Heroes for Sale is the debut studio album by American Christian hip hop artist Andy Mineo, released on April 16, 2013.
Considered one of the most anticipated Christian hip hop albums of 2013, Heroes for Sale includes features from Lecrae, Trip Lee, KB, Christon Gray, Krizz Kaliko, and for KING & COUNTRY among others.
[1][6] On February 6, 2013, Reach Records released the first episode of a three-part short promotional webseries "Heroes For Sale", starring Andy Mineo.
"[14] Andrea Williams of Breathcast called the album "an autobiographical work that reveals an in-depth look into the heart and soul of a true Christ-lover who has faced the challenges of a fallen world head-on.
"[15] Mark Rice of Jesus Freak Hideout stated that Mineo's rapping delivers "transparent, witty, and at times confrontational lyrics thematically centered around making sinful humans your heroes.
"[16] Nyon Smith of Rapzilla said that the hymn "Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy" in the first track "Superhuman" sets the stage "for an extremely personable album, blended seamlessly with a distorted guitar that lends to the idea of evangelism even in the darkest of places.
[17] "Still Bleeding" deals with hurtful words, "Tug of War" with the difficulties of surrendering one's "final god," and "Death Has Died" with the insurmountable realization of Jesus's return.
"[17] Near the end of his review, Nyon expressed that the transparency of Mineo "makes it feel as though we should be all be interceding for him," and commented that "if we are truthful, we realize we are no better than our brothers and sisters.
[20] Andrea Williams described the style of the album as "a funky concoction of all of his musical influences, including hymns, heavy metal, hip-hop and classical.
"[15] Jamie Lee Rake of HM detailed that musically, Heroes for Sale "runs the gamut of styles to complement the differing couplets.
Reggaeton, dubstep, New Orleans second line marching band rhythms, acid jazz, psychedelic funk, and jack swing collide and coalesce behind the mic Mineo and his several guests hold.
[16] According to Rice, "Caught Dreaming" displays an alternative pop styling, while "Wild Things" is "an almost straight-up heavy metal song, complete with screaming.
[23] The album artwork was handled by Invisible Creature, a graphic design studio founded by Don and Ryan Clark of the metalcore band Demon Hunter.
Mark Rice said that "there isn't one dull song or misfire in the entire 65 minute runtime of Heroes For Sale," but stated that the darkness, transparency, and bluntness of the album might throw many listeners off, and the heavy content "leaves little room to breathe".
"[16] Kevin Hoskins felt that the songs "Curious," " Ex Nihilo," and "You Will" served only as filler, but praised the album overall, stating that "all in all, any fan of the rap/hip hop world will want to pick up and will enjoy it thoroughly, despite the handful of minor missteps.
"[22] At CCM Magazine, Matt Conner felt that "Heroes for Sale reveal[s] personal intimate details of a life left open, while the varied sounds and styles show Mineo reaching into his big bag of musical tricks.
"[27] At Louder Than the Music, Rich Smith felt that this was "a brilliant debut album and well worth checking out" because the release features "production quality [that] is top notch and really blends and cuts the different styles of hip-hop, R&B and rock well, along with great lyrics and slick raps".