Community: Where ARMY and the Dream Meet

Community: A group of people sharing a common interest and relating together socially. The feeling of closeness and friendship that exists between companions.

I was directed to Sleep Deez’s patreon channel by someone close to me who shared my appreciation for Bangtan Sonyeondan [BTS]. One of the things that I enjoy is watching new people discover the group; the confusion as they try to limit them to the stereotypical K-pop box is amusing. So, I was excited to watch when Sleep decided to bring his close friend, Varnell Hill, to listen to “Right Place, Wrong Person” by RM, the leader of BTS. The episode, which is framed as a bet; $10K For A US Rapper If He Doesn't Like Right Place, Wrong Person, may be found on YouTube and Patreon. 

I, along with an ever-growing audience, are invested not only in Varnell’s journey, but also in the educational details that he and Sleep share, as well as their observations about production. This is not a reaction channel. It is more about the journey of discovery; where one producer introduces the other to music he’ll enjoy. The lyricism isn’t the catch, yet, rather, it’s the elements of the music production itself.

The series with Varnell isn’t the only project on the table, however. Sleep Deez also has a podcast called “The Sleepover”, that, at the time of writing, has nine (9) episodes. He has touched on subjects such as people utilizing your work without permission or credit, to Solfeggio frequencies and music as medicine. These musings provoke thought, and discussion amongst the audience. 

It is within that viewership, despite this being the era where the anonymity of a screen name has been tacit permission to behave badly, that something positive began to build. It started with the unofficial den mother, Bebe, and the surprise; a few people collaborated to bid Sleep Deez a happy birthday. A show of gratitude and support that was, fortunately, received at a time when Sleep needed to feel, more directly, that his content was sought after and valued. 

All it took was one person, and isn’t that, in the end, the start of community? One person noticing, then the next, and the next? Hopefully it continues to spread, like a carefully nurtured fire; one twig at a time until it’s large enough to warm everyone around it. This is what Sleep is fostering, and BTS’s fandom, ARMY, is well versed in the concept.

I almost didn’t go to The Sleepover: Live, but as the day grew closer, my friend reached out to me, again, to ask if I was certain I didn’t wish to attend. Of course I did! All I had to do was let go of my pride, and  say, “Yes.”

In the end, that friend provided financial assistance so I could go to the event. People paid my share of Uber costs, everyone was patient with me as I navigated mobility challenges, and yet another person was my advocate when I needed ADA support at BMO. Prior to the event I had met only one of those people, but all of them came together to ensure I had a wonderful time.

ARMY has a somewhat split reputation. Every community has its bad actors, and inevitably it is those people that are the most visible. However, when you look below the surface of the vocal few, you'll find the supportive majority. These are the people who give up seats, and give away freebies. They find and return wallets, coats, and expensive merch. They give away extra batteries, so that the person beside them can make their ARMY bomb [BTS lightstick] work correctly. These are the people who help clean up the site/venue by picking up garbage.  Some ARMY have even given away, free and clear, extra tickets.

These, then, are some qualities that a community displays: helpfulness, kindness, and consideration. It is aspects such as these that foster a “feeling of closeness and friendship between” ”a group of people sharing a common interest”. It is this feeling that I, and many others have found in ARMY, and now also, in #TeamSleep.

Community is a social contract, a form of trust. I believe it was this emergent trust that allowed Sleep Deez to consider not only one, but two meet-ups in the space of 3 weeks. The first being in Chicago, where he and Varnell attended Hope on the Stage. Without this trust in the community, in ARMY, I don’t think that he would have asked his friends to participate.

These people from his other communities, creatives with whom he has worked for years, gave their time, and skill, not only to help prepare the location [it was beautiful], but also film, record, photograph, and or speak to a room full of people who knew nothing about what they do.

I would have been happy just watching Varnell listen to tracks, and discuss them. Instead we were regaled with stories about how some of them met SD.  Ricky and Varnell offered up those personal histories with humor and, in Varnell’s case, a good dose of humility.

We were also provided with an opportunity to hear from a Grammy voter, who answered our questions, addressed our concerns, and explained the voting process, including some negative realities about the current method. 

Gameboyy, Sleep Deez, and Varnell during the live taping of The Rabbit Hole during The Sleepover: Live event 04/05/2025

Sleep could have been selfish, focusing only upon himself and Varnell. Instead he invited another producer and content creator, Gameboyy, who is also on a BTS journey of discovery, to share the stage with them. Sleep Deez also took the opportunity to spotlight rapper Sha Smoak, who performed an, at the time, unreleased song that he collaborated on with SD. Lastly, I want to mention Evita Kaigler, a music lawyer who shared stories about the struggle it took to be the success she is today. Her presence at The Sleepover was very intentional on SD’s part.  He wanted, because the audience was predominantly female, to highlight a successful woman, more importantly, a successful Black woman, as motivation and role model. 

By doing all of this; the online content with Varnell, his podcast, and now The Sleepover: Live, with its varied and intentional guest speakers, Sleep Deez demonstrates dedication to a long held vision. He also shows his trust that both groups will uphold the social contract that is implicit in the concept of community.

©rlbMac 2025