By Odeisel

Quietly, Camp Lo has amassed quite the catalogue over the years.  Although their following hasn’t particularly swelled during their time, they can always rest in the fact that their musical legacy has provided inspiration for both the style and the music of more than a few artists.  On their new album, Another Heist, the group finds itself back with producer Ski-Beats with solid .results.

You notice immediately the album’s compactness at 12 tracks.  While some consider that less bang for your buck, in reality is a retreat from the decompression that clutters the market presently, with skits and filler fleshing out bloated 17-20 track albums.

Musically, the production is fresh, with Ski lacing the group with 12 distinctly different tracks that maintain a unity in spirit while avoiding repetition in sound.  The album is well sequenced and rolls on in succession and it’s almost over before you realize it. The obscurely titled “Satin Amnesia” is a sexy mid tempo song accented by an aerie chant and a succinct piano, further illustrating how different from the pack Camp Lo is.

 Then to bring it back to the street, that song is immediately followed by the 70s fueled rhythm of “Get ‘Em Lo” that brings the idea of another heist into perspective.  The track finds the duo exquisitely riding the bongo drum, horn-filled track chronicling the jacking of fake “paper crooks” that pop off until the heat comes and they subsequently fold.

From there we get to the only real meh song on the album,”Boogie Nights.” The sped up soul sample is too Kanye/Dipset circa 2004. It not only takes away from the hustler feel of the album, but it’s not their best lyrically or flow wise. It could have been left off the album.  They quickly redeem themselves however with the husky “Son Of A” which not only reaffirms their connection to that 60’s-70’s soul production but also with references to the hallmarks of that era of Stevie and Marvin, Shaft and Superfly, Karate movies and clothing each preceded by the precursor “son of…” drawing that link directly.

Another misstep comes with the track “Beautiful People.”  It’s not a bad song but its spirit, while recalling the 70s, is disco in feel and is mostly beat rather than rhyme. It doesn’t feel part of the rest of the album and it disrupts the feel.

As a duo, Camp Lo’s different voices and deliveries really complement each other on this project, serving as distinct changes of pace, flow, and rhythm. They ride beats very well, particularly on “Black Connect 3.” Sonny Cheeba and Geechi Suede pass the mic back and forth EPMD on a densely produced track full of background noise, a milky smooth bassline and a really dope guitar.  Really dope groove that is manhandled with finesse by both rappers.

The musical highlight is the Stevie Wonder interpolation of the closing track “I Love It Then.”  While the subject of the track is passé (another ode to chick bagging), the beat is almost on “Luchini” level. Brilliant use of Stevie Wonder by Ski, and the Lo do a solid job of not ruining the song with an angry rap or weak rhymes. Well done.

The remix to opening track “Uptown” is both rhythmic and ominous, creating an urgency that instantly draws you in.  The sped up DeBarge sample is perfectly placed. It’s vastly superior to the original version and should have replaced it as the opening salvo.

In all, Another Heist is a good listen.  It’s not classic or next level, but compared to so many long albums out there, it’s clean, compact, and sonically solid.  Camp Lo continues their legacy as very dope and very different MC’s with their own sense of style. This album is a Blaxsploitation flick on wax, and much like those films, it feels good overall but there are issues with plotting and content. There are dope beats, rich narratives, and thankfully no skits to skip. That alone is worth the price of admission.

 3.25 out of 5

Follow Odeisel on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/odeisel

Follow Us on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/planetill

Join Us on the Planet Ill Facebook Group for more discussion

Check out Planet Ill’s page on Essence.com

Follow us on Networked Blogs