January 3–10, 2002

cd reviews|hip-hop

Dungeon Family

Even in Darkness

(Arista)

A year after OutKast’s Stankonia album broke through with its careful balance of catchy hip-hop anthems and experimental P-Funk/rock ’n’ roll interpolations, the Atlanta super-collective known as the Dungeon Family (which parents OutKast, Goodie Mob, Cool Breeze and a host of others) has teamed up with mostly fresh and clean results. Even in Darkness hosts a few irrepressible cuts, including the message-oriented "Follow the Light" and the Southern ode to rims and tires "White Gutz," featuring fellow Peach Stater Bubba Sparxxx. Perhaps in an attempt to regain their hardcore hip-hop fan base, DF and their in-house producers Organized Noize have streamlined some of the left-field production that plagued Stankonia. With a full complement of live instruments on a variety of tracks, the album’s emphasis again seems to be finding a common denominator between hip-hop and other genres. However, this element is far more accomplished here, making Stankonia’s tinkering sound something like a trial run. While the muddled "Crooked Booty" and "On & On & On" illustrate that this album is not without misstep, overall, generous doses of eccentric humor, superb production and Southern-fried wisdom combine to make Darkness worthwhile.

—M.F. Di Bella