Sandman: Heart of The City
To a lot of hip-hop heads and most block huggers, Re-Up Gang music was to them what R.Kelly music became to pedophiles after the sex tape leaked (Pun intended?). Dope boys were able to relate to what the Gang was rapping about and the “We Got It 4 Cheap” mixtapes got more burn in Block Buddha Labs than the actual stoves did in the winter. I can vouch for that. But apparently someone f’d up the count and the Re-Up got split up for reasons unknown.
It’s been a while since we’ve heard much from the Gang, and while we know the Clipse are living the good life sitting in a CL outside of Popeyes eating chicken and fries, we can’t help but wonder “Where’s Sandman and Liva? Maybe times is hard and they’re eating at a Kennedy’s Fried (Stale) Chicken joint instead.”
Enter “Heart Of The City.” Sandman returns and he uses this mixtape to show and prove that he’s more than just a rhyme spitter, he’s a penman. And no I don’t mean he’s a man who’s been to the Pen, I mean he can create art with his pen… though he probably has been to the pen, but that’s neither here nor there. What is relevant is how the Philly native is able to use simple words and rhymes to continue to give color to the “black and white” world of hustling.
From street tales like “Lil’ Ghetto Boy” where he solidifies himself as an above average story teller to “This Life” where he describes the cards life dealt him that were anything but a full house or royal flush, Sandman’s documents life in the hood so vividly that he could’ve been a writer for HBO’s The Wire (It must be a Philly thing cause Beans is the best at that). And the man’s freestyles on Jigga’s “Imaginary Player” and Nas’ “Who’s World Is This” were something hard like nipples in Alaska.
With “Big Face Benny” he did for the 100 dollar bill what Nas did for Desert Eagles when he personified the infamous US currency bill and said things like, “I’m all you need to succeed, that’s right/if you ain’t got me then some other cat fuckin’ your wife/I pay your bills/some pass me on through wills/over me niggas kill – I’m a big face Benny/I done made ‘em laugh and I makes ‘em cry/I make ‘em happy to live/make ‘em take their own lives/powerful either way with the right or wrong guy worldwide/who am I? I’m a big face Benny.” If that isn’t real talk I don’t know what is. Though if this recession keeps up heads are gonna start rapping about the power of the Euro, na’mean.
Though Sandman could’ve done without joints like “Watch This” where he goes back and forth with Housewife over a simplistic electronic Mickey Mouse beat and “Make Em All Day” where his flow is thrown off by the middle eastern sound and wack flute, “Heart Of The City” is the truth that the mainstream audiences and Tom Cruise can’t handle. Sandman was able to rip rhymes, spit flows and drop jewels on the game all in the same breath. That’s talent, plain and simple. This mixtape only furthers my argument that while members of the Re-Up are individually nice, when they get back together they’re gonna drop more bombs than M. Night Shyamalan. Can we get the “Re-Up the Gang” campaign started now?
Have a good & safe weekend y’all. Catch me at your nearest project floor jam or house party cause when it comes to enjoying life I d
