Customer Reviews

Dysfunktional Family

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Now this is a good soundtrack for those that enjoy gangsta rap primarily westcoast brand. I have been a fan of Death Row/Tha Row since it's inception and i was really curious to see what they had to offer now that seem to have landed on their feet again. For awhile Death Row had just tried to replace several artists they lost with talented but obvious knockoff's like Bad Azz with Swoop G, Snoop Doggy Dogg with YGD Top Dogg, Lady Of Rage with SKG, & most noteably 2Pac with Tha Realest but that was from 1999-2001 abouts and now in 2003 they have an intire new roster with fresh new production. Tha Row comes with female rappers Virginya Slim & Gail Gotti (a bit like a female Kurupt), a hard tongue twisting at times lyracist in Crooked I, a veteran in Kurupt Young Gotti of Tha Dogg Pound, a great talented RnB singer in Danny Boy & some other fresh hungry unique MC's in that of Spider Loc & Eastwood. Now all these make for a promissing album but also the fact that they have their own producers being Tha Row Hittas with their own production style headlining it being the multi talented Darren Vegas. Now onto the music i'll drop what the sound track gives you song wise in highlights and disappointments.

Still Tha Row w/Crooked I & Virginya Slim - this is a good opening track it has a whiney westcoastish beat that is very loud and bass heavy. There is a sort of admirable low-fi quality to this joint. Crooked I lays down some good lyrics letting everyone know Death Row is back and discusses soem of the things the record company has gone through and Virginya Slim's part does get a bit anoying and that's the only problem with the song cuz she serves no real purpose, this beat was remixed and it is alot better than the original in my book.

I'm Back [Remix] w/Kurupt - those of you itching for a brand new jaw dropping Kurupt Tha Kingpin track will be disappointed. The beat sounds a tad like his dungeon freestyle with Canibus but less banging and with less lyrical ability than he shows in the freestyle. The lyrics are laughable in parts and the only thing that saves the song is Kurupt does kick it up a nitch lyrically near the end, I'm still waiting for him to rip tracks up like he once did.

Dysfunktional Family (Theme) w/Crooked I, Eastwood & Danny Boy - this is the albums true highlight. It shows Death Row's new talent working perfectly to create great music as they did back in the day on a nice posse cut. Crooked I, Danny Boy & Eastwood all drop great verses about the troubles of broken families and how even through it all it's still family and everything can turn out all right, gangsta music with a good message. The beat is a nice smooth mellow modern G Funkish beat. great stuff.

Hovi Baby [Remix] w/Jay-Z - I personally thought the original version of thsi song was one of the best tracks off the disappointing Blueprint 2. I was just blown away by how they changed teh song alot but still maintained the great song it's self it covers basically how Jay-Z has evolved in this rap game.

We Ballin w/Crooked I & Eastwood - great club track. This beat will have anyone wanting to dance it has a slightly dirty south feel and normally I hate that stuff but this works well because Eastwood & Crooked I both have great ability on the mic and Crooked I even pulls off his niceest verse on the whole album even though it's kinda short.

All My w/Ashanti - Ashanti is and always will be a good song writer. Her doctored voice sounds nice on this track too. It's another club banger with Irv Gotti changing his style slightly to make the song extra sweet.

Tha Row (Y'all Hoes) w/Eastwood, Spider Loc & Ganxta Ridd of Boo Yaa Tribe - Thsi is a diss track calling out Snoop Dogg and the whole DPG/Dogghouse/Doggystyle Records family in retaliation to Snoop Dogg's "Pimp Slapp'd" song where he calls CEO Suge Knight & Kurupt bitchs. Now none but Eastwood really know Snoop that I know of but all their raps are pretty funny insults especially when Eastwood says Snoop can't fit in a wife beater & it's backed witha good solid beat, it shows that Death Row is still good for what it has always been good, for dissing whether it was Eazy-E & Ruthless, Biggie & Bad Boy, Or Snoop, Dre & the whole Dogghouse family.

all in all it's a pretty well rounded album even though it has very little to do with the actually movie it is for baring a couple of tracks. I say it's a buyer but that's for you to decided after listening to it you can tell it's a quality album that show cases some fresh new talent from a reliable record label for quality music if anything.

Death Row has a storied tradition of producing top-quality soundtracks including the "Gang Related" soundtrack, and the "Murder Was the Case" soundtrack.

Whether for better or for worse, the landscape at Death Row has radically changed. The great Tupac Shakur passed away just before CEO Suge Knight was sent to prison. Snoop Dogg left soon thereafter, and eventually the entire original roster had vacated.

Fast forward to 2003: Tha Row has an entirely new roster, and is faced with the daunting task of continuing their earlier success.

Thankfully, Suge Knight is an excellent scout of talent. He has signed underground sensation Crooked Icon, Eastwood, and re-signed accomplished MC, Kurupt (of Dogg Pound fame) to propel Death Row to the top again.

The roster is referred to as the "Second Dynasty." After listening to the soundtrack, I'm proud to say that they definitely are carrying on in the footsteps of the inmates before them.

BREAKDOWN:

1) Crooked I (Feat. Virginya Slim) - Still Tha Row \/\/ Ridiculous Lyrics, Production, and Song, 9/10
2) Kurupt - I'm Back (Remix) \/\/ Average Rapping considering this is Kurupt, one of the Four Horsemen; sounded more like a freestyle, Ridiculous Production, Good Song, 7.5/10
3) Crooked I (Feat. Eastwood, Danny Boy) - DysFUNKtional Family \/\/ Smooth track, Crooked I shines again, Eastwood surprised me with a real nice verse, Danny Boy blesses the track with his vocals, Ridiculous Production, and Song - 9/10
4) Jay-Z - Hovy Baby (Remix) Real nice beat, I usually don't feel Jay's songs (borrows too many lines) but he really flows well over the beat, Ridiculous Production AGAIN, Dope Song - 8/10
5) Juvenile (Feat. Young Buck) - I'm a Gangsta Juvenile did alright on this track, although Young Buck outshines him. Again, I'm VERY IMPRESSED with the production team, they definitely hold their own, Dope Song - 7.5/10
6) Eastwood (Feat. Crooked I) - We Ballin' \/\/ DAMN!!! If you like to bump music in your ride, you have to BUY THIS CD, this track is RIDICULOUS. Eastwood and Crooked I tear the mic to pieces. The production will make 80-year-olds bust out dancing. RIDICULOUS SONG - 10/10
7) Crooked I (Feat. Eastwood, Ja Rule) - Who Wants 2 F--k Tonite \/\/ Eastwood and Crooked I put it down AGAIN, these two are seriously like the Snoop and Tupac of Tha New Row (no disrespect meant) Crooked's verse is freaky sh!t that's funny too. Ja Rule shouldn't have been on the track in all honesty, the mixing is horrible and its OBVIOUS he wasn't in the studio with Crooked and Eastwood. Production is again RIDICULOUS, Dope song - 8/10
8) Ashanti - All My Shouldn't have even been on the soundtrack, it ruins the flow of the album. Production was VERY MEDIOCRE. Whack song - 4/10
9) Gail Gotti - Gangstress \/\/ Gail is alrite, but this sounds like a Kurupt cover. I know she goin out with him, but she jacks his style too much (not to mention lines). Production is SOLID, not as good as the rest. Alright song - 6/10
10) Eastwood (Feat. Others) - Tha Row (Y'All Hoes) \/\/ DAMN, hardcore dis track. Goes after Daz, Snoop and Soopafly in a real big way. Everybody puts it down, but it's kinda outta place on a movie soundtrack. Still, the rhymes are ill, the production is SICK, track is killer - 8/10
11) Michel'le - I Know Where I'm Goin \/\/ I'm not a big R&B fan, but she puts it down, and the production is again RIDICULOUS. Dope Song - 8/10
12) Gangxsta Ridd (Feat. Kurupt) - 1 Call \/\/ He's decent, but really the presence of Kurupt and the production make this a cut you'll be bumpin in your ride. Dope Song - 8/10
13) N.I.N.A. (Feat. Danny Boy) - 2 Street 4 T.V. \/\/ DAMN! N.I.N.A. was a sick lyricist, and she puts it DOWN on this track. It's a shame that she passed away, cause she was clearly more talented than the other female rappers on the soundtrack. Production is SOLID, and Danny Boy puts it down, but the mixing makes it sound like he wasn't in the studio with Lisa at the same time. Dope Song - 7.5/10
14) Crooked I (Feat. Phobia) - Get Off The Block \/\/ A sort of "Still Tha Row Part II." If you haven't picked up on it yet, Crooked I is one of the best MCs in the game, don't sleep. Crooked brings the heat again. Production is ridiculous, but the melody starts to get annoying after a while cuz its overused. Still, a dope song - 8/10
15) Skippa - On The Radio \/\/ This track, like the Ashanti track, ruin the flow of the album. Production is above-average, lyrics are decent, but this song OVERALL is mediocre. Alright Song - 6/10
16) Crooked I (Feat. The Dramatics, Danny Boy, Eastwood, Eddie Griffin) \/\/ I can't stress enough how skilled Crooked I is, his wordplay on this song is threatening at times and humorous at others. Eastwood drops another impressive verse, and the R&B hook is smooth. Eddie Griffin puts down a funny verse. Production is SOLID, Dope Song - 8/10
17) Spider (Feat. Eddie Griffin) - DysFUNKtional \/\/ Spider's pretty good talkin about the effect of a messed up family on a young cat. Eddie Griffin sings the hook on this track and again, puts it down. Production is SOLID. Dope Song - 8/10

Overall - 8.0/10.0 This is a solid purchase, you won't be disappointed. Crooked I, Eastwood, and Tha Row Hitters production team put it down and prove that Death Row is definitely back.

Just Buy You Wont Regret It

This album is great and shows that Death Row will make a great come back to the rap industry. However, some of the songs on the album were not quite up to par with the others and were more like filler tracks rather then then irresistable, hard core, "Still Tha Row." The Dysfunktional Family soundtrack shows Suge Knights new talent including Crooked I, Gail Gotti, and N.I.N.A.(N.I.N.A. is actually Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes under the name New Identity Non Aplicable.) Crooked I is definitely a great rapper and needs to be more on the radio and his album, "Say Hi to the Bad Guy" needs to be released. To wrap up, The Dysfunktional Family soundtrack may not be perfect but it is definitely worth buying.

1. Still Tha Row - Crooked I feat. Virginia Slim
Production : Darren Vegas
Theres a new beat to this one now. Its really like a beat for the club. Lyrically I love this more everyday, again Crooked always come good and this song gets catchier every time I hear it.He is reppin Tha Row to the fullest on this one.
Nice song to introduce Virginia Slim on too and she sounds good and looks good in the video, so nothing to hate on there. Theres even a nice diss to Snoop. In a year or 2 this track will be labelled a classic by many Row fans!

Rating : 5/5 with the ne beat I had to give the extra half and give it full wack. Its incredible and you should just see the video!! THA ROW IS BACK!

2. Im Back - Kurupt
Production : Darren Vegas
I loved the original of this song and now its even better with some nicer lyrics. No new beat which is fine by me cause the beat is quality. Kurupt is telling everyone to stop hating, he is home and he isnt going anywhere. He is definitely going to drop his "torpedo" when he releases his Against The Grain album. The chorus on this one is really catchy,
"Im BACK (where ya at) back home (where ya headed) to the hood (what ya upta) no good muthafucka IM BACK!!".

Review : 5/5 This is the song right here

3. DysfunKtional Family (Theme) - Crooked I, Eastwood and Danny Boy
Production :
This one would have been my choice for the single giving exposure to both Crooked I and Eastwood plus this song is called Dysfunctional Family. Still Tha Row has nothing to do with the Movie. This song reminds me a bit of No One Understands Me in which Crooked I shows his other side. Eastwood's first showing on the LP is a good one, comes off nice. Im a big fan of him already. Nice smooth beat on this one and Danny Boy is sounding nice. A nice team effort on this one.

Rating : 5/5

4. Hovy Baby Remix - Jay-Z
Production - Trackmasters
This is Jigga at his best, flowing fast with a great flow and a brilliant beat behind him. There is real chemistry between him and Tone and Poke (Trackmasters). Even though there is nothing new here, he is as you expect boasting about being the best rapper alive but fair enough he is as he puts it "so far ahead of his time". No one is this consistent in rap and its good to see him on this release. If it will help sales im not sure, lets just hope it does.

Review : 4.5/5

5. Im A Gangsta - Skippa, Juvenile and Young Buck
Production :
This is a cool song, pretty Cash Money sounding. Its reppin "LA, Compton, Watts, Sag Town and the Bay Area back down" though and not really down South which is kinda surprising. Cool beat, good lyrics, would be nice to see the UTP gang on future death row releases.

Review : 4/5

6. We Ballin - Eastwood feat Crooked I
Production :
"The new Tha Row" on this one. Eastwood rhymes first and sounds real hungry and happy to be given his turn to grab the mic. "Yall niggaz know me the E-A-S-T I rep the west G cause we the best see". Yea Eastwood really is shining now and up next is Crooked I. Crooked I has the nice flow again. The 2003 Hitmakers are here. Originally I would have loved Kurupt to be on there too but its all good, this song can not be faulted. This one is a banger, a new duo. Snoop and Pac as a duo were unstoppable and these 2 new cats are just as good.

Review 5/5

7. Who wants to fuc tonight? - Eastwood, Crooked I, Danny Boy and Ja Rule
Production : Maybe Irv but probably Darren.
Starts off with the chorus by Eastwood which is catchy and solid. "Do my niggaz wanna fuc tonight? (HELL YEA) how many ladies wanna fuc tonight! (We do We do)"
Eastwood is up first with a nice flow then Danny Boy sings soundin really good, this is one of those songs which could be huge with a video. Crooked I raps really well then Ja comes in last. I think Ja is good and he definitely knows how to make a hit, hate him or not.

Review : 5/5 This is really fresh with great lyrics and a tight chorus

08. All My - Ashanti
Production : Probably Irv and 7
I really didnt expect to love this one. She is fine and has got a great voice. The chorus is really good and the beat is cool. Dont know much else to say about this one, im not the biggest RnB fan.

Review : 4/5 Everyone loves Ashanti even with the sideburns, lol.

9. GANGSTRESS - Gail Gotti
Production :
Only heard a one minute clip of this one, will need to hear more! Promising

Review : 3/5

10. Tha Row (Yall Hoes) - Eastwood, Ganxsta Ridd and Spider
Production : Darren Vegas
I found the soundtrack was slowing up a little bit before this song and this song was needed to heat is up again. A wicked beat and 3 dudes going at Snoop. Eastwood really goes at him saying he is Dre's hoe and spanky aint his. Also dissed is Soopafly and Daz. Then Ganxta Ridd goes at him aiight, and Spider ends it. He sounds pretty tight reminding me of Tha Relatives. Mimicking Snoop at the end they say "ya money we got it ya paper we get it" imitating words from "Pimp Slapped".

Review : 4/5 Snoop had to be addressed and was certainly addressed on this song and he gonna get more on "Slap Back" by Crooked I.

11. I know Where im going - Michelle (Pronounced Mish'el'lay)
Production :
This one is has grown on me a bit more after listening to it properly so its gone from 3 to 3.5. Reminds me of a song on the Gang Related Ost. She has a nice strong voice.
So we got the strong voiced song with Ashanti and the weaker song (compared to Michelle)
Review : 3.5/5

12. 1 Call (Real Talk) - Ganxta Ridd feat Kurupt
Production :
Good song. Blood and Crip connecting on this one. Ganxsta Ridd is cool, a bit constipated but cool, haha! Kurupt sounds good on the chorus and does a bit of rappin here and there. Another great beat for niggaz to rhyme on.

Review : 4/5

13. Too Street For T.V - N.I.N.A feat Danny Boy
Production :
A very west coast beat here. Left Eye was a good talent, was a nice addition to the camp. May she Rest in Peace. Danny Boy does good on the chorus.

Review : 3.5/5

14. Get Off Tha Block - Crooked I feat Phobia
Production : Darren Vegas
This is pure flames, I blazing beat and Crooked's rhymes are shyt hot on this one.
I havent heard the full version though unfortunatly but the line "banging hits thats aint ever been rivaled I carry a rival I cherish survival, im the bad guy thats my area title and Suge's the real Simon so fuk American Idol" is pretty classic.

Review : 5/5 Cant wait to bump this one! "better get off the block"

15. On The Radio - Skippa
Production : Ambassador Cash
Skippa from UTP lays down a nice track here, lyrically nothing special but thats not needed to make a hot song. Cool beat from Cash the new Row producer. Nice sound. The chrous is pretty funky. Suge must like him alot to give him a full solo and his hunch to give him the spot has turned out to be a good thing.

Review : 3.5/5

16. I Thought You Knew - Crooked I, Dramatics and Danny Boy, Eastwood and Eddie Griffin
Production :
This is some ol smooth shyt with the Dramatics and Danny Boy. Crooked I is ridiculous as usual and the chorus is beautiful man. Eastwood sounds really good again then Eddie Griffin comes in with a little thang and the songs ends pretty quick.

Review : 5/5 damn it feels good to give such high ratings

17. Dys-Funk-Tion-Al - Spider feat Eddie Griffin
Production :
First time to properly here Spider. His voice is cool over this beat and he does a good job cause his voice is pretty hard and the beat is one you'd maybe hear Kurupt on. I dont really think he has that something special to be a real hitmaker like Kurupt or Crooked I but you cant expect every artist to be exceptional plus we havent really heard enough from him yet. Got Eddie on the chorus and its really good. A great idea to get him in the studio tp put it down.

Review : 3.5/5

Overall : The first album from Tha Row in a long time, this album was definitely needed and sets things up nicely for Crooked I's album. As most of us fans expect Crooked I is exceptional on this soundtrack and I believe him to be the future of west coast music. Eastwood also really shines on this album even though his great track "The Formula" was taken off last minute for what reason I dont know.
Along with a hard solo by Kurupt and southful songs featuring Danny Boy, these songs make DysfunKtional Family Ost a must for any death row fan. Even a tight song from Jigga is on there and a cool upbeat track from Ashanti is really catchy.
Plus bangers from Crooked I and new female rapper Gail Gotti have been added. This is my review after about 10 listens now and like I thought it has grew on me even more.
No complaints on the lyrical content. This album seems to be like a really good team effort.
The new Tha Row family is straight hitmakers!
Pz Warren aka Swizz

4/5

Death Row is on it's way back to the top and this is a good way to start it. The album showcases the Death Row artists and producers which prove theirselves in basically every song. There's also special features from mainstream artists but I continue to bang the Death Row tracks to the fullest. Crooked I is really talented and has some of the sharpest lyrics I've heard. Go out and buy this album, it's worth it. Support quality music and Death Row!!

I must say, I'm very impressed with this soundtrack. I can not think of a soundtrack with such good quality music as this one. Not only do the artist come good but the production and construction of this album do as well. Crooked I will be the one artist to revamp the west coast rap scene to where it once was. the best songs on this album are "Still Tha Row" by Crooked I ft Viginia Slim, "I'm Back" by Kurupt,"Who Wants to F@#3" by Eastwood, Crooked I, Danny Boy and Ja Rule, and my favorite "We Ballin" by Eastwood and Crooked I. Guest apperences feature Ashanti, Ja Rule, Jay-Z, and the late great, once Death Row recording artist Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez AKA Nina. If you love west coast rap DON'T SLEEP ON THIS ALBUM.

deathrow never fail to dissappoint. better than any new release in the past 2 years

Finally tha Row returns, the best label ever. Lets get started right away.

1."STILL THA ROW"-The origanal one was better, but this song still knocks. Crooked.I and Virgina Slim do a good job on this joint together.

2."I'M BACK[RMX]"-KURUPT, the best on the mic rips the track up, I love this joint. Play this joint all the time.

3."DYSFUNKTIONAL FAMILE [THEME]"-Crooked.I, Eastwood and Danny Boy work very well together on this slow paced joint. It is a nice song to chill to.

4."HOVY BABY[RMX]"-Ok I'am not really a Jay.Z fan, but the beat is bumpin.

5."I'M A GANGSTA"-These down south playas as my self can make a nice track, Skippa rips it, Young Buck hits it up, and Juvenile holds it down, it's a hit.

6."WE BALLIN"-Eastwood and Crooked.I come up in the mix again, and rip it. This should be a single, it's hot.

7."WHO WANTS TO *** TONIGHT-This track is pretty good, Danny Boy, Crooked.I, and Eastwood hold it down for Tha Row, while Ja Rule comes by as the guest.

8."ALL MY"-This is another song that should be a single, Ashanti is a great and talanted singer.

9."GANGSTRESS[HOW I ROLE]"-Gail Gotti, this is a hot, hot song, she is a hot mc for real.

10."THA ROW[YA'LL HOES]-All I can say is dawm, they riped the *** out of Snoop Dogg.

11."I KNOW WHERE I'M GOING"-This is a pretty good song, I liked it, but it wasn't her best.

12."1 CALL[REAL TALK]-This is my favorite song on here. I hope they make a video for it. Gangsta Ridd rips it up while KURUPT does the hook.

13."TOO STREET 4 T.V.-A nice song from N.i.n.a who is also known as Lisa Lefteye Lopez. Danny Boy supplies the hook.

14."GET OFF THA BLOCK"-Crooked.I once again rips the album up along side Phobia. This is a banga for sure.

15."ON THA RADIO"Skippa holds it down for Deathrow South, I love the beat.

16."I THOUGHT YOU KNEW"-A nice track from Crooked.I, Eastwood, Danny Boy, Eddie Griffin and The Fabolous Dramatics.

17."The final track is another hit, Spider lays down a more deeper song for the ending, Eddie Griffin does the hook, a great song.

WELL THERE YOU HAVE IT, DEATHROW IS BACK, 1

After Tupac died you could pretty much say that Deathrow Records died. They keep releasing soso albums rereleasing classic albums and putting out mediocre compilations and bad marketing schemes like Nu-Mixx Classics. They have fallen off big time with this soundtrack. The Good: Crooked I's Still Tha Row(Im glad Crooked I left. Deathrow didnt deserve a great Mc like him anymore than Aftermath deserved Rakim) is tight, Dysfunktional Family(The Theme) is also worth hearing. Spider Joke ruins what could have been a great retort to Snoop Dogg's Pimpslappd(Tha Row, Yall Hoes) with a crummy verse but Eastwood and Ganxta Ridd made it worthwhile and Hovy Baby(remix) is an pretty decent remix to the already spectacular Hovy Baby. These are the only tracks that are worth listening to. The Bad: Kurupt returns with the same secondhand flow he had when he left Deathrow with the tepid Im Back, Im A Gangsta sucks, We Ballin(sounds forced), 1 Call is dull, Get Off Tha Block suffers from lame hooks disease and Crooked I can do better than that. Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes(RIP) has a song on here under her alias N.I.N.A. which is not the best this gifted femcee can do called Too Hot 4 T.V. I Thought You Knew wouldnt have been all that bad until Eddie Griffin decided it was cool to try to rap(dont give up your day job fool). The Ugly: Who Wants To F*** Tonight is made even worser than it already was by a craptacular verse from Jarule, Ashanti's All My is so awful that the local radio station DJ who played it received death threats(IM NOT KIDDING!!!) On Tha Radio is hot garbage and gives people who never heard of Skip an unfair judgement of him as a rapper. Bottom Line: This is the worst soundtrack ever made(next the Ride Soundtrack). The movie that spawned it was okay even though Eddie Griffin was funnier in his younger days. The movie should be purchased by itself and pretend like there is no soundtrack for it!