Elcamino’s Black Soprano Family Records Debut “They Spit on Jesus” is His Strongest Effort in a While (Album Review)
This is the 5th full-length LP from Buffalo emcee & singer Elcamino. Blowing up in 2017 off his self-titled EP with Griselda Records, his profile increasingly grew after being followed up by Walking on Watermixtape in the summer of 2018 along with dropped 2 studio albums & a few EPs the year after that. Now it’s been quite a while since I’ve last covered Camino, with the last project of his that I reviewed being his 10th EP On the 3rd Day. Since then he’s put out 4 more EPs alongside a couple additional LPs with Walk by Faith & Not by Sight and Let There Be Light. But after signing to Black Soprano Family Records not too long ago, he’s finally making his debut under Benny the Butcher’s very own MNRK Music Group imprint in the form They Spit on Jesus.
The title track featuring Fuego Base finds the 2 over a mobster-like boom bap instrumental talking about how they would do the worst whereas “New Bills” featuring Benny works in some strings, kicks & snares detailing life in Buffalo for them. “Victory” featuring Inspectah Deck takes a more soulful boom bap approach getting on the celebratory side of things, but then “For the Streets” switches it up with a spacey trap banger dedicated to the hoods.
“Neva Gon’ Change” dives headfirst into chipmunk soul talking about refusing to ever switch up just before “Tap In” featuring Armani Caesar returns to a trap-based sound as both of them charismatically set out to hook you up. “Cry with Me” gives off a summery boom bap flare getting incredibly personal on the mic leading into the groovy “All I Know” talking about representing the very city that he came from.
Meanwhile, the appropriately titled minute & a half “Ballad” finds Elcamino singing over some horns that is until the delicately produced “Started from Nothing” featuring Loveboat Luciano spits about coming up not having shit. The song “80 Bills” featuring Benny the Butcher is an eerie trap cut reminding y’all that B$F be that mob while “War Ruckas featuring Havoc with Camino’s brother King Ralph & even over a soulful boom bap beat talking about bringing war. “The Best of Me” is an orchestral-tinged closer refusing to let people get to him.
I enjoyed Walk by Faith & Not by Sight and Elcamino 3, but No Weapon Formed Against Me was a significant improvement over some the other projects that he’s put out in these last 2 years so I had high expectations for They Spit on Jesus & it lived up to them. The production’s consistent, the guests are all on par & his versatility is on full display.
Score: 8/10
