CRU was the Bronx-based trio comprised of Yogi, Chadeeo, and The Mighty Ha. As legend has it, CRU spotted Chris Lighty (who had recently left Def Jam to start Violator Management) going into a club and were able to slide him their demo tape. Lighty was impressed by the tape, leading to CRU (who were then going by the group name Rhythm Blunt Crew) signing a deal with his former employer, Def Jam. CRU would release their debut album, Da Dirty 30, on the label in June of ‘97.

According to a Chadeeo interview I found on YouTube, the album title was inspired by a corrupt Harlem Police Department, often called the Dirty 30. They also chose the title to describe the album’s thirty tracks as dirty and grimy. Yogi would produce the entire album, which included a handful of special guest appearances. Despite favorable reviews, the album was a commercial failure, especially considering it was a Def Jam release. Da Dirty 30 would be the first and last time the world would hear from CRU as a group. Yogi would join the Bad Boy production collective, The Hitmen, producing tracks for Diddy, Busta Rhymes, Terror Squad, G.Dep, and Method Man. Chadeeo would release a few solo and joint independent projects, and there’s still an APB out on The Mighty Ha.

As I’ve mentioned probably too many times during this blog, 1997 was the year I began my four-year and change separation from secular hip-hop. There were a lot of new artists that came out during that timeframe that I knew about but never listened to their projects. CRU and Da Dirty 30 completely went under my radar. That was until I finally listened to Foxy Brown’s Ill Na Na and heard a snippet of their lead single (“Just Another Case”) that I then remembered hearing years ago on an XM Radio hip-hop mix. Thanks to the plug on Ill Na Na, I finally had the name of the group responsible for the audible treat that I had completely forgotten about. I tracked down a used CD copy, and here we are today.

I bought Da Dirty 30 seven months ago but have patiently waited until now to listen to it. This is one I’m actually excited to get into.

DJ Footlong (Intro) – Da Dirty 30 is hosted by DJ Footlong, who is clearly a knockoff character/clone of DJ EZ Dicc from Doggystyle. Over a smooth West Coast-esque groove, Footlong introduces the CRU to the listener, gives some shoutouts (including a RIP to Notorious BIG), and dabbles in his misogyny bag before summoning the bass line for the next record to drop. Unlike DJ EZ Dicc, I found none of Footlong’s buffoonery even remotely amusing.

Bluntz & Bakakeemis – Yogi, The Mighty Ha (though he contributes less than one bar), and Chadeeo invite a few members of their extended Rhythm Blunt Crew to join them on the opening track. Tracey Lee gets off a solid verse, and someone named Jim Hydro delivers a proficient performance. But it’s MC Lyte’s former arch nemesis and self-proclaimed Queen of the CRU, Antoinette, who sounds sharper than all the parties without a vagina that rhyme on this track. She wittingly addresses her beef with Lyte, summarizes her rap career, and talks her shit convincingly. The bass line sounds a little monotonous and stale, but the rugged drums and verbal vitality of the emcees rhyming over it make it feel harder than it really is.

That Shit – This time around, Yogi, Chadeeo, and The Mighty Ha display their skills without help from outside sources, and they sound pretty nice bouncing off each other. Yogi makes a tongue-in-cheek reference to sounding like Q-Tip during his last verse, which is a comparison you can’t deny (Tribe Degrees of Separation: check). The trio kept me engaged, and the crispy, steady drums rescued the aimless bells in the instrumental.

Just Another Case – This was the lead single from Da Dirty 30 that was partially played during the Ill Na Na intro/Def Jam artist promo. Yogi and Chadeeo share a cautionary tale that references the life and times of a drug dealer named L. They incorporate pieces of Slick Rick’s “Children’s Story” into their rhymes and hook before yielding and letting the storytelling guru himself spit a verse about Sid (home on “work release after doing a three to life bid”). Ironically, the pupils’ (CRU) storyline was more intriguing than the teacher’s, but more enjoyable than both was the wonderfully tender guitar licks and melodic strings sampled in the instrumental.

Hoe 2 Society – This short skit pays a carnal homage to the hood classic scene from Menace II Society, where Bill Duke’s character interrogates the main character in the film, Caine. There is no need to listen to this more than once.

Nuthin’ But – Black Rob, who I became familiar with through his hit record “Whoa,” joins the Rhythm Blunt Boys and goes back and forth like Aaliyah with Yogi and Chadeeo on the mic. The Mighty Ha only rears his head for hook duties. The trio’s playful banter was semi-interesting, but the gully Scooby Doo mystery bass line was enchanting.

Straight From L.I.P. – Yogi samples the elegant and irresistible strings and bass from Portishead’s “Sour Times” for the backdrop as CRU represents for their Bronx hood. This was pretty dope.

Goin’ Down – All three parts of CRU play roles in this theatrical hood tale that features Petey (played by Yogi) going to a Bronx project to get some ass before running into the antagonist, played by Chadeeo. I followed the storyline up to when Petey calls his man, Shah (played by The Mighty Ha). After that, everything gets fuzzy until the episode ends in gunfire. The story was poorly executed, and the instrumental was a snooze fest.

Shoot Out – A minute-long skit that plays exactly as it reads.

Ten To Run – Yogi gets the first solo joint of the evening, and it’s one verse over an off-kilter piano loop and smackin’ drums. The ten-numerical group countdown that he closes with was pretty clever.

Wreckgonize – Black Rob returns to lead off this record with a sharp and murderous verse. Yogi follows, rhyming about the neighborhood drug addicts and their drugs of choice, while Chadeeo uses his time to touch on a little bit of everything. The warmly warped vibes and quiet drums make for great late-night chill music.

Bulletproof Vest – A dude selling bulletproof vests gets shot by a potential customer on this skit. That’s all I got.

The Ebonic Plague – CRU adds to Da Dirty 30 guest list. Ras Kass pops up to rub shoulders and share the mic with Yogi and Chad. According to one of Yogi’s lines, this song was going to be titled “Da Dirty Understanding Cipher.” Instead, they settled on “The Ebonic Plaque” (sounds like something Ras Kass came up with). Yogi’s verse sounds uninspired, Ras continues to rhyme with the same underwhelming, choppy, unorthodox style he used on Soul On Ice, and Chad closes things out with a decent verse (his use of “adorable” as an adjective to describe a dime chick sounded creepy). Yogi’s instrumental is sturdy but not spectacular.

Up North – Since “Up North” was a common term East Coast rappers used to describe people in prison in the nineties, I assumed this song would be about the CRU’s incarcerated homeboys. It’s not. Yogi and Chadeeo spit all kinds of randomness, and Mighty Ha adds an energetic hook (that resembles something Fatman Scoop would do (rip)). I love the seductive bass line and the “Pastime Paradise” sample inserted into the instrumental.

R.I.P. – DJ Footlong sends a rest in peace to his homeboy, TreQuan, who must be the same joker that got smoked on the “Bulletproof Vest” interlude.

Live At The Tunnel – The CRU gets a little three-on-three action going on as they go head-to-head with The Lox. I enjoyed the chemistry between the two squads, and CRU more than holds their own against the revered Yonkers threesome. This record is hard, and that intermittent trunk-rattling bass is a monster.

Pronto – Yogi hooks up a mid-tempo West Coast-esque G-Funk groove for himself and Chadeeo to tag team the mic, and The Mighty Ha delivers a hard hook magnified by his raw vocal tone. This is one of my favorite records on the album.

You Used To – An uncredited female vocalist performs an emasculating parody of Faith Evans’ “You Used To Love Me.” Yet another useless interlude. Thankfully, it’s super short.

Fresh, Wild And Bold – Yogi’s instrumental sounds like the big cousin to his work on “Wreckgonize.” He, Chad, and The Mighty Ha vibe out over the chill backdrop that gives early Slum Village Dilla Years energy while the sista from the previous interlude harmonizes on the hook. The Mighty Ha closes the record that bleeds into the next interlude (no pun).

O.J. – As much as I love nineties hip-hop, some of the things the genre made fun of and laughed at back in the day are appalling today. This domestic violence skit is a prime example.

Lisa Lipps – Mighty Ha gets a solo joint, and it’s dripping with fabricated “Brooklyn Zoo” energy. Next…

Bubblin’ – This was the album’s second single. Question: Since the lyrics on this track are censored, should the album still be titled Da Dirty 30? The instrumental sounds very Ummah-esque, and Yogi sounds more like Q-Tip than usual on this track (it doesn’t help matters that he borrows one of Tip’s lines). This was a fun record that only sounds better with each listen, minus the censoring.

Goines Tale – Yogi and The Mighty Ha got their shot at solo joints, so it’s only right that Chadeeo gets one, too. Chad uses it to pay homage to Donald Goines by stringing together his own hood tale referencing some of Goines’ book titles and characters. I’ll give Chad an A for the original concept and a C for the execution.

The Illz – Filler material that left me a bit empty.

Footlong – DJ Footlong introduces, “The label made us do it part of the tape.”

My Everlovin’ – This is a fly love song with slightly disrespectful undertones (mainly during the hook). Yogi and Chadeeo both rap praises to the ladies they love over a very Zen Sade sample, sexy horns, and heavy drums (Mighty Ha pops up for a quick and useless second, but the record remains unharmed). This is one record I’m glad the label made them do, as it’s one of my favorite joints on the album.

Pay Attention – This record definitely had pop aspirations. Yogi loops up The System’s (remember them?) “Don’t Disturb This Groove,” and a young Anthony Hamilton remixes some of the lyrics from the same song, making for an embarrassingly corny hook. Despite the horrible hook and the unimaginative Caption Obvious sample, Yogi and Chadeeo sound nice rapping over it.

Loungin’ Wit My Cru – This is one the label shouldn’t have made them do.

Dirty 29 – I thought my CD skipped the first few times I listened to this. Then I discovered CRU was playing a dirty trick on me. They got me!

Armaggedon – The grand finale finds Yogi and Chadeeo spinning a bizarre tale that name-drops a slew of your favorite East Coast rappers (including Biggie) fighting and ultimately killing each other at a nightclub (The Mighty Ha adds a colorfully violent hook to it). Coming on the heels of the Tupac/Biggie murders, the CRU’s calculated shock value might have been poorly timed, but my dark sense of humor makes me laugh every time I hear Chadeeo rhyme “Wonder where Yogi’s at in this piece/LL slumped over the bar, deceased/Redman a dead man, essence forever/Latifah in the corner with her fuckin’ head severed” (I warned you that my sense of humor was dark). And just in case someone may have been offended by the song’s content (which probably includes all the rappers mentioned in the song), DJ Footlong ends the track with a few words that make it sound like this song was a PSA for the Stop The Violence Movement. He also gives some parting shoutouts and farewells before signing off.

Sometimes, I wonder how different The United States would be today if Martin Luther King Jr. lived through the new millennium. Sometimes I wonder how many rings Jordan would have gotten had he not retired for a year and a half in between his three-peats and stayed with the Bulls for the remainder of the nineties. Da Dirty 30 left me wondering what CRU would have evolved into if Yogi had turned down Puffy’s invitation to join the Hitmen and remained the glue that held the trio together.

For much of the album, CRU seems to aimlessly occupy the microphone space without clear direction. The Mighty Ha’s contrived copycat animation works for a few hooks, but most of his contribution feels forced and just weird. Then there’s Yogi, whose rap voice might naturally resemble Q-Tip’s, but on a few songs, he leans into the comparison and ends up sounding like he’s doing Tribe karaoke. There are too many skits (none of which are funny) on the album, and I never need to hear from DJ Footlong again. Despite The Mighty Ha’s weirdness, the trio’s identity crisis, and the overabundance of senseless interludes, I enjoyed Da Dirty 30.

Throughout the album’s thirty tracks, Yogi and Chadeeo prove to be competent emcees with tons of potential, bouncing off each other with a blossoming chemistry that’s easy to spot. All the guest appearances on Da Dirty 30 are well-placed, and nearly all put their best foot (or bars) forward with their contributions. But Yogi’s production is more impressive than CRU and its guests. Yogi embraces his East Coast roots, hooking up raw boom-bap slaps, and proves he’s just as capable of making dope beats with soul and jazz samples. On the album’s intro and tracks like “Pronto,” he shows more musical diversity, hooking up smooth G-Funk style grooves that feel authentic. All of Yogi’s instrumentals aren’t winners, but most are fire, making the bulk of the album an enjoyable listen.

The hood poet Keith Murray once said: “If your “if” was a spliff, we’d be all fucked up.” And If Da Dirty 30 were the Da Dirty 18, it would probably be a classic. And if CRU would have stayed and grown together, there’s no telling where their potential could have taken them.

Damn you, Puffy.

-Deedub
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