2-Large is exactly the type of commercial pop-rap/bass album that many New York and Philadelphia hip-hoppers loved to hate in the early 1990s. They would have complained that the Def Dames' rapping lacked sophistication and was short on technique, and they would have denounced the blatantly dance-oriented nature of their grooves as shameless, lowest-common-denominator commercialism. To be sure, the Dames don't have the strong technique of
Queen Latifah,
MC Lyte or Nefertiti. But the fact remains:
2-Large is a fun and likable party album. Ultra-danceable, R&B-drenched tunes like "Thigh Ride" and "The Nasty Thing" and bass remakes of
Devo's "Whip It" and
Prince's "Irresistible Bitch" may not be hip-hop masterpieces, but they're catchy and infectious. Two versions of this album were released: a clean, radio-friendly version and a risque, not-so-clean one - -and quite honestly, the dirty version is more entertaining and a lot more fun.