Ghetto E - Ghetto Theater (CD)

All Music Guide

The third and final member of the Dayton Family to release a solo album, Ghetto E spends the majority of his Ghetto Theater album reprising the same themes fans of the infamous Flint, MI, hardcore rap trio have come to expect. In other words, this an extremely decadent album, full of references to violence, drugs, sex, and anything else shocking. In terms of production, things have changed a bit since the last Dayton Family album, 1996's F.B.I.; where that album co-opted a West Coast gangsta rap sound, this album instead looks to the synth- and drum machine-heavy sounds of Southern rap, particularly that of Three 6 Mafia and Master P. Ghetto E is fairly successful in his efforts to create a horrifying portrait of ghetto life, he isn't a very impressive rapper in terms of either lyrics or delivery and, even worse, the album's production is sloppy. Compared to the solo albums of Dayton Family members Shoestring and Bootleg, this album is a slight disappointment. The occasional cameos by ...Bootleg and Esham (who released the album on his Overcore label) bring some bright spots to the album with their impressive mike skills, and certain tracks have some quality moments, but for the most part this is not much more than another generic hardcore/gangsta rap album with little to get excited about. Granted, Ghetto E's rapping shows potential here, but he needs to polish his delivery, come up with more cinematic lyrics, and, more than anything, hire some creative producers. As is, this album is merely average. It's unfortunate that he couldn't get Esham to play a bigger role in the album -- he could have used it. - Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide Read more Less