On Top Of Our Game : Dem Franchize Boyz : Review : Rolling Stone

"Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It" herald the rise of crunk's new subsector, "snap" -- as in, "Oh, snap, the joke's on us." Now the Atlanta foursome -- Parlae, Pimpin, Jizzal Man and Buddie -- comes with a full-length album of barked gutter chants over bare-bones beats. On Top of Our Game's menacing boom may be ideal for stripping or fighting in parking lots, but as a straight listen it's monotonous and dispiriting. The group's big singles (both included here) are built from skittering high-hats, spooky synth licks and bowel-bugging bass pulses -- a signature sound so glossy and omnipresent that evaluating On Top of Our Game on musical terms is like talking about a car's performance based on its fresh paint job. The swirling organ and wah-wah guitar on "Give Props" are a welcome change, but the group's lyrical sameness never wavers. "Stop Callin' Me" (its hook: "Bitch, stop callin' me!") is followed shortly by "Don't Play With Me" (its hook: "Bitch, don't play with me!"). It's enough to induce nostalgia for the thoughtful proclamations of Lil Jon. Dem Franchize Boyz should go back and listen to their forefathers 2 Live Crew, who knew that incorrigibly foulmouthed ditties require humor and even melody to shine.