Tafoya grew up in the small town community of Farmington, New Mexico. He is of Mexican descent.[7] At the age of five, Sleep was already rapping and b-boying with his friends and relatives in the small town, with himself naming Run DMC as an important influence when he first began.[8][9]
In addition to the hip hop he heard early on, his father was a former bass player for blues musician Gatemouth Brown, and would play a wide array of music, from Mariachi, to blues, to rock. Sleep also grew up with seven other brothers who all played musical instruments and had a grandfather who was also a multi instrumentalist.[10] Entering the world of rap, he felt that his talents as both an MC and a writer were overly slept on, hence the creation of his name Sleep.[11][12]
Growing up in New Mexico, Sleep went to the same school as Onry Ozzborn, which led them to meet Pale Soul.[13] Together, they formed the group Oraclez Creed, which would later become Oldominion after combining with Frontline (Destro, Nyqwil, and Snafu).[14] After the join, the massive Pacific Northwest hip hop collective grew to over twenty members.[15]
Musical career
2001-2008: Riot by Candelight, Christopher and the Chicharones
Sleep released his debut album, Riot by Candlelight, in 2002.[16] Following the release, he was heavily involved in the multiple albums by Oldominion.[17] In 2001, Sleep met Canadian rapper Josh Martinez by chance encounter at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.[18] Together, the two would create the hip hop duo the Chicharones.[19][20] Sleep's second album, Christopher, was released in 2005 (and then re-released with bonus tracks in 2009).[21]
2009-2013: Strange Famous Records and Hesitation Wounds
Sleep's fourth solo album, Oregon Failure, was released on April 15, 2014 on Strange Famous Records as well.[24] The entire album is produced by Maulskull and has features from Onry Ozzborn and Ceschi, among others.[25]
Style
Sleep's style has been described as "having intricate rhyme schemes and rapid-fire delivery," with his lyrics being both witty and personal.[26][27]
