Homeboy Sandman recorded and released his first EP, Nourishment, in March 2007. His debut album, entitled Nourishment (Second Helpings), was released in August 2007. In early 2008, Homeboy Sandman's work began to be featured on underground radio programs the Squeeze Radio Show on WKCR 89.9 FM and the Halftime Radio Program on WNYU 89.1 FM in New York. In June 2008, he was featured in Source Magazine's "Unsigned Hype" column.
His second album, Actual Factual Pterodactyl was acclaimed upon its release in August 2008. The album received an entry in XXL's Chairman's Choice column, which praised Homeboy Sandman's "sharp lyrics and irresistibly melodic flow, which, together, form an elastic instrument few MCs can match." Actual Factual Pterodactyl received critical acclaim in a multitude of other print and online publications, including Blender Magazine, Beyond Race Magazine, Okayplayer.com and MSN.com. At the end of 2008, Homeboy Sandman was named "Best Hip Hop Act in NYC 2008" by New York Press. Recently his music has received rotation on NYC's Power 105.1 FM and Hot 97.1 FM, the city's #1 Hip Hop and R&B radio station, as well as airplay on Spitkicker Radio (Channel 65 on XM Satellite Radio), DJ Premier's "Live From HeadQCourterz" (Sirius Satellite Radio's #1 ranked Hip Hop show) and BBC 1Xtra's Hip Hop M1X (Hosted by DJ Sarah Love).
In addition to his studio releases, Homeboy Sandman has garnered attention for his live performances. From January 2008 to August 2009, Homeboy Sandman served as the host of “ALL THAT! Hip Hop, Poetry and Jazz” at the Nuyorican Poets Café, New York City's longest running open mic session (originally hosted by Hip Hop icon Bobbito García). He has performed at the biggest hip hop shows around the country, including the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin, Texas, the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival in Brooklyn, New York, the Rock the Bells hip hop festival in Long Island, New York, the A3C Hip Hop Festival in Atlanta, Georgia and New York City's CMJ Music Marathon. Homeboy Sandman has recorded video interviews with other performers at his live shows, which are captured in his YouTube video series "Homeboy Sandman presents Live From...".
In addition to his own releases, Homeboy Sandman has appeared on records by other artists, frequently with members of the AOK Collective, with whom he is affiliated. He recently appeared on Fresh Daily's 2009 album The Gorgeous Killer: In Crimes of Passion and the 2008 album For Your Consideration released by P.SO (formerly P. Casso). Homeboy Sandman collaborated with both Fresh Daily and P.SO for the song "Get On Down," which is featured on Sonic Smash, the album released in 2009 by music producer DJ Spinna.[8] Homeboy Sandman has also laid down tracks for a series of features with RIDES Magazine. The track that Homeboy Sandman created for the Loud.com challenge, "Gun Control," was cited as one of the Top 25 Songs of 2009 by Hot 97 DJ Peter Rosenberg.
On June 1, 2010, Homeboy Sandman released his third album, The Good Sun, which features production from 2 Hungry Bros, Ski Beats, Thievin' Stephen, DJ Spinna, Psycho Les (The Beatnuts) and Core Rhythm, among others. The first single from The Good Sun was "Angels with Dirty Faces," produced by J57. In September 2010, Homeboy Sandman released his first official video for The Good Sun for the track, "The Essence".
In late 2010, Homeboy Sandman was featured as the coach in an episode of MTV's Made, which premiered in October 2010.
In August 2011, Homeboy Sandman signed with Stones Throw Records and released his debut project, Subject: Matter EP, with the California-based record label on January 24, 2012. Homeboy Sandman released his second EP with Stones Throw Records, titled Chimera in April 2012 and on September 18, 2012, released his debut full-length LP with Stones Throw entitled First of a Living Breed. The album featured production from Oddisee, J57, 6th Sense, RTNC and long-time production partners 2 Hungry Bros., along with label mates Jonwayne and Oh No, amongst others.
In 2014, Homeboy Sandman released the EP, White Sands, which was produced by Paul White. Nate Patrin of Pitchfork commented that the producer and rapper had "a mutually beneficial set of styles" in a positive review. In that year, Homeboy Sandman released the album, Hallways.
In the wake of the Donald Sterling scandal, Homeboy Sandman wrote for Gawker an op-ed called "Black People are Cowards," which attracted more than 1.3 million views in the first seven days of its publication.
In 2015, Homeboy Sandman released a collaborative EP with Aesop Rock, titled Lice. In 2016, he released the album, Kindness for Weakness, which included Edan-produced "Talking (Bleep)". In that year, he released a collaborative EP with Aesop Rock, titled Lice Two: Still Buggin'.
In 2019, Homeboy Sandman announced he had signed a new deal with Mello Music Group and released the new single "West Coast" produced by Aesop Rock to celebrate the new label signing.
Homeboy Sandman's first album on Mello Music Group, “Dusty,” was released on October 18, 2019. Production was handled entirely by Mono En Stereo. Dusty garnered positive reviews from music critics. AllMusic writer Paul Simpson praised Mono En Stereo's soundscape of "laid-back, ambling jazz and funk grooves" for complimenting Sandman's "conversational, matter-of-fact rhymes" throughout the album, concluding that "Dusty is another winning set of pointed observations from Sandman, who effortlessly unloads his thoughts without seeming like a burden on the listener."
Homeboy Sandman followed up “Dusty” with his 2020 album “Don’t Feed The Monster” produced by Quelle Chris. “Don’t Feed The Monster” was listed in NPR's top 50 albums of 2020. Homeboy Sandman would later receive a pair of awards for music videos that accompanied the album. He received a UK Music Video award for “Monument” (directed by Pavel Buryak) in 2021 and later won Best Foreign Documentary at Rome Film Awards 2022 for Don’t Look Down Video (directed by Robert Mayer aka Photo Rob).
At the beginning of 2021, Aesop Rock and Homeboy Sandman released their single “Ask Anyone,” which was featured on FIFA 21 soundtrack. Following the release Homeboy Sandman announced his EP Anjelitu which was produced entirely by Aesop Rock. Released in August 2021, Anjelitu marked Homeboy Sandman's third studio project on Mello Music Group. Okayplayer highlighted Anjelitu as one of the best Hip-Hop projects of 2021. Pete Rock would later give praise to “Go Hard” from Anjelitu. At the end of 2021, Homeboy Sandman garnered unexpected attention after Doja Cat saluted the emcee as “One of my favorite rappers” on Instagram live.
Homeboy Sandman's tenth studio album, There in Spirit, was released on February 25, 2022. That same year, he released the mixtape I Can't Sell These for free on Bandcamp, due in part to an inability to clear the various samples used in the music. Music critic Robert Christgau soon hailed it as "the finest album of one of hip-hop's most prolific careers", giving it an "A" grade.
Homeboy Sandman revitalized his acclaimed Anjelitu EP, by releasing the Anjelitu Deluxe which included two new tracks as well as Aesop Rock's instrumentals from the project. In 2022, Rhymesayers released all three of Homeboy Sandman and Aesop Rock's Lice albums on digital streaming platforms. Homeboy Sandman's Deca-produced eleventh studio album “Still Champion” was released on November 11, 2022, following the pair's 19-stop co-headlining tour. “Still Champion” reached #24 on the iTunes Hip-Hop charts and Riff Magazine included the project in their top 20 Hip-Hop albums of 2022.
Homeboy Sandman collaborated with Oakland-based nonprofit organization Oakstop Alliance on the album “Royalty Summit,” released on December 23, 2022. Royalty Summit is the debut release from Oakstop Alliance’s Oakland Resident music initiative. Homeboy Sandman was planning the west coast run for his There In Spirit Tour when longtime friend and Oakstop Alliance Executive Director Damon Johnson pitched him with the concept. The 12-track album was recorded over 3 days in Oakland as a residency collaboration between Homeboy Sandman, and over 20 Oakland musical artists and professionals. On Christmas Day in 2022, Homeboy Sandman announced the debut full-length release for his label Dirty Looks, titled “12 Days of Christmas & Dia De Los Reyes.” Homeboy Sandman rolled out one song from the project each day until the full album’s release on January 6, 2023.
In August 2023, Homeboy Sandman connected with New York beatmaker Mono En Stereo–whom the emcee collaborated with on past albums Kool Herc: Fertile Crescent and Dusty–for his studio album “Rich” released via Dirty Looks. The album garnered critical attention from Pitchfork, Vibe Magazine, HipHopDX, and more. Homeboy Sandman later released "I Can't Sell These Either" in November 2023, continuing the "I Can't Sell These" mixtape series started in 2022.
The Carpenter
Homeboy Sandman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be in the lab dude, my respect due I should get a tattoo
With a test tube monkey that's a baboon
That's my nephew, funkier than a bathroom
That's the rest room labeled in the back room
With the guess who's... I'll be on the avenue
Making chess moves don't be gettin' fretful, times I get forgetful, reppin' for the fresh few, whippin' up the fresh food
Planes be going 'neeeeeer' passing over each and every foe, wake up and smell the Folgers
I don't wanna hear how it won't work, that just means the whole earth hasn't done their homework
Early on I veered, then I soul-searched, dug deep like a gopher, figured I should go first, reason why I don't curse,
Reason why I'm sober, reason I feel younger, even though I'm older
Open your eyes and keep them on me
Shot gunnin' for the leg room, got my fortune cookies in the bedroom, type of cat that's always reppin' in the rec room, paparazzi boys stayin' rampant in the red room
Boy say rapping
Ain't nobody next up
Ain't nobody next to
People see the home boy, and they be like oh snap
And they be like oh boy
Shout to Japanese cats, chillin watchin Old boy
Now's to be like I am I'm a be like yo soi
Now making big noise with big boys...
These summer rhymes open your eyes they keep up on me
There summer rhymes don't blame your eyes they keep up on me
I'm never gonna slow, I'm never gonna stop
I'm never gonna seize, I'm never gonna cheat
I'm never gonna achieve in, never gonna eat
I'm never gonna sleep, never gonna sell out
Never gonna lease more, never in the streets
I'm never gonna leave, that... they believe
They'll never take a leave, you'll never be relieved
Cast labor on the mic, cast gather on the right
I'd rather make a left, I fly into the light
... tryin to be polite, I'm fighting for my life
I'm fighting to the death, I'm down to pay the price
Ain't no... dice,..
... take it to the depths, no money, money sights
... I'm running out of town, I'm, running out of breath
Next thing you know...
... Hey carpenter.
The song "The Carpenter" by Homeboy Sandman is a manifesto on his determination to keep creating and performing hip hop music, against all odds. In the first verse, he claims that he is always in the lab, working on new music, and that he deserves a tattoo of a test tube monkey, which symbolizes his funky and experimental approach to rap. He also mentions the bathroom in the back room, which is labeled as the guess who's room, indicating that he is confident in his skills as a lyricist and a rapper. Sandman refuses to get fretful or forgetful, even when facing competition from other rappers. He is always representing for a fresh few, the new generation of hip hop artists, and whipping up fresh food, i.e. new beats and rhymes.
In the second verse, he describes his unconventional and spiritual approach to life, symbolized by his beard, which is like Moses'. He mentions seeing planes passing overhead, implying that he wants to rise above the fray and achieve great things. He also disregards those who say his music won't work, since he has already done his homework and figured out his path in life. He explains that he's sober and doesn't curse, which keeps him young, even though he's older now. The chorus of the song encourages listeners to keep their eyes on him, as he continues to make big noise with big boys.
Line by Line Meaning
Sand to the rescue, hipper than hapchu then bless you,
I'm Sand, here to save the day, cooler than a sneeze and then I'll bless you.
I'll be in the lab dude, my respect due I should get a tattoo
I'll be in the lab making music, people respect me so much I should get a tattoo.
With a test tube monkey that's a baboon
My nephew is so funky, he's like a test tube monkey, but even cooler.
That's my nephew, funkier than a bathroom
My nephew is the coolest, funkiest person around.
That's the rest room labeled in the back room
The back room is where the bathroom is.
With the guess who's... I'll be on the avenue
I'll be making music and playing games, while hanging out on the block.
Making chess moves don't be gettin' fretful, times I get forgetful, reppin' for the fresh few, whippin' up the fresh food
I'm always thinking ahead, sometimes I forget things, I'm always representing for the cool crowd, and making great food.
Beard like Moses kicking with the odd position and the posers
I have a big beard, like Moses, I'm kicking it with people who are cool and different from the norm.
Planes be going 'neeeeeer' passing over each and every foe, wake up and smell the Folgers
Airplanes fly over everyone, so wake up and smell the coffee.
I don't wanna hear how it won't work, that just means the whole earth hasn't done their homework
I don't want to hear excuses, it just means that people haven't tried hard enough.
Early on I veered, then I soul-searched, dug deep like a gopher, figured I should go first, reason why I don't curse,
I started off on the wrong path, then I searched for my true self, dug deep like a gopher, realized I need to lead the way, which is why I don't use bad language.
Reason why I'm sober, reason I feel younger, even though I'm older
The reason I don't drink is because it makes me feel younger, even though I'm getting older.
Open your eyes and keep them on me
Pay attention to me, I'm doing something awesome.
Shot gunnin' for the leg room, got my fortune cookies in the bedroom, type of cat that's always reppin' in the rec room, paparazzi boys stayin' rampant in the red room
I'm fighting for more legroom on my flight, I keep my fortune cookies in my bedroom, I'm always hanging out in the recreation room, the paparazzi are always hanging out in the red room.
Boy say rapping
The boy is saying he's rapping.
Ain't nobody next up
No one is as good as me.
Ain't nobody next to
No one is beside me, in terms of skill.
People see the home boy, and they be like oh snap
When people see me, they are impressed.
And they be like oh boy
They realize they are in for a treat.
Shout to Japanese cats, chillin watchin Old boy
Shout out to the Japanese guys watching the movie 'Old Boy.'
Now's to be like I am I'm a be like yo soi
People compare themselves to me, and they say 'I want to be like him.'
Now making big noise with big boys...
Now I'm making a name for myself, and hanging out with powerful people.
These summer rhymes open your eyes they keep up on me
My music is hot and catchy, and people are paying attention.
There summer rhymes don't blame your eyes they keep up on me
If you can't keep up with my music, don't blame your eyes. It's just that good.
I'm never gonna slow, I'm never gonna stop
I will keep going, no matter what.
I'm never gonna seize, I'm never gonna cheat
I won't let anything hold me back, and I won't cheat to get ahead.
I'm never gonna achieve in, never gonna eat
I won't stop until I achieve my goals, and I won't stop eating on the way there.
I'm never gonna sleep, never gonna sell out
I will work hard all the time, and I won't compromise my values for money.
Never gonna lease more, never in the streets
I won't take shortcuts, and I won't be out in the streets doing shady things.
I'm never gonna leave, that... they believe
I won't abandon my fans, they trust me to be there for them.
They'll never take a leave, you'll never be relieved
My fans won't leave me, they will always support me.
Cast labor on the mic, cast gather on the right
I work hard when making music, and people gather to the right of the stage to see me perform.
I'd rather make a left, I fly into the light
I prefer to take the path less traveled, and I will always strive for greatness.
... tryin to be polite, I'm fighting for my life
I'm always respectful, but I'm constantly working hard to survive.
I'm fighting to the death, I'm down to pay the price
I will keep fighting, no matter the cost.
Ain't no... dice,..
I won't take any risks.
... take it to the depths, no money, money sights
I'm not taking this journey for the money, it's about something deeper.
... I'm running out of town, I'm, running out of breath
I'm running out of steam, and I'm always on the go.
Next thing you know...
Who knows what might happen next?
... Hey carpenter.
Hey, I'm talking to you, my listener.
Contributed by Lucas P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Rabbi Darkside
So brilliant on every level: lyrics, production, flow, director's vision, camerawork... Got my vote for Video of the Year! GET EM SAND!
drunkenpikachu
this song was in my playlist years ago and it's still on there. i'm so glad ppl finally waking up to homeboy. he still getting slept on hard.
HappGeez
This is so bangin!! Such a simple but amazing video concept! Really really dope
Carlos Gallon
"Don't care if money's tight Im done with wearing ties, I'm running out of time not running out of breath" Homeboy Sand just keeps getting better
2x 2x
Homeboy Sandman is a legend if this is the only song he ever released. But he's got over 15 years worth of music and art readily accessible for your ears and eyes. This is top tier ladies & gentlemen
10thPlanet1
Caught this on mtvU on the humble late last night. A breath of fresh air. Lovin' it!!
m0ltar
One of the best tracks I've heard in a while!! So dope!
thearklight
Wow.Lyrical skills, flow, everything
Graeme Sibirsky
Love it. Homeboy Sandman has got flow and the beat is hot. The video is perfect style for his frantic continuous delivery on this one. Nice! GMS of Hydra MCMI
chico321
HAHA my man doing his thing ! i love it!!!!!!! love this song and video too.