First of a Living Breed cover

First of a Living Breed

Released

If there was a single rapper on Stones Throw worth singling out as the ace of the label during the 2010s, it was Homeboy Sandman, the Queens MC who dropped tight EPs and deep LPs throughout a creatively relentless decade. His first salvo for the label shows off a breadth that answers to nobody but himself, where his hyperfocused technical spitting can amaze in itself even before you get to the fact that his wordplay’s high-tier and his punchlines can hit for profundity and goofiness with equal sharpness. An all-star lineup of producers, including 8-bit eclecticist Jonwayne, soul-flipper Oddisee, and the always-shapeshifting Oh No add to the breadth.

Nate Patrin

Recommended by

Suggestions
Blowout Comb cover

Blowout Comb

Digable Planets
Breakthrough cover

Breakthrough

The Gaslamp Killer
Champion Sound cover

Champion Sound

J Dilla, Madlib
Raising Hell cover

Raising Hell

Run–D.M.C.
8 Diagrams cover

8 Diagrams

Wu-Tang Clan
Sounding Out the City cover

Sounding Out the City

El Michels Affair
Melodica cover

Melodica

Blackalicious
The Mouse and the Mask cover

The Mouse and the Mask

Danger Mouse, MF DOOM, Danger Doom