Introducing ‘Notes from Mr. Sandman‘ – a column slapping a spotlight on lyricists overlooked, under appreciated, or just plain criminally slept on. Or like a man named Nas once said, “I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death.” Enter Mr. Sandman with what y’all missed while chasing the REM dragon.
The Canadian hip-hop scene doesn’t always get the shine it deserves, sort of falling by the wayside in favor of more hyped locales. Drake has his place, and is not shy about wearing his colors, but it’s guys like Josh Martinez who reps the culture the way it should be repped.
Martinez is a triple threat – a rapper, a DJ and a business owner; a lyricist who puts every ounce of himself into his work, embracing wholeheartedly the emotional roller coaster that comes with being an independent artist.
His album Midriff Music is a classic, capturing the moods of summer and the gradient of emotions that come and go with every passing sunset. “I didn’t really have any expectation or plan with the record,” says Martinez over email. “But when I got the beats from Samix from Cali, I was overwhelmed by the feeling that I needed to write songs to everything he sent. It was also summer and I was off the road for a brief period of time and I felt the need to write something very of the moment, that spoke to the joys of summer and the endless possibilities. But also the beauty and the sadness within summer, knowing that eventually everything ends.”
“Just a Dood,” was a major hit off the album. It’s a song meant for the everyman, the guy who – amidst all the glitz, glamour and senseless rigmarole – remains himself. This open arms mentality makes way for a particularly humble approach towards love: [LISTEN]
“‘Just a Dood,’ arguably my biggest song from the record (and possibly my career) continues to create this lasting connection with people I don’t know, creating a connection that is deeper with the listener that to this day, 10 years later, I still find difficult to match,” says Martinez. “I had no idea it would end up being the song that it is.”
Martinez may come off as laid-back, and while he is, he’s also extraordinarily savvy and adept at keeping the grind going. As the founder of Camobear Records he has a place he can call his own, a fortress of solitude that serves as a touchstone for the things that matter most.
“Being able to have a home for your music these days is as simple as putting it out digitally,” said Martinez “But that only covers so much territory. You want to create a connection with the audience and then be able to put that connection into terms that equals work, whether through sales or through touring, which to me, has remained a constant over 10 plus years. If you love music and want to keep enjoying it, make it a hobby. If you want a career in music, there’s really nothing to do but throw yourself into it like a job and work full time.”
Martinez’s last album Blotto is the culmination of all the heartaches and pains he’s experienced over the years. Sometimes jaded, but hopeful enough to know that there’s no place better for him to be than in front of a mic. It’s a potent dose of reality that give his lyrics a unique, bittersweet flavor. “Ashes” exemplifies the situation, a fool in love trying to divide his time – something we can all relate to: [LISTEN]
There’s plenty of reasons why Josh Martinez hasn’t gone pop yet, but none of them matter. He’s a free spirit satirist with the heart of a revolutionary, underlining all that madness with love.
“I love how the music I write makes people feel,” says Martinez when asked what has kept him writing all these years. “I can feel how important the music is to people. Without the response I get from the audience and from long time fans, there’s no way I could sustain myself emotionally in the confusing shit-show that is a music career. People are always telling me that the music I make helped them get through terrible times (and also great times) and that is what sustains me.”
