*** Defari

FOCUSED DAILY

(Tommy Boy)

"I'm coming to reclaim Los Angeles," boasts Defari on the intro to his major-label debut. And by the end of an album that hits so hard and is so refreshingly free of g-funk beats and gangsta tales, you really want to believe him. Along with other new-school West Coast MCs like Jurassic 5 and Aceyalone, Defari counters the N.W.A school of thug thought by tackling the topics that define LA for him: the beach, the freeway, the sun, and b-ball. This former underground phenom (he had two singles on indie-hop label ABB) and current Inglewood High School history teacher brings new meaning to the phrase "droppin' knowledge." He gets help on Focused Daily from a strong group of West Coast producers and DJs, (Kut Masta Kurt, E-Swift) and the Likwit Crew (the Alkaholics, King T, and Xzibit), but at 70 minutes, the disc would have benefited from some editing. Still, a positive messenger like Defari, who dedicates his debut to his grandmother and gives props to his mom without sounding preachy or soft, is a welcome newcomer to any class.

-- Michael Endelman