In the past, whether or not you’ve enjoyed the music of Queens rapper Homeboy Sandman has had a lot to do with the way in which you digest rap verses. His delivery is halted, stuttering-- not really a flow so much as a series of strategically layered blocks of wordplay. If you like cerebral rap music, Sand has been your man for some time now, but if you just wanted to turn your brain off, the dissonance of his bars and the aggro-quality of some of his beats might not keep your interest.
But Sandman’s newest project All That I Hold Dear proves to be an enjoyable album both for folks who really listen to music and for those who just skim through it. Listeners who don’t want to have to hear to a song half a dozen times before they can understand and enjoy it should be taken with the project’s sparkling soul beats and verses from Homeboy Sandman that are slightly more modulated than his usual darts of staccato.
The release was produced entirely by M Slago, a Dallas beatmaker reminiscent of 9th Wonder. As with the North Carolina producer, Slago’s beats are hardy and stuffed with plenty of soul. But for some strange reason, he can’t really get his drums to hit and those too-soft snare snaps can dull the music's impact.
Sand here is as incisive as ever, stream-of-consciousness rhymes shading in the complexities of any given theme. “Musician” may have some worried that they're about to receive another in the endless cycle of lectures about the distinction between rap and hip-hop, but they've got a surprise coming. The track is a deft complaint about being perceived as a rapper rather than as a musician and forms a defense of rap as an essentially musical profession. "Like there could never be a logical answer other than the music we make," Sand raps, in response to questions about what differentiates him from his rapping peers.
Another standout, "Relapse", details the kind of pseudo break up where the parties involved continue to circle warily, wondering whether or not they've made a mistake and are meant to be together. And while uncle-rap won’t be burning up the airwaves anytime soon, “Runts” is a touching tribute to Sand’s nephew and niece, which makes up for its triteness with well-observed details about the trials and tribulations of dealing with kids.
All That I Hold Dear is the second Sandman release on which the production is handled by a single producer (the first was Kool Herc: Fertile Crescent, produced by EL RTNC), a smart idea that provides a cohesive platform for the rapper to zero in on his talking points. The project won’t attract many new fans, but even those who haven’t been following Sand should enjoy this pleasant, low-key brain food.
