Christopher Cajigas spends his days teaching social studies to kids in the Bronx and Brooklyn, and that commitment to his community shines through when he performs as the emcee Chilo. The Irish-Puerto Rican American is a student of classic New York hip hop, dropping a fair mix of socially aware lyrics and battle rhymes over a steady serving of boom bap. With his booming low voice, he can drop lines with authority. He’s been on his grind for years, and Natural Evolution marks his fifth album.

Natural Evolution might be a solo album, but Chilo has plenty of help with the project. He gets contributions on the mic from Menace, Shaz ILL York, TMP, Faro-Z, Muja Messiah, Bop, Lady Najm, Majestik Orginality, SoSoon, KON, CK1, Fathom, Hazernomical, O7, Jadon, and Intikana. He also works with the trio of Cocotaso, Canei Finch, and Eddy Arkadian to handle production duties. With all this help, though, it’s an incredibly consistent album that is undoubtedly in Chilo’s voice. My biggest complaint about Natural Evolution is that it runs too long at fifteen tracks. There a couple of points that are a little weak, such as his romantic rhymes on “Just Because,” but those just come off as a little corny, not disrespectful. “The Making” gets a little cliché with the R&B vocals at the end singing “Still in the hood and it’s all good,” but again, aren’t that bad in the scope of things. Really, the large picture problem is that Chilo, while talented on the mic, doesn’t switch things up enough to keep the interest going for the entire length of the album in one sitting. Everything on the album is down to mid tempo, and his deliberate delivery is strong over the course of one song, but over fifteen gets just the slightest bit monotonous. That said, there’s a lot to like about Natural Evolution. “NY, NY” is a nice tribute to the hip hop history of his hometown, “The Scene” gives a nice glimpse into the life of a struggling artist, and “Throw You Hands Up” makes nice use of a salsa horn sample, and despite the light-hearted title, actually discusses serious socio-economic issues. My favorite song on the album is “Assist,” with it’s combination of laid back beat, gentle use of Fender Rhodes and strings, and the message of not only helping others but not being afraid to ask others for help. That a song like that doesn’t come across as corny is quite the accomplishment, and I think it’s because Chilo is very genuine in his delivery.

Natural Evolution isn’t a game changer, but is a solid effort from a committed emcee. He’s got a strong voice, and he’s definitely emotionally invested in his music, along with his community. While I had some small complaints, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy this album. He’s a good dude making good music, and I’ll take that any day of the week.