Elcamino - Where's My Pyrex? [2019]

While there is no crack in the Griselda steez, Elcamino has, as the newest and least “rappy” member, been at the bottom of the label. While Gunn, Conway, and Benny are razor sharp in their wordplay, Elcamino would rely on a satisfying melody instead of turns of phrase. I have never seen this as a problem; the best of labels diversify their talent, and adding Elcamino to their roster was an excellent move in that regard. But I didn’t feel like Elcamino had justified himself and his placement until this year. His self-titled debut from a few years ago was good, and Walk on Water had moments, but I didn’t feel like the Griselda formula of “Daringer e v e r y t h i n g” was going to work for him. Don’t Eat The Fruit from earlier this year changed things with it’s lighter-hearted beats that played more to Elcamino’s melodic tendencies; soul samples out the ass. The single for Where’s My Pyrex? gave me hope that the project would be the magic that other Griselda pieces can be, and led me to learning a little about Oh Jay in the process. A Dutch producer since the late 80’s/early 90’s, Oh Jay has been weaving in and out of the European boom-bap scene for decades, and the fact that I’m only now hearing of him now is surprising. I’m still not sure exactly what he’s been up to recently, but some of his older tracks had me excited for this new project between him and Elcamino.

Don’t Eat the Fruit demonstrated Elcamino’s strengths (also that snakes come strapped to every occasion)

                I said that Elcamino was in his element when focusing on his melodies; well, Where’s My Pyrex proves me wrong on that count, because I think what Elcamino was really looking for were the correct beats, and Oh Jay is happy to oblige here. These instrumentals are fantastically smoky, drawing upon keyboard and bass-grooves to forge a lower-key soul feel. I don’t know for sure, but I feel like a lot of the keyboard and bass playing is live instrumentation, hell sometimes it even sounds like a live drum kit, all of this being exactly what Elcamino needs to complement his sing-song delivery. Where’s My Pyrex? has the feel of a high-class crack den, and Elcamino is the lounge singer that they’ve hired to provide the entertainment. The beats are fairly minimal, so it’s easy to imaginse a two/three man ensemble supporting Elcamino while he weaves his stories. Bullets From Opps, Bottom to Bottom, and Ghetto Symphony are heavily reliant on the piano, reminding me not so much of mystery as it does intrigue; it’s a more positive sound (like a lot of the best cuts off of Don’t Eat the Fruit), with the light-hearted keyboard evoking a stroll through, rather than a shootout in, the streets. Bottom to Bottom, Change Spots, and Wash My Sins away are dominated by groove, with the basslines (especially Bottom to Bottom) sounding straight out of a 70’s film. A very key thing to not about Oh Jay as a producer is that he seems to avoid vocal samples, with the two interlude tracks and Wash My Sins Away being the only examples of a vocal chop; he’s so good with his instrumentation that it’s not a problem at all, but it’s clear it’s not one his strong areas.

                So what does Elcamino bring? Lyrically, he hasn’t changed a bit since his debut, and although I would love to see some different topics and some growth, he does what he does well enough that I can’t complain. He describes his come-up, street tales, drug deals, and airing out gang violence in the streets; beyond these things you won’t find anything too compelling substance-wise. I find that he’s working so well over these cinematic beats because Elcamino is a cinematic rapper; he doesn’t so much use wordplay to get you so say “Oooh shit what did he just say?” but rather to paint vivid pictures and describe the things he has seen on the streets and the things he’s done. In that respect he is a significant outlier in Griselda, but I think it’s also what makes him a unique voice that the label needs. On Where’s My Pyrex? (the name is even a little bit of a story), his street vignettes are given more potency than they have been since his debut.

                Elcamino is joined on Where’s My Pyrex? by a fantastic supporting cast. Dufflebag Hottie (who I believe is out of jail now?) is on two tracks, having hella chemistry with Elcamino (probably because he is so much like Benny the Butcher), really playing into the storytelling aspects of the record. I absolutely love Miliano Constantine on Bottom to Bottom, who flows like water over the instrumental, and who’s vocal quality is like hearing a younger B-Real again. 38 Spesh and Che Noir of Trust Gang feature back to back on Change Spots and Ghetto Symphony respectively, and knock that shit out of the park. 38 murders his verse with his unflinching wordplay and a laser-focus on the pocket; I think besides Freddie Gibbs, the technical aspect of his rapping has impressed me more than most this year. Che Noir drops jewels, and continues to grow into a fantastic artist; in the past I’ve felt she drew to heavy on Spesh’s blueprint, but it’s verses like this that prove she’s coming into her own as a unique voice and flow in the game.

                Elcamino has had a fantastic year so far; 3 quality projects, full acceptance back into Griselda, and now scoring an A1 collaboration with a highly talented producer, one that seems to understand exactly what makes Elcamino an amazing artist. It’s awesome that just a little shift in instrumental can make an artist like Elcamino sound much more comfortable, and this tiny shift to mellower soul is a solid move. Now that he’s solidified himself as a solo artist, I’m *crazy* excited to hear where he goes with Griselda’s group efforts, and how his uniqueness in the label can affect their evolution. Also, I sincerely hope that he finds his pyrex.

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