Album Review: The Right to Arm a Bear by Cold Sweat

            The Right To Arm A Bear by Cold Sweat & Doc Mcfly

          On his 24^th Birthday, Ryan Tetzloff, AKA ‘Cold Sweat’, AKA Tetzy Slim AKA MC Man Beard dropped his first major release ‘The Right to Arm A Bear” (RAB)

This album features production from Doc Mcfly and some absolutely disgusting scratches by DJ Buck Nastee. Cold Sweat’s release is the third installment from the collective known as ‘Zen People’ who have become a local favorite in places like Grand Forks, Fargo, Minot, and Bismarck. To my surprise, neither Real Truth or Jantzonia appear on RAB, but with features from Manny Phesto and Kipp G this album is a classic that won’t disappoint!

            RAB has a touch reminiscent of the 90s, with a mixture of indie sounding samples, and lyrics that would heat up any Pokemon battle. The Track ‘Airwaves’ is a great tribute to the golden era that includes soundbytes that remind us all of the revolution that is happening across the country. On songs like ‘Topanga’, he spits it cold, acapella style, without missing a beat. Here’s my top 5 favorite tracks from RAB!

I’m Alright, I’m OK (feat. Savannah Bashus)

            Somehow, Ryan can flow on any beat you toss in front of him and this upbeat, feel-good jammy by the Doc is no exception! He lets all of his listeners know that he ain’t bragging, he ain’t in it for the money, and he’s a human like the rest of us--- well I’d say more of an alien.

Lyrics from the Heart: “I’m doing this for me, I’m doing this for you, I’m doing this for the kids with the frontrow view!”

Yes

            This track starts off with a sample from ‘What I’m Here 4” by Gang Starr and features vocal samples that sound similar to Cults, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Doc Mcfly samples Cults! In this jam, Cold Sweat explains that it took him “5 years to graduate and 23 to navigate”. I love that line by the way. It reminds me of the struggles many college kids are facing when they’re about to graduate; some have jobs lined up, some want to keep going, but most just have a very expensive piece of paper. He brings a sense of positivity to the music and this song paints a picture of what life is like in places like small town Minot… (even though it’s considered a large city in North Dakota)

            The ‘Native of the Mindrot’ asks us all to ‘Do me a favor and pick up your phone and call everyone that reminds you of home.’ And believe me—if you’re listening to this on a treadmill you may just jump off and call your brother after hearing that outta Cold Sweat’s mouth! (I did)

Sincerely, Coldsweat

            Personally, my favorite track off the album is ‘Sincerely, Cold Sweat’. This song has a dark, dreamy tone to it, and makes you want to clap and wave a lighter at the same time. Your ears didn’t trick you—that’s a Band of Horses sample from ‘The Funeral”! Cold Sweat reminds us all that “Fate destroys the dream, and then it’s too late”. This is nostalgic of the Ferris Buehler quote, “Life moves around pretty fast, if you don’t look around every once in awhile you could miss it.”

Fire Lyrics: “Repeat after me, screaming from the mountain peak---
One love, one life, one chance is all we get--
 please remember what I left, Sincerely Coldsweat”

Quiet (feat. Manny Phesto)

            Ironically, “Quiet” isn’t about being quiet it’s a song about waking up, fighting back, and starting a revolution. After listening to Cold Sweat a little while, you’ll realize he’s anti-establishment, Pro-human rights, and wants to bring change through his music. In this track he takes a stance against crooked politicians, and reminds us we “can’t even trust the news”. If Coldsweat was 35, he'd have my vote this coming November! 

Everything Should Be Fine

            Simply—listen to it and everything should be fine.

            The Right to Arm a Bear has plethora of memorable quotes that would give chills to even a seasoned, veteran MC. Coldsweat has a way of staying humble on a track, while having an energetic aggression that leaves me no doubts that hip-hop is in good hands with him. The polarity of the tracklist keeps listeners magnetized to this musical railroad---what I mean is all the tracks had different tones & styles, but somehow were cohesive to that steezy, oldies, futuristic, mix that Doc Mcfly had in store. Can’t wait to hear what else the Zen People have in store for us in the future! If you made it this far thanks for reading my first album review!

 Download the album for $0 on: https://coldsweatnd.bandcamp.com/