"Sandman" was the name of a student – I think a freshman – that ended up as DJ for one of our Saturday night hip-hop programs. Freshmen did not get first choice of air shifts, as it was the upper-level courses that required upperclassmen putting in hours at the station. On rare occasions, usually if we were short staffed or needed some short-term fill in hosts, the Introduction to Broadcasting instructor would refer one or two students our way and we'd go from there. No diggity, no doubt.
He comes to mind for the simple fact that another student did not come to work the first Saturday night shift. Weekend evenings were always a chore to fill since most college kids wanted out of any sort of work commitments. I was Program Director and knew going into the weekend that we really weren't sure if the 9pm DJ would show. Knowing this, on the Thursday or Friday before I asked the 6pm DJ if he'd like to gain some extra experience in the event this other person never showed. Guess who got the extra experience? Who indeed: we were both there, as I had to be there to show him how to sign-off the transmitter at midnight. No diggity, no doubt.
I was told the next week to expect someone at 9pm. And although he was told to be there about 8:45, to pull your music and as a courtesy to the DJ on his or her way home, Sandman didn't make an appearance until 9pm. Training this short, whiny, cocky white kid with the accent – maybe Welsh, maybe South African – I soon realized two things. The first was I think that by "DJ" he thought this would be like a club – mixing and shoutouts and a lot of the stuff we didn't do. Sandman dually noted many times that evening he worked at club back in the town he was from, but I picked up on this early on when he went off in search of the other turntable. I also determined he really didn't want me around, pointing out playlists and public service announcements; I picked up on this fairly early, too, and I never was convinced he knew I was the program director. No diggity, no doubt.
In conclusion, Sandman made the cut and actually fleshed out the rest of the semester nicely. His only other memorable moment was his second or third week on the air when I caught him going off about his air name. Surely by now you know "Sandman" wasn’t his given name – and I don't remember what it was. Scott? Bruce? Whatever. Anyway, Sandman was apologizing to "all his fans" that he had used the name Sandman the prior week, not knowing another student was already using that name. So here was Sandman #2 giving shoutouts and "much love" to Sandman #1 (who I never knew) and tellin' stories 'bout his playin' and mixin' at tha club. I called him on the "magic phone" and told him to knock it off. No diggity, no doubt.
And in case you're not sure where this is going, or you're asking what's with all the "no diggities" and "no doubts," Sandman was a BLACKstreet fan and oft quoted the chorus of No Diggity. Likewise, he made a point of playing it at least once a shift, even when we knew it was not turning up on the weekly playlist. BLACKstreet consisted of Teddy Riley, Chauncey Hannibal, Eric Williams, and Terrell Philips who had a few minor hits in the early 1990s but garnered big attention with this popular track featuring Dr. Dre. While the group fell apart in the late 1990's, I have no clue about Sandman and if he stuck around at the radio station after I graduated.
For his sake, I hope he bagged up some radio experience (bag it up).
- - - - - - - - - - - -
No Diggity
( Dre/Hannibal/Riley/Stewart/Walters)
BLACKstreet
From the album Another Level
1996
You know what
I like the playettes
No diggity, no doubt
Play on playette
Play on playette
Yo Dre, drop the verse
[Dr. Dre]
It's going down, fade to Blackstreet
The homies got RB, collab' creations
Bump like Acne, no doubt
I put it down, never slouch
As long as my credit can vouch
A dog couldn't catch me ass out
Tell me who can stop when Dre making moves
Attracting honeys like a magnet
Giving em eargasms with my mellow accent
Still moving this flavour
With the homies Blackstreet and Teddy
The original rump shakers
Shorty in down, good Lord
Baby got em up open all over town
Strictly biz, she don't play around
Cover much ground, got game by the pound
Getting paid is a forte
Each and every day, true player way
I can't get her out of my mind
(what)
I think about the girl all the time
East side to the west side
Pushing phat rides, it's no surprise
She got tricks in the stash
Stacking up the cash
Fast when it comes to the gas
By no means average
As long as she's got to have it
Baby, you're a perfect ten, I wanna get in
Can I get down, so I can win
[1] - I like the way you work it
No diggity, I try to bag it up, bag it up
[Repeat 1 (3x)]
She's got class and style
She's managed by the town,
Baby never act wild
Very low key on the profile
Catching catichin' vilians is a no,
Let me tell you how it goes
Curve's the words, spin's the verbs
Lovers it curves so freak what you heard
Rolin' with the phatness
You don't even know what the half is
You gotta pay to play
Just for shorty, bang-bang, to look your way
I like the way you work it
Trumped tight, all day, every day
You're blowing my mind, maybe in time
Baby, I can get you in my ride
[Repeat 1 (4x)]
[2] - Hey yo, hey yo, hey yo, hey yo
Hey yo, that girl looks good
Hey yo, hey yo, hey yo, hey yo
Play on, play on playette
Hey yo, hey yo, hey yo, hey yo
You're my kind of girl, no diggity
Hey yo, hey yo, hey yo, hey yo
Hey
[Queen Pen]
Cause thats my peeps and we row G
Flying first class from New York City to Blackstreet
What you know about me, not a motherf.. thing
Cartier wooded frames sported by my shortie
As for me, icy gleaming pinky diamond ring
We be's the baddest clique up on the scene
Ain't you getting bored with these fake ass broads
I shows and proves, no doubt, I be takin you, so
Please excuse, if I come across rude
That's just me and that's how the playettes got to be
Stay kicking game with a capital G
Axe the peoples on my block, I'm as real as can be
Word is bond, faking jacks never been my flava
So, Teddy, pass the word to your nigga Chauncy
I be sitting in car, let's say around 3:30
Queen Pen and Blackstreet, it's no diggity
[Repeat 1 (4x)]
[Repeat 2]
