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.