RECORD REVIEWS
Sandpeople —Honest Racket
I was born and raised in Texas. The rap/hip hop bred out of Texas and the deep south is a bit of a different animal than west or east coast hip hop. It's grimy, dirty, nasty, chopped and screwed, slow and throwed - all referring to a way of remixing hip hop that is applied by slowing the tempo, skipping beats, stop-time and scratching. The hip hop of the Northwest has a cleaner, more politically left, fresh style but often incorporates elements of other hip hop styles, like dirty south and east coast rap.
Subscribing to the mantra of making quality music that is relevant to real everyday life, Portland-based Sandpeople aren't afraid to mix it up on Honest Racket, their newest release. Sandpeople consist of several sub-groups enmeshed into a larger collective, and workinterchangeably on this most recent effort. Featuring The Grouch, of Living Legends, "Real Estate" is backed by driving beats and almost Busta-style vocals and is one of the most standout tracks on this album. It flows well enough but grit is left out of the equation and I'm left wanting. "Sandman" listens like a Northwest (read: watered down) version of dirty south screw, while "Lose It" seems to be reaching for more of the Kanye style of catchy self-indulgent lyrics over bare beats.
Redeeming with an underlying funk-inspired organ track and jazzy hi-hat drumming, "Group Home" kills as one of the strongest tracks on Honest Racket. And approaching a topic not usually broached by hip hop music at all, "All In Your Head" quips "Who cares if two gays wanna tie the knot? If you ain't gay then why does this preoccupy your thoughts?" Honest Racket feels somewhat muddled throughout, possibly the consequence of a somewhat disjointed 11 man crew. With nine MCs and two DJs, Sandpeople miracously maintain a consistent sound and steady groove.
Sandpeople's talent and enthusiasm are apparent, and there are rough gems sprinkled throughout Honest Racket. I'll be looking forward to future releases, curious to hear how this group of mixmatched DJs and MCs meld their influences and styles into an even more tight knit album of work.
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Imaginary Shrie said on August 17, 2008:
Thank you for your well thought out and carefully articulated comment. I appreciate your breakdown criticism of my review, but I just called it like I saw it. With hundreds of listens the album never got better than the first time I heard it.
All I have left to say is "Whut it dew?", RIP DJ Screw.
IGshr*e
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Reviews
Zoro 6000 said on August 13, 2008:
Woah... lets get a new review please. I think this reviewer's head is preoccupied with commercial hip hop, and comparing it to underground hip hop. I doubt this reviewer listened to this album more than once.
"Featuring The Grouch, of Living Legends, "Real Estate" is backed by driving beats and almost Busta-style vocals and is one of the most standout tracks on this album. It flows well enough but grit is left out of the equation and I'm left wanting. "
WTF?? Busta style vocals???? um, not quite. Again, preoccupied with commercial hip hop a bit? It sounds like good ole american underground hip hop to me!!! They are rapping a bit fast, maybe this is what you confuse with busta. Grit is left out?? The bass line is NOTHING if not gritty!!! That was the first thing i thought when I heard this song!
""Sandman" listens like a Northwest (read: watered down) version of dirty south screw,"
Again, your preoccupation with commercial rap influences your listening. Just take it for what it is! It might be a slower song (and I'll admit, it was the first song that I skipped over on the cd, BUT i DID come back and listen to it closely many times and have come to appreciate it with the same value as the rest of the gems on this album.) There is no "chopping" , only ONE slowed down vocal saying "sandman". Its supposed to be a dark and introspective song. Not a dirty south rip off.
"While "Lose It" seems to be reaching for more of the Kanye style of catchy self-indulgent lyrics over bare beats."
Ok, ill give you catchy, but "Kayne"???? come on. DO you really listen to ANY underground hip hop??? Im not trying to flame you here, but, COME ON!!! And self indulgent? Its just another song venting frustrations!!! I guess you could label it self indulgent if you labeled every song self indulgent in the sense that people write music for themselves...... They talk about how they don't want to sell out, and other real life things, very UN-Kayne like if you ask me.....
Group Home is more self indulgent than the last song.......
My final thought is that Honest Racket contains quite a few finely polished gems, dope production, smooth and conscious lyrics, all around a great album. If you like underground hip hop that is. hah....