Between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis and the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of. And unto this, the Sandpeople, destined to wear the jeweled crown of Portland hiphop upon a troubled brow. From the distant, mysterious lands of Forest Grove and Eugene, their force has attempted to establish themselves as the rulers of the Northwest scene, all the while fighting ambivalence in the listening audience and the utter destruction of the music industry. There are no greater warriors to bear the standard of rap in the rainy regions and, if there are to be any new kings crowned from our homeland, surely they will be them.
With the release of their new disc B-Sides, Volume 2, the Sandpeople collective again prove their catalog is as deep as their roster, which includes many of Portland's finest emcees. Last year's Honest Racket followed the group's two previous releases admirably, but hasn't seemed to move the Sandpeeps further beyond their well-established dominion over the city of Portland. Indeed, for years the word on the Sandpeople has been that they are just on the verge of breaking out of the small pond and into the wider ocean of sound, but for whatever reason, that move has not yet happened.
The newly minted B-Sides is a testament to how the crew is keeping it tight and sticking with the established sonic foundations laid out on previous releases. The production is solid as always, handled by the crew's star producers, Sapient and Simple, and the rhymes are on point, thrashing through a variety of topics. As a full-fledged release this album would garner a worthy batch of attention, but as it is, it's just another footnote in a chain of great products from the group.
As time advances, the intrepid Sandpeople continue their fight for national recognition: Another good release, on to the next record, on to the next packed show. It's hard to imagine widespread attention will elude them forever, given the aptitude with which they create and carve up beats. However, if it does, they will always be remembered as one of the most savage bands to ever crush their enemies, see them driven before them, and subsequently hear the lamentations of women.