This is the 16th EP released by Buffalo emcee and singer Elcamino, although it is his second EP released this year. In 2017, he released a self-titled EP with Griselda Records, followed by the “Walking on Water” mixtape in the summer of 2018, and released 2 studio albums and several EPs the following year, and his popularity has continued since then. promote. Weapon Formation Against Me is an improvement on some of the material we got from him. Six months after Real Bad Man produced “The Game is the Game,” Ill Tone now produces “Built for Cuban Links,” named after Raekwon’s iconic solo debut Onlybuilt 4 Cuban Linx and produced by RZA.
Estee Nack joins Elcamino for opener “Stash House Legends,” which begins with a build for Cuban Links and reaffirms their place in the dope game with naked soul samples, while “Mill Prep” puts drums into the equation, Promise to be the same or stay the same without money. “Estate” feels like a 73-second jam with no drums, while “Red Room” featuring Flames Dot Malik details their gangster lifestyle at a booming pace.
“Gold Plated Benz Wagons” is classic talk about being in the upper echelons, just before “Cuban on Cuban” shows off how hip-hop can freeze him up with more kicks and snares. “Zip Lock Olympics” returns to his hustler shit in style, causing the flute-tinged “God’s Favorite” to declare that he’s done making and selling percs. The title track once again ditches the drums and tells a story from the dark streets, and “I Knew” returns to the craze, once again winning face-offs instead of awards.
The Game Is The Game is still the best I’ve heard from Camino since signing with B$F, but the game built for Cuban Links still finds him making a three-peat because I love It, like I spit on Jesus when he joined the label 11 months ago. Ill Tone is obviously not a real bad guy, but his view of the boom bap/drumless sound is heightened thanks to the story Meechy tells in just 20 minutes.
Rating: 7/10
