Homeboy Sandman makes his full length debut on Stones Throw! On First Of A Living Breed, the Queens MC shows and proves with smart, quick witted raps, tight beats, and a grassroots aesthetic that is kind of rare in this day and age. Does his name sound familiar? You might've seen it around as it has been making media rounds recently - from writing about hip-hop on HuffPo, to being praised as an "artist to watch" in Rolling Stone. Though this is his first offering on a major indie like Stones Throw, Homeboy Sandman has actually been around for a minute. After going to law school then dropping out to be a school teacher, HS eventually jumped into the indie circuit back in 2007 with his first album, only to be touted as "sharp lyricist" by XXL the year after. It was around this time I actually first heard of Homeboy Sandman while riding the subway where photocopied postcards with his name on it were all stuck up all over - a real testament to his grassroots rep! Fast forward a few years later and here he is on Stones Throw, perfecting his craft by providing captivating and conscious flows over ill production from the likes of Jonwayne, Oddisee, 2 Hungry Bros, 6th Sense, Oh No, and more. This is what hip hop needs at the moment. 14 tracks, recommended.

• music label: Stones Throw 2012

reviewed by Von Bee 11/2012