook me. Especially because of the haunting vocal sample that Sleep looped up for the instrumental. It sounds like my mind state at that time in the form of music. It also goes back to that “bruised” concept that I mentioned in the Memory(ummm…) review though. I mean, just look at this…

I let the tears get concealed in the rain, it made it easy
Still fat, meat be greasy, I been trimmin' the weight
Acknowledge some things will never be the same, and I'm okay with that
The devil had his snipers on the roof, but now I'm bangin' back
Thoughts become things, I'm vigilant of the chain react
Links broken, stayin' in hope to keep the strength intact
There was too many nights that I would fade to black

It was one of the most difficult times in my life, and this song really made the memories rush back through my head. It nearly brought me to tears to be honest. The song is fucking incredible. I love it. The barrage of highlights just doesn’t end. Track 5 is called Angel Numbers, and it’s fucking awesome. I love this beat so fucking much, man. It’s so good. Sleep absolutely snapped over it too.

Fiend adjacent like half of my life
Unc asked if I could roll, lace the blunt with the white
Once the pain took a toll, I was born every night
With scores of darkness, been absorbing every light
And soul versin' on any mic, incendiary strike, straight burnin'

His flow is so fucking good over this beat, man. The second verse is also really fantastic, and I even love the hook on this track.

Born on angel numbers, my life got a purpose
Been underground, digging for meaning, I know it's working
Can't go backwards, I know what my worth is
Mind a diamond, minin' precious metals from the surface

I love every single aspect of this track. It’s dope as fuck. It’s followed by yet another major highlight called TotalEclipse (BLACKOUT). It features the one and only Homeboy Sandman. The beat here is fucking incredible, man. This is probably the trippiest beat on the whole album. I love the drum pattern here so much, and that vocal sample is amazing. I feel like Sleep went extra hard on this track specifically because of Homeboy Sandman’s presence. He absolutely slaughtered this track.

I been reachin' for the stars, seekin' what we are
Reason seepin' in the scars, grief season when the dreams were far
Eve before achievements, even been schemin', I needed spars
Teeth cut, and sinkin' in this scene for this thing of ours
Been believing in my meaning since my younger years
Hunger feared, movie shine different when the sun appeared
Run them gears, brain mechanical on some upper tier
Rarely took sabbatical, results made me love it here

Homeboy Sandman sounds so good on the second verse too. Their flows are completely different on this track. I don’t know whose I like more. I think my preference would change depending on my mood.

Crusade of the great ones
Takin' every chance, and never playin' it safe once
I have not forgotten it's all God
I'm shootin' every shot like a ball hog
My authority a top priority
Near the age of forty three, glory be
At the core of me I have no interest
Getting twisted like Todo & Dorothy

Even the hook that Sleep spits after the guest verse is fire. I love everything about this song. It’s amazing. The following track is called 20/20 Hindsight, and it’s my favorite song on the album. This shit is beautiful. I absolutely love the production, whose tone matches that of the lyricism perfectly. Sleep dives into certain relationships in his life in brutal detail. He gets so specific, and it’s almost unsettling because I feel like I shouldn’t be hearing something so personal. It damn near feels like an invasion of privacy.

If I say I love you, you should pay attention, we was really henchmen
Juugin' out that basement with the weapons
I showed up in that all black, you was ridin' no question
So why you let this world move you all demented?
We had legit gigs, got it in with no preference
Nigga, you never needed me, you needed blessings
Let them rabbit holes lead you too deep and started stressin'
And all I really want for you's a perfect ending

I’m not sure who either of these verses are directed towards, but they’re clearly very important in Sleep’s life. The second verse is fantastic, and I really love the hook here too.

Some stay, and some go
Lessons that I learned in life got my heart froze
You wanna see their true character, and it shows
When your luck runs out and ain't got love no mo'

The song is incredible. It’s followed by a song that is just as good, and arguably better called Kayla Mae.

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The production here is jazzy and heavy, and the lyricism evokes the warm feeling of infatuation when you’re with someone you love romantically.

I'm tryna close in on distance that grows
I see the weight on your shoulders, let me carry the load
If I'm broke then put myself together, show you I'm whole
You need a breather, I'll bend air for the sake of some hope
I love you more than anything that I have ever wrote
We both tryna be different, I respect how we have grown
So I'm pourin' all in even though my cup gettin' low
It's hard to act like I don't want you when you smile through the smoke

I also love the way he just repeats the name “Kayla Mae” at the end of the song. The whole thing is one verse, and it’s just barely over 2 minutes long, but it doesn’t feel too scant at all. I think this is a top 3 track on the album for me. I love it. Track 9 is called Nights at the Lunar Lounge, and it features a singer named Cecilia. I don’t love the instrumental on this one quite as much as all the others, but it’s still very good. The opening verse from Cecilia is pretty nice too. It took some time for this track to grow on me a bit because the subject matter isn’t super intriguing to me. I think it’s so well executed that I can’t help but enjoy it though.

Can I trust you, love?
If I bust a slug, you gon' grab them shells or you gon' duck & run?
But I don't need a Bonnie, I ain't no Clyde neither
Tryna be the opposite of Ike & Tina
Maybe move off grid & grind reefer with a picture perfect view
Them hips swingin' in that satin dress lookin' like curtains move
Need a peep behind the scenes, baby, we can work it through
Know your plate's full, but love, it is worth a chew

This isn’t one of my favorite tracks on the album, but I still think it’s really good. I fuck with it. The following track is called Ghosts on Baldwin. This one has another pretty soulful beat that I like a lot. The vocal sample is nice, and I like the minimal percussion. There’s one verse from Sleep on this song, and it’s excellent.

Ascend to higher than I've seen with every accolade
Dreams can be reality, it's all in how you stack the play
Even from the negatives, off the ropes I'm Cassius Clay
Activate, show 'em where to go from a manic state
Lead the way, speakin' my existence into deeper veins
People fake, stare you in the eyes, I'm only seein' snakes
God save this weakened place, this wicked world with seasons gray
It seems we gotta search for a reason to keep the beast at bay

This somehow feels like the shortest song on the album, even though the tracks surrounding it are technically shorter. I think the beat is really nice, and I love the verse. I can’t really explain why this one didn’t blow me away like damn near every other track did, but I obviously still really fuck with it. It’s dope. The penultimate track is a highlight called F.E.A.R. I really love these acronym songs Sleep likes to do. I’m wondering if S.L.E.E.P. from Incorruptible Saints was written around the same time. Anyway, the production here is amazing. Somehow this track feels way longer than the preceding song. I think it’s probably because it’s so much more uptempo. It’s one of the most fast-paced songs on the project. Sleep bodied the verse.

Plan's to drop emotions in a ditch, they gettin' killed quick
These niggas and bitches is real slick
I won't take chances, I'ma keep my focus where it is
Lessons I learned, evil ain't in layin' out shit
Prayin' for gifts not how it works, I pray for strength
Confidence get rebuilt, niggas feelin' like tanks
Went blank for a second in fear, but this connection was here
Finally separate the mind from its gears

I really love the way the verse ends too…

Every time I'm rhyming feel energy around me golden
That's probably reason for the crowd control
They know it's divine guidance the way that Sleep is snappin'

I really love Sleep’s vocals on the outro. He’s been experimenting with singing more and more, and I love it. He has a really smooth voice. I mean, he’s not gonna blow anyone away with his vocal ability, but I feel the soul in his performance. Speaking of soul, I actually got some old school Ab-Soul vibes from this track. Emphasis on “old school.” I’m talkin’ Long Term era Ab-Soul. Anyway, this shit is fire. I love it. The closing track is one final highlight called Spectral. This has one of the trippiest instrumentals on the whole project. I love it. Needless to say, the verse from Sleep was quite enjoyable for me.

On the surface stuck, while I'm tryna focus on this skyline
Thankful for every listener, customer, writer, and byline
In this lifetime be who you are, start at the right time
That's right now, open the path, you better write it down
Hyper sound, seein' beneath, niggas ain't deep
I respect experiences and hearin' them when you speak
I had rose out the grimmest depths
Blowin' purple in stride like Grimace steps, tryna see if I can finish yet
Wisdom test flesh on the daily, this whole world crazy
I go ghost maybe and take all my babies

I love the outro too. Something about the word “energy” just sounds good in a rap song. I’ve heard a few rappers use it lately, and it always sounds dope. I love it. Anyway, this was a phenomenal way to close the album. It’s fire.

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^{Goddamn. This shit is fucking incredible. Last year Sleep had my album of the year with Incorruptible Saints, which I said was one of the best albums I’d ever heard in my life. I think The Spirit of Baldwin Ave is the best album I’ve ever heard from Sleep. This dude is seriously on another level, man. This is a top 3 album of the 2020’s so far in my opinion. I don’t know if I said this in my Memory(ummm…) review or not, but Sleep is my favorite rapper right now. The consistency and high quality is awe inspiring. This is my type of album. I love when artists make shit like this. Sleep put all of himself in this one. He’s never been afraid to get personal in his music; he has a whole series called Post Traumatic Growth—by the way, the second entry in that series is fire and has grown on me immensely over the months since its release. This album here is on another level though. On Twitter, I saw Sleep say that he’d be cool with this being his last album, and I totally understand why. This could’ve been a self titled album. As a listener, I felt closer to Sleep than ever after hearing this. Also, the production is incredible. I just realized I’ve only really been talking about the lyrical content, but this album is amazing sonically as well. I love SINAI.’s production so much, and Sleep fits over it beautifully. This kinda stuff is why Sleep has become one of my favorite artists of all time since I started listening in 2020. I live for this shit. Do not sleep on it. I think it’s dope as fuck.}

Favorite Song: 20/20 Hindsight
Least Favorite Song: Nights at the Lunar Lounge

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