Uptown Saturday Night

One of the most original groups to emerge in the mid-‘90s, Camp Lo (Sonny Cheeba & Geechi Suede) dazzled hip-hop fans with their hyper-stylized rhyme couplets, baffling slanguage, and endless throwback references. Backing their oddball flows and interweaving verses was some seriously brilliant production from North Carolina beat wizard SKI (also known for his work on Jay-Z\'s *Reasonable Doubt*). At times the Lo seem to be speaking their own language, flossing on the mic while shouting out Blaxploitation cultural touchstones like *Cleopatra Jones*, Jim Kelly, *Foxy Brown*, Huggy Bear, *Super Fly*, and the Poitier/Cosby joints that inspired the title. But even when you\'re not exactly sure what they\'re saying, it still sounds great. The album spawned several choice singles; their breakout smash \"Luchini - This Is It,\" the mellow debut \"Coolie High,\" and timeless party jams \"Black Nostaljack - Come On\" and \"Rockin It - Spanish Harlem.\" A swaggering rap classic if there ever was one.

Camp Lo's debut album is a refreshing fusion of hip-hop, soul, and jazz that manages to avoid most jazz-rap clichés while retaining street credibility.