Blessed by the Midas-like touch of executive producer Master P, DA CRIME FAMILY is an uncompromising double-disc offering from this intense hip-hop threesome. Theatrical in the extreme, Tru uses spoken word fragments and dramatic backdrops to enhance this unflinching portrait of life on the mean streets. The three-man tag-team approach of C-Murder, Silkk The Shocker, and Master P himself gives this rap supergroup an undeniable urgency. Master P's unparalleled clout accounts for the presence of some heavy guest stars in the person of fellow No Limit Soldiers Mia X, Snoop Dogg, Mr. Serv-On, and others.
Tru doesn't bother with the lusty, misogynist leanings that typify too many of their contemporaries. DA CRIME FAMILY's vision is focused sharply on socio-political issues and the expertly rendered details of modern urban violence and unrest, delivered with a cathartic, unfettered aggression. Cuts like the funky, low-key "Don't Judge Me" and the R&B-inflected "Tru Homies" (which features an adaptation of the '70s R&B hit "I'll Be Around) provide just the right amount of contrast to all the apocalyptic imagery.