Detroit's Most Wanted — Tricks of the Trade

The group Def Drive is formed in 1986 (1988 according to other sources) and composed by DJ Duncan Hines, Reginald "Motsi Ski" Abrams and Robert "MC Lee" Lee Jr., the latter joined the group later in 1988. Then the group changes name to Detroit's Most Wanted, signs with Bryant Records and drops a full LP, among the first albums on the Detroit scene. It's made by three guys who want to stand up to the Compton scene and in particular to Compton's Most Wanted.

However, the studio album doesn't live up to the West Coast artists and every song sounds pretty bad due to awful rhythms and an inanimate rapping: the production is limited to minimal and simple, skeletal funky rhythms ("Something 2 Groove 2", "Put the Nigga's to Sleep"), sometimes frantic ("Change the Tempo", "Just Made the MF Up Last Night"), with urgent strings ("City of Boom") and with lame or extravagant hooks, and weak, gray, tasteless ("City of Boom") functional deliveries that create quite subdued, weak tracks.

Despite the quality of their music, the group carved out a niche for themselves, and the album entered the R&B chart. This led DMW to sign a national distribution deal for their next album with Ichiban Records, one of the first for a Detroit rap group. Two years later, Detroit's Most Wanted returns to the market with the sequel of this project, which achieves even more success and becomes known especially for having the first rap music video ("The Money Is Made") to ever be filmed at a casino, being shot on location at Atlantic City, New Jersey.

In 1993, DMW already has the third CD ready and puts it on the market, however, shortly before its release the group splits up. MC Hammer has taken an interest in the group and wants to sign them to his Bust It Records, on the condition that they can change the group's name and lyrics, which would become similar to those of his albums, that is, without a precise identity, with danceable tracks on pop dance rhythms. They all agree to go towards success, except Motsi Ski who throw a spanner in the works and refuses the agreement.

Rating: 4/10.