Funkdoobiest — Brothas Doobie

Second studio album by Funkdoobiest, West Coast trio from Los Angeles. Production is mainly entrusted to DJ Ralph M and DJ Muggs (of Cypress Hill), while Ray Rall and DJ Lethal (of House of Pain) realize one rhythm each. The record, personal, has no guests. The album is an appreciable improvement on its debut two years earlier. If, up until now, you still didn't understand why DJ Muggs got so much credit for making the beats, this is another document that works in his favor. On this record, the mixing is handled mainly by Muggs himself, so the sound is sharper and cleaner than in the past and is better.

The rhythms chosen by Muggs and Ralph M are simple boom baps, made up of lean, tight, minimal drums and good samples. The most successful songs are all in the first part. "Rock On" has a good dark sample, with elegant piano, tight drum and lean midtempo, rap ok. "Lost in Thought" boasts great xmas bells, tight dry drum and good samples, the rhythm is let to breathe. The following cut features a whiny and annoying, anti-melodic intro; then, comes a lush beat, good samples and a near perfect drum, dry, hard, midtempo, too bad there are these guys mumbling things over the beat.

"Ka Sera Sera" is the best rhythm of DJ Muggs on this album not to have been done by DJ Muggs, the author is, in fact, the producer of the group DJ Ralph M: dark melodic sample in the background, dirty dusty hard and tight drum machine, good samples, rap average, with hook that pays homage to Doris Day. In the second part, "Superhoes" stands out from the other songs, again thanks to a spectacular production of the two producers, who bring out a dark and captivating sound for the group's mediocre rap.

Recorded in Hollywood, the album is released by Immortal and distributed by Epic, entering the pop chart and reaching the top 40 of rap records. An instrumental version of this record wouldn't be bad, because, unfortunately, the guys don't know how to rap: their voice sounds annoyingly slow, broken and messy, casual and out of tune on the beat, not counting the whining hooks. Not recommended, 6/10.