With each new album,
Digital Underground develop and deepen their homage to
George Clinton's
P-Funk, coming up with new, inventive ways to carry on the tradition. Unlike the G-funk-inspired crews down in Southern California,
DU play fast and loose with their inspiration, keeping true to the wild-ass eclecticism of
P-Funk's best moments. On
Future Rhythm,
DU have added a concept of their own -- namely, the record is a concept album about moving funk and hip-hop into the next century. Unfortunately, the music never sounds any different than the group's previous releases, with the notable exception of the exclusion of the good-time party raps that always ranked among the crew's finer moments. So, the concept never quite takes hold, and the music is similar to the group's other recordings, but so what?
Digital Underground has found a way to infuse hip-hop with not only the sound but the spirit of
George Clinton in a way no other rapper (with the exception of
Dr. Dre, who took the sound but ignored the spirit) has ever done. And that means that even their lesser efforts, such as
Future Rhythm, have some fine cuts to offer.