Big Lo is an emcee from Pensacola who has been carving out his own little niche in the hip hop community for several years now. His most recent proper release came in summer of last year, when he dropped the Wunderland Apokalypse EP. Now he comes back with a full-length album done with producer CxxxLxxx, The Illegalist.

The term “illegalism” refers to an anarchist philosophy developed in the early 1900s as an outgrowth of individualist anarchism. It’s an interesting thing to keep in mind as you’re listening to this album, not just as a subversive philosophy that Big Lo might ascribe to, but also in terms of the historical context of hip hop, and how often producers and emcees have been accused of stealing by the musically conservative over the years. CxxxLxxx is an interesting producer, and one that fits perfectly alongside Big Lo. He’s got one foot on the East Coast, bringing that gritty boom bap influenced by acts like Mobb Deep and Wu Tang, but he’s got the other foot on the West Coast, specifically influenced by weirdos like Madlib, burying all sorts of layers of samples here and there, stopping things on a dime, and dropping vintage clips like it’s no one’s business. This is just what Big Lo needs to hop on the mic and do his thing. Lo might be from Florida, but his delivery is definitely informed by New York emcees of a previous generation, keeping his flow tight and always moving, layering his rhymes with complex wordplay and interior rhyme schemes. Where the Florida part of his identity comes through is the combination of anarchist philosophy and a sense of humor that is dripping in irony, as he weaves through topics like the music industry, machismo, and politics. With his lyricism and CxxxLxxx’s production, you get an album that is always keeping you on your toes. It might lack for a big moment to draw in casual listeners, but it more than makes up for it with all the twists and turns and hidden layers there are to unpack for those that listen more carefully.

The Illegalist is an album that might sneak past you the first time if you’re not paying close attention, but that’s only because it’s subtle in its approach to anarchy. Big Lo and CxxxLxxx aren’t knocking your door in with a sledgehammer, they are waiting to be invited in and leaving with the good silverware at the end of the night.