Review Summary: An overlooked masterpiece of mid-90's gangsta rap.
Let me preface this review by stating: These guys aren't ***ing around. While the idea of the "studio gangsta" rose during the boom of gangsta rap, this term is one that could never be levelled at Flint, MI's The Dayton Family. One listen to their albums, without knowing anything about them, and you can tell they have lived what they're rapping about. The group members are Bootleg, Shoestring, and Backstabber, and their debut album "What's On My Mind" painted Flint out to be a desolate landscape, not far from a war-zone. Which, if you've ever been to Flint, isn't an exaggeration. It also played a pivotal role in the creation of the midwest sound acts would get famous for in the following years. It was rugged, hard, unflinching, and almost celebratory in its depictions of life in the ghettos of Flint.
In the year following they released their sophomore album minus Backstabber, who was incarcerated right after the debut dropped. Bootleg had to lay his rhymes down for the album in 2 weeks, because he was on his way as well. The album title, F.B.I. is an acronym for "*** Being Indicted". While the ruggedness was still present on this album, the celebration was over. The influence of the east and west coast had begun to creep into their sound, while keeping the originality of the debut.
Opener "79th and Halstead" is a short intro about repping your hood, and gives way to "Hand That Rocks The Cradle". The difference between this album and the debut is instantly recognizable. The production is a lot tighter, and female vocals open the track. It's a song about dealing drugs and being unstoppable by the law. But, given the circumstances surrounding the album, it's hard not to hear the cynicism behind the lyrics. Bootleg's unique rap style and voice are put to great use in this song, with him and Shoestring dropping some great verses.
Title track F.B.I. continues with the female vocals, only this time in the chorus, which is genuinely catchy for such a bleak song. Things lean toward the first album on "Real With This", "Player Haters", and "Eyes Closed", as far as beats and lyrical content are concerned. The only disappointing song on the album is the aforementioned "Player Haters". Not that it's a bad song, just sort of average. And with a guest appearance by Esham, it could have been so much more. Things get introspective with the possible album highlight "What's On My Mind, pt.2" before getting back into the hard stuff for most of the remainder of the album. But again, there's no sense that they're celebrating this lifestyle this time around. The album closes on an emotional note, with the song "Ghetto", which is like the polar-opposite of debut closer (and fantastic, fantastic song) "Flint Town".
While The Dayton Family would continue to record, and still make some damn fine albums, they never quite continued the trajectory they were showing with their first two albums. This is due to various members being in prison at various times after their releases. I do suggest checking out their whole catalogue. But start with the debut, and move straight on to F.B.I., and be mad at yourself for sleeping on such a classic album of the genre when it first came out.
