Throwback Thursday: Camp Lo Double-Up

The City's inaugural installment of "Throwback Thursday" is a double-feature from one of my all-time favorite rap groups. 1997's "Uptown Saturday Nite" prompted young, upright negroes Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier to mainstream recognition as rappers on the heels of two strong singles, "Luchini (This Is It)" and "Coolie High." I still knock this "Luchini" shit damn near daily. I don't know how it's possible to be retro and ahead of your time all at once, but these niggas were. I'm kinda surprised that after a classic LP, smooth criminals Geeche Suede (the light-skinneded one who look like some skripper caught Dwyane Wade and Gilbert Arenas' skeet load at the same time) and Sonny Cheeba (the chocolate warrior with more teeth than states in the union) were cast into hip-hop purgatory for the next ten years. Seriously. The nigga got Puerto Rico and Guam showing at all times. How could you not at least snag a role on a UPN sitcom or something? Cheeba also had that toothpick in his mouth the entire shoot. If you'll notice, he takes off his president mask, and behold... a fucking toothpick. You deserve whatever happens to you for running with a damn toothpick in your mouth. Also, -2 points for looking like Skippy in "Dead Presidents." If you don't have the album, "Swing" is a pretty damn good song too. I mean... it got the "Cool Like Dat" nigga on it. It's 'Lo. It's life. And we can't get enough of this. "Coolie High" was the attempt to get on Rap City with Big Lezbo and Video Soul with greasy-ass Donnie Simpson at the same time. The shit niggas did on camera in '97... wow. Am I correct in assuming that these two smack fiends-to-be are dancing in a bathroom stall? That's neither crazy, sexy, nor cool. Aight, let me stop. T-Boz would do that shit. Marrying Mack-10 isn't much different from doing the "Creep" dance in a pissy restaurant bathroom stall. Gotta leave one button closed like a cholo. No, don't lean. I see Suede at the dinner table trying to look suave with that hat. Unfortunately it only makes him look like a big, brown Jew. I can't even use the "label pressure" defense for these cats. I think they really wanted it to go down this way. With their own sense of style on and away from the mic, I'm surprised they didn't inspire/garner more die-hard fans. While the rest of the rappers plunged all of their non-earnings into jewelry, the Diamond Crooks shopped exclusively at thrift stores. Point being: They really should be doing better. Donate to your local Red Cross to help support these Blaxploitation refugees. I know I will.