Thicker Than Water (Full Frame)

DVD, R, 87 minutes, PALM PICTURES

A stellar roster of hip-hop performers star in this streetwise story about a pair of gang-bangers who want to channel their energies into music, but soon discover how hard it can be to leave their old lives behind. DJ (Mack 10) and Lonzo (Fat Joe) are members of rival street gangs in inner-city Los Angeles; both have an interest in rap music, and after DJ's equipment is destroyed in a fire and Lonzo gets shafted by a sleazy record company executive, they decide that they have more in common than they thought, and they join forces to bring their sounds to the people. Needing financing, they approach Gator (CJ Mac), a wealthy drug kingpin, who agrees to bankroll their projects; with Gator's capital, the record label is a success, but things start to go sour when the police discover who is financing the operation, and an escalating gang war drives a wedge between the partners. Meanwhile, DJ is juggling two girlfriends, Brandy (Kidada Jones) and Leyla (Tom'ya Bowden), and is being pressured by his mother to renew his ties with his father, who abandoned the family when DJ was a child. Thicker Than Water also stars Ice Cube as Slink, MC Eiht as Lil' Ant, and Big Pun as Punny, with Krayzie Bone and Flesh-N-Bone from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and B-Real from Cypress Hill appearing in cameo roles. Snoop Doggy Dogg was originally cast in the role of Lonzo, but he dropped out shortly before shooting began; New York rapper Fat Joe then stepped in, which added a East Coast vs. West Coast flavor that mimicked the gang rivalry between DJ and Lonzo. Mack 10 served as executive producer and helped write the original story. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi.