Queens rapper Homeboy Sandman has enjoyed a lengthy career in hip-hop. However, the last few years have been his most successful in what has turned into nearly two decades of excellence for the MC. His 2023 album, Rich, received critical acclaim, and he followed that with Rich II this past June. In 2022 and 2023, he released two mixtapes, I Can't Sell These and I Can't Sell These Either, on Bandcamp. He recently announced a third, Nor Can These Be Sold (At Least By Me), which does not yet have a release date. "Alchemy" is the first teaser from Sandman's newest mixtape, accompanied by a music video.
Homeboy Sandman raps over a track by the Japanese musician Doubutsu System, called "Night Wind," a track that is also available on Bandcamp. It is reminiscent of old-school East Coast production. Sandman's flow is equally similar to one a rapper from the 1990s might use on the track. The bars are a lyrical exercise, with Sandman sounding agile and motivated over the production. He touches on a variety of topics. Family, the idea of being rich, his skills as a rapper, and the perception that his fans have of him as an artist. Fans know him as a more serious MC who makes music in a similar lane to artists like Quelle Chris and Aesop Rock, but he insists that he can also let loose sometimes. In the video, he stops rapping after certain bars to add context or an explanation, which fans can read in the subtitles. Overall, it's a single that fans of Homeboy Sandman are likely to be happy with. Stream the track below.
Homeboy Sandman - "Alchemy"
Quotable Lyrics:
Y'all know me for enlightening folks and throwing lightning bolts
But also known for telling silly jokes and feeding billy goats
You'll find I'm way too kind to kill a roach
I never read the Times or read the Post
I had somebody ask me what I really gross, sounded really gross
I'm here to talk about my fears and hopes