Follow Anywhere the Dope Go on Twitter
After more than a year of teases, the messy Walk By Faith rollout, and some smaller appetizer projects, Buffalo MC El Camino comes through with one of his most personal, well constructed albums to date. Let There Be Light is a demonstration of Camino at his best and brightest, going out of his way to display artistry and vulnerability over playing the tough, lyrical miracle like many in the East Coast revival scene.
The single “Better Than Love” almost feels like “Johnny P’s Caddy” for the true underground fan; With both Camino and Curren$y going in, you get a sign of the lush, sample based production that’s to come across Let There Be Light. Even with how beautiful these vocal loops are, there’s a rough, unpolished motif that actually benefits the album’s entire vibe. Nothing is overdone and it feels very loyal to Camino’s reality as an artist. There’s also the standout “Rhude” which sees him spitting on a high energy, grand trap beat.
“Art Dealer” has an almost noir, cinematic beat that suits his themes of rap as a high sign of culture and how he lives it up now. Other tracks like “Who I Am” and “Angels” see Camino tapping into his melodic side; This is another unique trait of his that makes him standout in the scene. Most dudes in his lane will avoid hooks altogether, do something simple, or have an occasional, gimmicky croon, but El Camino has legit vocal chops. He always stands out as a feature when on hook duty for his nice singing voice and should be utilized even more for this.
Most important to Let There Be Light though, are its powerful themes. Camino gets direct and deep on the adversity has faced in life, such as the loss of his sister (closing aptly with “Lauren Would Love This”), the generational trauma which has lead him to a tough lifestyle, and feeling underrated for his artistry. “Who I Am” serves as a testament to how rap gets him through it all as a form of catharsis; Despite all the bullshit, a light shines to guide us to better times and conditions.