Hanif Abdurraqib Discusses Camp Lo's Cult Classic 'Uptown Saturday Night' on Critics at Large
In the first episode of a new interview series, Critics at Large, Vinson Cunningham engages with Hanif Abdurraqib, a writer for The New Yorker and an avid admirer of Camp Lo's 1997 album 'Uptown Saturday Night.' Released in January 1997, this album utilized Blaxploitation themes to craft a cinematic vision of New York City, which Abdurraqib likens to 'essentially a heist film.' At the time, however, it received a tepid response. Abdurraqib believes this was due to the hip-hop landscape then, where artists were pressured to align with either underground or mainstream styles. 'Uptown Saturday Night' was overlooked as it didn't conform to these categories, and Camp Lo maintained their unique identity despite hip-hop's commercialization. The episode also references works like Fugees' 'The Score,' the 1974 film 'Uptown Saturday Night,' and Elliott Wilson's review in The Source. New episodes air every Thursday.
Key facts
- Camp Lo's 'Uptown Saturday Night' was released in January 1997.
- The album is described as 'essentially a heist film' by Hanif Abdurraqib.
- It drew on Blaxploitation tropes to paint a cinematic picture of New York City.
- The album received a lukewarm reception at the time.
- Abdurraqib explains the lukewarm reception as due to the hip-hop marketplace demanding artists pick a lane.
- Camp Lo never changed who they were despite the hyper-commercialization of hip-hop.
- The episode is the first in a series of Critics at Large interview episodes on cult classics.
- New episodes drop every Thursday.
Entities
Artists
- Hanif Abdurraqib
- Vinson Cunningham
- Camp Lo
Institutions
- The New Yorker
- Critics at Large
Locations
- New York City