Love and Hate

Photographer: Robert Benson .
One of the first West Coast emcees of Mexican descent to establish himself in the rap game, Lil Rob initially garnered a reputation as a street tough with gritty rhymes that reflected a Chicano-centric worldview comprising gang violence, custom lowriders, and barrio pride. Surprisingly, Rob's brand of gangsta rap, in spite of its generally earthy preoccupations, has made inroads into the mainstream--his feel good single "Summer Nights" received major rotation in 2005--and LOVE AND HATE, the rapper's 2009 album, is his most accessible and mature effort yet. While lead track "In My Blood," with it's proclamation of "It's in my blood to be an Aztec warrior," aligns itself on the nature side of the nature vs. nurture argument, Rob is surprisingly heartfelt in his pleas for the importance of getting an education ("You Don't Understand") and a making better life for oneself ("Dream"). Meanwhile, the music and production has matured on equal footing with the lyrics, with stirring, soulful strings and subtle Latin-flavors the dominant mode throughout.