You’ve got to laugh at how deluded some hip-hop acts can be. Dem Franchize Boyz’ debut single ‘White Tees’, according to their press release, apparently had such impact it “spawned the current street trend of sporting a white t-shirt”. Honestly, where do they get this shit? Yet in continuing on from their eponymous 2004 debut - from which said fashion critique was lifted - On Top Of Our Game sees the Atlanta, Georgia four-piece of Jizzal Man, Parlae, Pimpin and Buddie once again pre-occupied with the usual bitches, bling and cars.
Its trump card, it claims, is in heralding a new sub-genre of a sub-genre through the crunk-derived 'Snap' – so called because its slick bare-boned style incorporates finger-snapping instead of snare drums.
In the hands of more talented MCs it may be used to rousing effect, but here DFB’s gutter chants and howling unoriginal rhymes make 'Snap' about as interesting as it sounds. In musical terms, it does however lend the album its finest and most original moment through the laid-back, infectious grooves of ‘Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It’.
Elsewhere, repetitive high-pitched refrains and the lack of interesting lyrical content mean the crunk-heavy album grates as it progresses. The menacing tones of ‘You Know What It Is’ and the swirling beats of ‘I Think They Like Me’ may work in a club setting, but on a sit-down listen do little to impress or hint at future durability. If this is Dem Franchize Boyz on the top of their game, they really need to step it up a notch.