"I understand you've been running from the man that goes by the name of the sandman," echoes an eerie back-laid sample delicately lifted from America's 1971 Folk Rock album track, "Sandman." It's actually the lead-off track from illusive super-producer from Blu and seasoned underground rapper Homeboy Sandman's surprise four-track download-able EP, homeboy sandman is the sandman. While they've previously worked together on a number of non-album tracks, most notably "Atlantis," which was released on Stones Throw this past June, this marks their first cohesive long(er)-form project. homeboy sandman is the sandman EP was released with little to no release information, aside from " homeboy sandman is the sandman produced by blu" and a handful of vague Bandcamp genre tags: " hip hop, hip-hop/rap, nwc rap, Los Angeles." It's largely a Jaylib-style rapper-producer affair, aside from a lone John Robinson feature on EP closer, "Poet." Let's just hope homeboy sandman is the sandman EP is something along the lines of a holiday sampler or precursor to a full-length Blu & Homeboy Sandman project; but in the meantime, both Homeboy Sandman and Blu's latest solo albums, HALLWAYS and Good to Be Home, are now available on Stones Throw and Nature Sounds respectively. Merry Christmas to all and "a Festivus for the rest of us!!!"