new york hip-hop

Homeboy Sandman Drops Ethereal Album, “12 Days Of Christmas & Día De Los Reyes”

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Queens rapper Homeboy Sandman just released 12 Days of Christmas & Día de Los Reyes, his new holiday project. Well, kind of: the theme may be based around Christmastime, but it’s still the same abstract word wizardry you’ve come to expect from him. Moreover, he dropped a single from this album every day leading up to its release starting on December 25th. With tracks like “Eighth Day of Christmas,” he built a concise and laidback collection of interesting beats and flows.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – JULY 06: Homeboy Sandman performs at Revolution on July 6, 2016 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by John Parra/Getty Images)

Each track corresponds to a “day of Christmas”: the first, second, and so on. However, wrapping up the tracklist is “Día de Los Reyes,” referring to the Christian holiday on January 6th. Moreover, it’s a nod to Homeboy’s Dominican and Puerto Rican heritage. Three Kings’ Day, as it’s known in English, is big in Latin America. So, with that in mind, the 42-year-old gave fans great hip-hop wrapped in a cultural history lesson waiting to be unearthed. Still, even with that extra layer, his style and delivery is too skillful to ignore.

On that note of great hip-hop, the instrumental variety is rich on here despite its narrow theme. While Sandman doesn’t focus on overtly holiday-related topics, each song could be a gift to fans of abstract styles of rap. “Second Day of Christmas,” for example, features a heavy guitar-based beat that slams through the speakers. Meanwhile, the very next track “Third Day of Christmas” is a Madlib-like collection of bustling drums and a heady and sprawling verse. Also, he displays a similar creativity on his album with the Oakstop Alliance, Royalty Summit.

Still, what did you think of Homeboy Sandman’s latest album, 12 Days of Christmas & Día de Los Reyes? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, you can check out the project’s tracklist down there as well. Moreover, as always, stay posted to HNHH for more creative releases in the hip-hop realm and beyond.

Tracklist

  1. First Day of Christmas
  2. Second Day of Christmas
  3. Third Day of Christmas
  4. Fourth Day of Christmas
  5. Fifth Day of Christmas
  6. Sixth Day of Christmas
  7. Seventh Day of Christmas
  8. Eighth Day of Christmas
  9. Ninth Day of Christmas
  10. Tenth Day of Christmas
  11. Eleventh Day of Christmas
  12. Twelfth Day of Christmas
  13. Día de Los Reyes

Homeboy Sandman Starts Year With New Song “Eighth Day Of Christmas”

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Homeboy Sandman blessed fans with a single every day in the holiday season, with his latest being “Eighth Day of Christmas.” Moreover, he began on December 25th, and his end goal is his new album, 12 Days of Christmas & Día de los Reyes, set to drop on Three Kings Day (January 6th). As such, each day leading up to the 6th brought us a new single off the album from Sandman.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – JULY 06: Homeboy Sandman performs at Revolution on July 6, 2016 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by John Parra/Getty Images)

While a track a day can seem daunting, the Queens MC wrote varied and high-quality tracks for each day. Some of his earlier singles were woozier, more energetic, and laced with spontaneous drums. However, “Eighth Day of Christmas” displayed Homeboy Sandman in a drumless, more reflective state. The beat is based on a smooth, glamorous, and lush sample, with many different instruments elevating the track.

For example, there’s the subtle chunks of electric guitar that give the track a funky feel. Also, the keys go from low bass notes to high-pitched tones with ease, which add some dynamism to the track. There’s not a lot of percussion here, with a light hi-hat and rimshot used as sparse elements. Finally, the deep bass is what grounds the track, balancing out the track’s melodic elements.

Meanwhile, the 42-year-old delivers a subtly emphatic performance, despite the track’s low-key and dreamy atmosphere. All of the beat’s elements come through very densely, but Homeboy balanced them with a confident and raspy flow. While there are a few abstract bars here and there, there are also powerfully simple proclamations against traditional success and not getting his due credit.

Furthermore, the flow is consistent, but he spit a lot of internal rhyme schemes and cheeky references. Everything makes for a great performance to ring 2023 in, consistent with his impressive output from last year. For example, he assisted the Oakland-based Oakstop Alliance in their debut album, Royalty Summit.

What did you think of Homeboy Sandman’s newest track, “Eighth Day of Christmas”? Moreover, are you excited for his new album, 12 Days of Christmas & Día de los Reyes? Let us know in the comments and check out some standout bars down below. Also, as always, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest great music drops of the week.

Quotable Lyrics

Laughin’ at the premise that I’m good for one penny,
Peep the independence, y’all gon’ need to come get me,
Example: tell my niece ‘Never need mimic,’
No need to even speak of a speed limit

Smoke DZA Releases Monstrous Song, “What Would Push Do”

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Smoke DZA just released a new album Money For Dummies, and it’s full of varied highlights and a little something for everyone. However, one of the album’s most visceral and immediate moments came in the form of “What Would Push Do.” Moreover, DZA fans might expect an even fusion of smooth flows, cloudy instrumentation, and a more classic-sounding beat. Still, the 38-year-old still has some tricks up his sleeve, as this track is undoubtedly nasty.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 16: Smoke DZA attends Conway “God Don’t Make Mistakes” Album Listening Party on February 16, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

Firstly, the track title might raise some eyebrows at first. In fact, it references Pusha T’s track “What Would Meek Do?” off of his critically acclaimed 2018 album, DAYTONA. Not only does the instrumental follow a similar rhythm, tempo, and swing, but DZA’s delivery is similar to Push’s. Furthermore, there’s a nasty rasp to Smoke’s voice on this cut, to the point that one’s expecting Push’s “Yuuugh!” to pop out anytime.

Still, the obvious homage doesn’t dip too hard into rip-off territory. For one, DZA’s lyrical approach is a little more sprawling and varied. Then there’s the instrumental itself. The chorus of “Today, we selling’ bass” is emphasized by a monstrous drop. Moreover, the bass feels borderline overwhelming on this cut, which one can’t say about a chunk of his previous 2022 output.

What’s more is that “What Would Push Do” is the exception on Money For Dummies, not the rule. There’s more soulful boom-bap, drumless street tales, and wavy weed anthems. However, amid DZA’s skill set, this is a sound that fans surely wouldn’t mind seeing explored and developed.

What did you think of Smoke DZA’s new album cut, “What Would Push Do”? Let us know in the comments and peep some standout bars down below. Still, if you haven’t heard Money For Dummies yet, you can find the new song and album on your preferred streaming service. Also, as always, keep checking in on HNHH for the best new hip-hop each week.

Quotable Lyrics

Give you samples on a sample (Uh)
Anytime I get a chance to how I handle
Let ’em chase the crumbs like Gretel and Hansel
I was on the rich like Max was on the Grand Cru

CJ Fly Shares New Song, “TOP”

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Seasoned Brooklyn MC CJ Fly is back with a new single, “TOP.” After this year’s EP, The PhaRaOh’s Return, it seems Fly continued honing that boom-bap sound. In particular, this track is one of the rapper’s most boastful, confident, and self-referential in regards to the rap game. On this song, CJ is hungry, focused on getting his proper flowers for his talent, and displaying it in full.

SANTA ANA, CA – APRIL 20: Rapper CJ Fly performs onstage during the Smokers Club 420 event at The Observatory on April 20, 2017 in Santa Ana, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

Instrumentally, the song is some mid-tempo boom-bap with dramatic but distant piano passages. However, the beat itself is very crisp, with a lot of rhythmic variation and a clean acoustic sound. Moreover, the live drums on the song really accentuate its raw nature. Still, it doesn’t get too muddled to the point where CJ becomes unintelligible.

On the bar-for-bar level, the Brooklyn native spits some impressive lines throughout the song. Specifically, he gets competitive, name-dropping some of the best in the rap game. So there’s a lot of talk of his influences as well, such as Biggie, Jay, Nas, and Kendrick. However, CJ rapped proudly of how far he’s come since then. Later in the song, he says he improves with every album and details the other places he draws inspiration from. 

All in all, this new single from CJ Fly is a really smooth performance over a really smooth beat, and it does show his skill well. His delivery is understated but clear, and the song’s direct lyrical nature reinforces the simple instrumental. With whatever he does next, it’s sure to be forward momentum from the Brooklyn MC.

What did you think of CJ Fly’s boastful new track, “TOP”? Let us know in the comments and check out some notable lyrics down below. Still, if you haven’t listened, be sure to check the boom-bap excursion on your preferred streaming service. Also, as always, stay locked in to HNHH for the best new music in the rap game every week.

Quotable Lyrics

Competitive, I’m coming for the whole industry,
Dreamville, all of Griselda, the whole TDE,
Drake, Jack, Tyler, Keem, Cordae, Pusha T,
You can’t talk about your top ten and not mention me,
Name your favorite rapper, I’ll put ’em out of their misery

Smoke DZA & Curren$y Deliver “Park Bench Blues”

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Despite releasing a solid 8-track project back in October titled 10,000 HRS, this New York rapper had plenty more hours to put in this year. Smoke DZA has returned with a new single “Park Bench Blues” featuring New Orleans’ Curren$y. The two are frequent collaborators; the last track they gave us was “Wish Upon A Star” off of 10,000 HRS. On this new song, both rappers ride over an aloof flute sample topped with hard drums to match.

LONG BEACH, CA – APRIL 28: Rapper Smoke DZA attends the Smokers Club Festival at The Queen Mary on April 28, 2018 in Long Beach, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

For those unfamiliar with DZA’s work, we’d recommend projects from this year like Mood Swings with Real Bad Man. There, he displays his penchant for hazy flows, evocative descriptions, and elaborate rhyme schemes. Also, he tends to choose different production styles for different tracks. The 38-year-old sounds just as fitting on “Park Bench Blues”‘s trap beat as he does on drumless beats.

Furthermore, this track is a compelling synthesis of old-school sample work and more contemporary and atmospheric trap production. Both elements are minimal and raw in the mix, with neither overpowering the other. The melodic woodwind loop doesn’t change, but it’s pleasing enough to the ear to stick around. Moreover, it contrasts wonderfully with the deep bass that kicks in with Curren$y’s verse. Additionally, the snares and minimal hi-hats are incredibly sharp, with tones that cut through the rest of the track.

Meanwhile, Smoke DZA and Curren$y deliver some chilled-out verses that cycle through street topics. The New Orleans native comes through with slightly more aggressive energy, as his flows and rhymes evolve and morph into each other. DZA, on the other hand, delivers some vivid weed bars, a more measured flow, and direct punchlines. “Catching packages like Odell” is one of a few gems sprinkled in the track. With a new collaborative album with Big K.R.I.T., Girl Talk, and Wiz Khalifa on the way, we’re sure to get more of those.

But what did you think about this track. You can check out “Park Bench Blues” by Smoke DZA featuring Curren$y on your preferred streaming service. Also, peep more standout bars below and stay tuned to HNHH for the best new rap releases.

Quotable Lyrics

Me and top shelf pot, that’s a love story,
Puff-puff in Cullinans, moving luxury,
Every two hundred I make, I gotta tuck 40,
Have two Ms saved the time I touch 40