The group is a gangsta rap act founded by the six American Samoa Devoux brothers in 1988 in Carson, California. All members are Bloods gang members. The Devaux Brothers introduce themselves under the moniker Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. by releasing a disc that's foreign to the 1990 scene, completely different from the rest, relaxed, detached. T.R.I.B.E. is the acronym of Too Rough International Boo-Yaa Empire.
The brothers start through professional dance, then later became rappers in the mid-eighties, after a trip in Japan to get away from the gang culture. The production is handled by the Dust Brothers and Joe Nicolo, along with Tony G, Suga Pop and Myles John O'Brien. The music is completed by instrumental live played by John Myles O'Brien (bass, guitar), Steven Daniells-Silva (guitar, keyboards), Philip Nowlan (organ), Fernando Pullum (trumpet), Scott Mayo (tenor sax), Reginald Young (trombone), Angel Luis Figueroa (congas), Tony G and EZ Mike (turntables), Funky Drummer (percussion), Philip Fisher (drums), and Ken Villeneuve (lead & rhythm guitars).
This group employs numerous instrumentalists as well as some producers including the Dust Brothers and Joe Nicolo: the production of this crowded crew is actually quite simplistic, many skinny beats, minimal and funky, sometimes light sometimes frenetic, to which the group combines functional hooks, rarely supported by guessed bridges (good one in the title track on female soul hook and that of "Riot Pump", which presents a splendid sax whose merit I'd like to credit to Scott Mayo), and an often bland and uninspired delivery.
The performers deliver barely flowing, syncopated, slow, mediocre, at best decent, until you get to "R.A.I.D." and you realize that you always seem to listen to the same insipid funky raw-n-skinny beat. Unbelievable. The final song is a rare one for a hip hop record, a metal track with a poor insipid delivery and an extravagant hook: this stuff is an offense for metal.
Promoted by three singles ("R.A.I.D.", "Psyko Funk" and "Walk the Line"), released by 4th & B'way, distributed by Island and PolyGram, the record received positive reviews from critics and goes well on charts, peaking #33 among rap records.
Rating: 5.3/10.
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