Homeboy Sandman

Don't call Homeboy Sandman slept on, call him super-prolific; he's so fast heads have trouble keeping up. The Queen, NY MC delivers Kool Herc: Fertile Crescent, which arrives hot on the heels of 2012's First of a Living Breed. Familiarity does not breed contempt in this case — by making this EP reverent to the god-level DJ, who parlayed a '70s era South Bronx sound into the template for contemporary hip-hop, Homeboy Sandman uses the eight tracks wisely. Sandman's measured intellect, coupled with an intense lyrical flow, bounces around metaphoric musings with wild abandon. The entire proceedings represent a typical quality Stones Throw presentation, carry a "just the facts" air, and the Herc-esque, rocking production feels fresh and familiar all at once. You've got the requisite Latin influences ("Oh, The Horror"), your standard-issue Sandman wordplay ("Men Are Mortal") and a superb execution of a joint known simply as "I." However, the album/mixtape sags a bit on "Moon," while the amorphous "Lonely People" dares to defy genre boundaries. Fertile Crescent sees Homeboy Sandman adding another project to his growing library, and it's one worth repeated spins.