Search - Camp Lo :: Black Hollywood

"P-P-P-P-Posse from the Bronx is HERE!" (3.5/5)

ctrx | 'bout to show you how the EAST COAST rocks... | 07/24/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Camp Lo's third album, 2007's "In Black Hollywood," dropped quickly and quietly this week to little fanfare. This is too bad, because Camp Lo is one of the most interesting and unique hip hop crews around, and they also made one of the finest albums of the last ten years in their 1997 debut Uptown Saturday Night. Unfortunately, they have sustained a career of putting out exactly one album every five years, so ten years later they have yet to top that classic effort. Uptown Saturday Night was a party album that succeeded due to the style brought by Camp Lo's MCs Sonny Cheeba and Geechie Suede, as well as the producer Ski, the producer responsible for Original Flavor and Jay-Z's debut Reasonable Doubt. They brought a majestic, rich, and dense sound that nostalgically celebrated the blaxploitation era, with original sounds taking from jazz, funk, soul, and even international music in places. As MCs, Cheeba and Suede are definitely a little more style than substance, but this sets them apart. They use a huge amount of old-fashioned slang, so much at some points that their verses can be indecipherable. But when they rap back and forth to each other about made-up characters with disco slang, it's sure to bring a smile to your face. "Black Hollywood" finds Camp Lo paired once again with Ski, who produces each track.



The album's brief at 12 tracks, each averaging about two-and-a-half minutes (none even approach 4 minutes), altogether clocking in at about 35 minutes. But that aside, the album is structured pretty similarly to their debut. The production takes from a bygone era, and Ski's beats are creative and clever throughout. It's so much fun to hear Camp Lo rapping over great beats once again, and for the majority of the time, it really works. However, it's pretty clear that this just doesn't have the same energy as their debut. Geechie and Cheeba don't rap as fast or joyfully as they once did, and the level of creativity is also lower. A few tracks are dragged down by some pretty average subject matter, even though with their immense style it becomes bearable. With one or two exceptions, the album doesn't really recapture the magic of "Luchini aka This Is It," "Sparkle," or "Coolie High," but it's truly enjoyable anyway. The one-of-a-kind Camp Lo product is something I always really liked, and it's in full supply on "Black Hollywood."



The album starts with the upbeat "Posse From the Bronx," a head-nodding, bass-heavy opener. The hook is great and it's a nice start. "82 Afros" is a stylish, standard Camp Lo cut with the nostalgic slang and flair that is their signature. I really like "Soul Fever," a happy and fast song with another nice hook that really evokes the spirit of Uptown Saturday Night. "Pushahoe" is okay but a little uninspired, but "Suga Willie's Revenge" is better, with a nice flute-laden beat and the classic Camp Lo flavor. "Jack N' Jill" feels a little distant, but I really like the production even if the verses aren't the best. I feel the same about "Material," the lyrics are pretty run-of-the-mill but the nice production and style make it okay. "Money Clap" is alright but fairly forgettable, and the reggae-fueled "Ganja Lounge" is fun. The best song without a doubt is "Black Hollywood," the title track. The beat on this one is incredible, surely bringing back memories of "Luchini" with the majestic, rich, and upbeat horn lines. I love the way Cheeba and Suede bring chemistry and energy to this song, this is the soulful, nostalgic Camp Lo at their finest. The short "Zoom" feels a little low-key, and the album closes on a great note with "Sweet Claudine," one of its best songs, a sweetly soulful, string-laced joint.



As a low-profile indie release, I don't expect this album to find much press, but it's one of the more enjoyable albums of 2007. Uptown Saturday Night is an album I keep on regular rotation even today, and "In Black Hollywood" did not disappoint. The majestic sound and fun style is here, even if there is some subpar material in between. There's a drought of great rap music right now, but this is so refreshing in 2007, just like their debut was ten years ago. Don't expect to be blown away by this album, it's not spectacular, but to longtime fans of Camp Lo, definitely consider adding "In Black Hollywood" to the collection."

Return of the Lo

Rob-Lo | Toronto | 07/25/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Camp Lo's long awaited return sets the record straight once and for all that their first album (the classic Uptown Saturday Night) was not a fluke after all. Many people were disappointed by their sophomore effort, Let's Do it Again, but Black Hollywood comes strong to rebuff the nay sayers. Black Hollywood is a collection of songs that every hip hop act tries to do (the club banger, the song for the ride, the weed song, the song for the ladies, the I got money song, and the song that represents where they from) but they accomplish all this while sounding fresh regardless of their obvious love and belonging to the old school. Lo sounds right at home flipping their dense blaxploitation slang and liquid flows over tight production by Skibeatz (aka Ski producer of UTSN, and several songs off Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt and In My Lifetime).



The Good: This album just rolls! None of the songs really sound the same, and Lo's flows are catchy as always. Chiba's rap style has picked up a lot of alliteration lately. On "Money Clap" he casually runs lines like, "I say Morning! Morning! Money! Money! Money! Give em Molotov cocktails for breakfast/Bunnies, Bunnies bouncing/Sin City citizen/I'm Count Mac-ula"



Suede takes control in the title track "Black Hollywood" which announces the return of the Lo with that 70s sound: "Black Ceasar bumblebee bonita a billion dollar theatre/ Lo premiering in surround sound cinematically glaring/ Click! Click! Flash! Flash! Frosted Flakes on the frames/ It's addictive, when you know the world is screaming your name".



The album kicks off strong with "Posse from the Bronx" and "82 Afros", and the 80s style beats on "Pushahoe" and "Zoom" are a nice throwback. Even the 90s have become a nostalgic sound on the dark storytelling track "Jack and Jill", which sounds like a beat from 92-93. Ganja Lounge could be one of the best songs advocating narcotics that I've heard in a few years. Sweet Claudine closes out the album with such a great feeling.



The Bad: The only weak tracks on the album are "Material" (obviously aimed at the ladies), and Soul Fever - but I know there will be a lot of people who really like this song. My problem with it is that it sounds like what Lo thinks the audience expects from them.



Overall the production of each song is strong, sometimes the beats sound a bit thin, but mostly dope. The problem is the Executive Production. There is some ham-fisted production on songs that seem to end suddenly with a quick fade out, or songs that appeared on the Fort Apache Mixtape have not been remixed so they still carry the beat of another song on the first two seconds. Some of the songs sound somewhat incomplete and the beat is left to ride without vocals, or they lack a proper chorus and many of them run under 3 minutes. The entire album is just under 36 minutes long which seems short considering fans have been starving for some new material from the Lo. That combined with the fact that 5 of the 12 songs on this album were on the Fort Apache mixtape, make this album slightly underwhelming for the fans who have kept up with their career. It also begs the question, what happened to the song "Ticket 4 Two" that we heard on Skibeatz Myspace page, and the 9th Wonder produced "Milky Lowa"? In interviews we had heard that the third album would be titled "A Piece of the Action", so it makes me wonder if this album was somehow rushed out so as to ree up for the next album.



In the future it would be nice to see Lo try to round out these short songs, perhaps with guest stars (Only Ski and Jungle Brown make guest appearances on the mic) or by adding another verse themselves.



Overall, I'm pleased with this album. It's consistently good throughout the whole thing. It can't outshine Uptown Saturday Night, but it does help Lo escape it's shadow and make some quality material. This album will be especially better for those of you who never heard the Fort Apache mixtape. The Lo has returned!"

Roll out the red carpet...

Anthony Rupert | Milwaukee, WI | 03/17/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Camp Lo will probably forever be remembered by hip-hop audiences for "Luchini". But the problem they have now is whether or not they can be said to still have a fanbase because they have taken half a decade off between each album. Thankfully, their latest album Black Hollywood is full of good stuff.



Sonny Cheeba and Geechi Suede still have the goods to paint vivid lyrical pictures, especially when it comes to stories. Case in point: while songs about gold-digging women are beginning to get played out, "Material" is rather interesting. And "Jack n' Jill" is a love story not to be taken lightly. Other highlights include "Sweet Claudine", "Posse from the Bronx" and the metaphorically dope "Pushahoe".



While only 35 minutes in length, Camp Lo proves with this album that they still know how to drop on-point rhymes. Though at times they might be showing signs of age (see "Soul Fever"), you still shouldn't mind taking a trip to Black Hollywood.



Anthony Rupert"