Homeboy Sandman - Sicker Than the Average

"I got a hunch like, Igor / that once you hear it you're gonna need more. / Dope at first / plus doper than before" - Or; Actual Factual Pterodactyl

Now, the first thing I say to cats on the street trying to sell me their CD is 'spit something.' The results are normally, A) homie waffles for a few, asking some version of 'what do you mean?' 'Something from the album?' 'What do you want to hear?' (as if I already have a favorite song from this unheard of rapper blocking my path to the D train) - basically stalling because he's unprepared. Or, B) homie kicks something immediately and 9 out of 10 times, that something is wack. Admittedly, whatever that was kicked may actually have been better than what I heard. Its just that something was lost in translation because his Emcee skills were not up to par - meaning the live delivery was lacking. There are more rappers than ever, but ironically, Emcee-ing increasingly feels like a lost art.

Refreshingly, Homeboy Sandman is a throwback to the days before Emcee-ing went digital. Don't get me wrong, 'Boy Sand is certainly a presence on the interweb (his 135+ Youtube videos are proof of that). But considering how relatively easy it is to reach the masses through the net, along with Rap going main street, today's average "Emcee" is no longer required to develop his/her fundamentals - the cypher and the live show.

Immediately after meeting the half Dominican/half Puerto Rican, Queens native, it is obvious that Homeboy Sandman is not the average Emcee. For starters, homie rocks a degree from the University of Pennsylvannia, which he down plays immediately.

From Ballerstatus.com:

"Cats talk about how I got an ivy league diploma a lot, and how I'm a rapper anyway. I don't really see the connection. Hip-hop is what I love. It's what I love to do. I love to rock stages, rock crowds, make dope records, be where dope records are being played...I think that academic education is an excellent endeavor for whoever hasn't found their true calling in life. But once you find your true calling, none of that other stuff matters. You'd better drop everything else and go full force or you're not gonna make it...People can do whatever they want, as long as they're willing to work."

But most importantly, 'Boy Sand packs focused lyricism, heaping originality, infectious delivery, and an energetic live show into his six-foot-five-inch frame - a rare skillset for any artist to possess.

Part Megatron. Part vagabond. Complete Emcee.

The Quotable was first introduced to Homeboy at this year's Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival. Six bars into "VerbalSoulClapMania", we were convinced. Check videos below.





Given that Homeboy Sandman's two, critically praised LPs (Nourishment (Second Helpings) and Actual Factual Pterodactyl) can be found on iTunes or through his website (http://www.homeboysandman.com/), its not likely that you'll catch him pushing CDs on the street. But if you're as fortunate as us to happen upon a chance encounter - just ask him to spit something for you.

We did.

Check Homeboy Sandman and Cavalier cypher outside b.o.b.'s on the lower east side - A Quotable Exclusive - here.



Actual Factual Pterodactyl review on the way.

Carry on...