Homeboy Sandman took the stage in the Sugar club (a seated venue not ideal for a hip-hop gig) a little after 11. The crowd was an average Saturday night crew, with everyone chatting to their friends, having a few drinks and relaxed in their seats. The man had his work cut out for him to create an atmosphere! By the end of the evening he had the majority of the crowd off their seats and bouncing in front of him! A job well done for the man from New York.

Homeboy Sandman is not your average rapper. He can’t show the audience any bullet holes and didn’t learn everything he knows on the streets. Angel Del Villar II aka Homeboy Sandman received an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania  and later went to  law school at Hofstra University, which he dropped out of during his third year to focus on his music career. This is not the typical path of a rapper and is somewhat closer to that of an Indie band!

There’s great quality in his lyrics though, and they often leave you chuckling, and that’s the thing that keeps you coming back for more. As has been stated many times before, it’s about rhythms and rhymes, and the man has both in plenty!

“All their art screams pussy like Georgia O’Keefe’s”

In his current single, he knows he hasn’t come too far.

“It occurred to me one show

I’m on stage where I used to be in the front row

That’s like a ten foot distance

It’s not a really big difference”

He doesn’t throw the shapes or act the tough guy like many of his fellow rappers, and that’s refreshing to see. Homeboy Sandman left the audience with a smile on their face and a positive vibe in the room. We look forward to his next visit.

Butter played support, who are a six piece Dublin band with guitar, bass, flute, sax, drums and vocals. They’ve an interesting mix of soul and R&B, and performed a lovely version of Massive Attacks ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ on the night.

Choice cuts next event is the Hot 8 Brass Band on St. Patrick’s Day @ The Sugar Club, and is not to be missed!