Has-Lo is a producer/emcee hailing from Philadelphia. He’s only been releasing records for a few years, but he’s already developed a distinct style, dropping dark introspective rhymes laced with humor over some down tempo beats. For his Mello Music debut, Has-Lo produced a concept album, walking us through the mind of a man close to breakdown.

While this could easily give way to maudlin self indulgence, Has-Lo avoids all of these trappings. Instead we get an album full of beats that walk the line between RZA and Dilla, moving back and forth between somber warmth and stark coldness. Lo is a very mature producer, using subtle shifts in tempo and instrumentation to shift mood. There aren’t any “wow” moments, but that’s not what this album is about. I certainly think he’s capable of them, but it wouldn’t make sense in the scope of this album, and he knows it. This is more of a case study, and In Case I Don’t Make It plays out that way. Most of us don’t have big dramatic breakdowns, but deal with our struggles in small, subtle ways.

Lyrically, In Case I Don’t Make It plays out like a collection of short stories that all come together at the end. I know there are scholars out there who are trying to build the case for hip hop as poetry (some better than others), and I think Has-Lo has presented a body of work here that’s worthy of examination and study. On the opening track, “Utero,” Lo presents the struggle to find balance within himself, as he declares “Look behind Has-Lo’s eyes, a hive mind/I fight inside for inner peace with each side.” And he searches for answers, suggesting: “Take a stroll in my subconscious/Where foul thoughts crumble the walls that block it/Mentally I’m crooked and cracked/White man say it’s ‘hood in me, could it be that?” Few emcees would take the chance on a project like this, exposing themselves for their audience. Fortunately, Has-Lo took that chance and succeeded.

On an album that will be most people’s introduction to Has-Lo, we are presented with an ambitious and challenging album that requires patience. I fear that this effort might be lost on some, but for those that really take the time to listen to this album, they will be rewarded.