Neighborhood Watch (album)

Neighborhood Watch
Studio album by
Dilated Peoples
ReleasedApril 6, 2004 (2004-04-06)
Recorded2003–04
Studio
GenreHip hop
Length57:22
LabelCapitol
Producer
Dilated Peoples chronology
Expansion Team
(2001) 		Neighborhood Watch
(2004) 		20/20
(2006)
Singles from Neighborhood Watch
  1. "Marathon"
    Released: September 16, 2003
  2. "This Way"
    Released: June 15, 2004

Neighborhood Watch is the third studio album by American hip hop trio Dilated Peoples. It was released on April 6, 2004, through Capitol Records. Recording sessions took place at D&D Studios in New York, at Soundproof Recordings, at the Nodd Factor in Houston, at Larrabee West in West Hollywood, at Ameraycan Studios in North Hollywood, and at Record Plant in Los Angeles. Production was handled by members Evidence and DJ Babu, as well as Alchemist, Joey Chavez, Kanye West, Nucleus, Rob "Reef" Tewlow and DJ AM. It features guest appearances from Defari, Devin the Dude, J. Rocc, Kanye West, Phil Da Agony and Planet Asia.

The album debuted at number 55 on the Billboard 200 and number 16 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States. It also made it to number 96 on the UK Albums Chart and number 16 on the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart, as well as number 91 in Switzerland, and number 155 in France. Its lead single, "This Way", peaked at number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 35 on the UK Singles Chart. The album also features the singles "Marathon" and "Poisonous", as well as the DJ showcase "DJ Babu in Deep Concentration", an ode to Gang Starr's 1989 track "DJ Premier in Deep Concentration". The song "Who's Who" was used in two video games SSX 3 and Need for Speed: Underground. "Love & War" was used in the video game NBA Live 2004.

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic62/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllHipHop3.5/5[2]
AllMusic[3]
Gigwise[4]
HipHopDX3.5/5[5]
RapReviews8/10[6]
Robert Christgau(choice cut)[7]
SpinC−[8]
Sputnikmusic3/5[9]
The Guardian[10]
Tiny Mix Tapes[11]

Neighborhood Watch was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 62, based on nineteen reviews.[1]

Billboard reviewer praised the album, saying "here's a group at the top of its game". Entertainment Weekly found it "suitable for both the streets and chain stores". Q magazine called it "imaginative".

In mixed reviews, Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian wrote: "chunky, hook-laden songs like Tryin' to Breathe and This Way show a newfound sonic confidence, but Dilated Peoples remain astoundingly dull MCs, delivering earnest and predictable rhymes".[10] Tiny Mix Tapes critic wrote: "on Neighborhood Watch, their delivery is stale and unimpressive, much like the overproduced Expansion Team".[11] AllMusic's John Bush stated: "most of the blame for Neighborhood Watch has to go to the previously invincible Alchemist, whose productions are front-loaded on the record. Unfortunately, his beats aren't rugged or hooky, just astonishingly weak".[3] Spin reviewer wrote: "Evidence and Iriscience remain so humorlessly hard they could guard Buckingham Palace".[8]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Marathon"
The Alchemist5:08
2."Neighborhood Watch"
The Alchemist3:26
3."Tryin' to Breathe"
  • Perretta
  • R. Taylor
  • Oroc
  • Rob Tewlow
  • Larry James Reynolds
Reef4:08
4."Caffeine"
  • Perretta
  • R. Taylor
  • Oroc
  • West Plischke
Nucleus4:55
5."Who's Who"
4:05
6."Poisonous" (featuring Devin the Dude)
The Alchemist3:39
7."Reach Us"
  • Perretta
  • R. Taylor
  • Oroc
  • Joey Chavez
Joey Chavez5:02
8."Big Business"
  • Perretta
  • R. Taylor
  • Oroc
2;29
9."Love and War"
Evidence3:46
10."1580 (Skit)" (featuring J. Rocc)  1:13
11."World on Wheels"
  • Perretta
  • R. Taylor
  • Oroc
  • Maman
  • Milton Edwards
The Alchemist3:56
12."Closed Session" (featuring Defari, Phil Da Agony and Planet Asia)
  • Perretta
  • R. Taylor
  • Oroc
  • Duane A. Johnson Jr.
  • Jason Smith
  • Jason Green
  • Mose Davis
DJ Babu6:14
13."This Way" (featuring Kanye West)
  • Perretta
  • R. Taylor
  • Oroc
  • Kanye West
  • Jimmie Cameron
  • Vella Cameron
Kanye West4:05
14."DJ Babu in Deep Concentration"
DJ Babu5:16
Total length:57:22
Sample credits
  • Track 2 contains elements from "Night Games" by Bobby "Blue" Bland.
  • Track 3 embodies portions of "It Ain't Rainin' (On Nobody's House But Mine)" by The Dramatics.
  • Track 5 contains samples from "Can't Find The Judge" by Gary Wright.
  • Track 9 embodies portions of "I Can't Fake It Anymore" by Ted Taylor.
  • Track 11 contains elements from "Lovemaniacs" by Boobie Knight.
  • Track 12 contains elements from "Pack Of Lies" by The Counts.
  • Track 13 features samples from "Old Men" by Jimmie & Vella Cameron.
  • Track 14 contains samples from "Stoop Rap" by Double Trouble and samples from "I Ain't No Joke" by Eric B. & Rakim.

Personnel

[edit]
  • Michael "Evidence" Peretta – vocals, producer (tracks: 5, 9), recording (tracks: 1, 3-5, 7-9, 11, 12, 14), executive producer
  • Rakaa "Iriscience" Taylor – vocals, co-producer (track 8), recording (tracks: 1, 3-5, 7-9, 11, 12), executive producer
  • Chris "DJ Babu" Oroc – scratches, producer (tracks: 8, 12, 14), recording (tracks: 1, 3-5, 7-9, 11, 12, 14), executive producer
  • Noelle Scaggs – additional vocals (tracks: 1, 5-7, 9)
  • Devin "The Dude" Copeland – vocals (track 6)
  • Alejandro "2Mex" Ocana – additional vocals (track 8)
  • Jason "J. Rocc" Jackson – vocals (track 10)
  • Duane A. "Defari" Johnson Jr. – vocals (track 12)
  • Jason "Phil Da Agony" Smith – vocals (track 12)
  • Jason "Planet Asia" Smith – vocals (track 12)
  • Kanye West – vocals & producer (track 13)
  • Alan "The Alchemist" Maman – producer (tracks: 1, 2, 6, 11), recording (tracks: 2, 4, 6), co-executive producer
  • Rob "Reef" Tewlow – producer (track 3)
  • West "Nucleus" Plischke – producer (track 4)
  • Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein – producer (track 5)
  • Joey Chavez – producer (track 7)
  • Kieran Walsh – recording (tracks: 1, )
  • Michael "Domo" Poye – recording (track 6)
  • Wassim Zreik – recording (track 13)
  • Richard "Segal" Huredia – mixing (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 6, 12), recording (track 6)
  • Troy Staton – mixing (tracks: 2, 5, 7-9, 11, 14), recording (tracks: 7, 8)
  • Manny Marroquin – mixing (track 13)
  • Jeremy Mackenzie – engineering assistant (track 1)
  • Kent Hitchcock – engineering assistant (tracks: 2, 5, 7-9, 11, 14)
  • Sean Tallman – engineering assistant (tracks: 3, 6, 12)
  • Nick Ferrero – engineering assistant (track 4)
  • Rabeka Tunei – engineering assistant (track 13)
  • Bernie Grundman – mastering
  • Ben "Beni B" Nickleberry Jr. – execitive producer
  • Brian "B+" Cross – photography
  • Pat Shannahan – sample clearance
  • David "Happy" Walters – management

Charts

[edit]
Chart (2004) Peak
position
French Albums (SNEP)[12] 155
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[13] 91
UK Albums (OCC)[14] 96
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[15] 16
US Billboard 200[16] 55
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[17] 16

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Critic Reviews for Neighborhood Watch - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  2. ^ Berrios, Martin (May 2, 2004). "Neighborhood Watch". AllHipHop. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Bush, John. "Dilated Peoples - Neighborhood Watch Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  4. ^ Kilfoyle, Michelle (2004). "GIGWISE.com | Dilated Peoples – 'Neighbourhood Watch' (EMI) Released 05/04/04". Gigwise. Archived from the original on 2004-10-26. Retrieved September 21, 2023 – via Wayback Machine.
  5. ^ Ryce, Jeff (April 10, 2004). "Dilated Peoples - Neighborhood Watch". HipHopDX. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  6. ^ Juon, Steve 'Flash' (April 6, 2004). "Dilated Peoples :: Neighborhood Watch – RapReviews". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  7. ^ Christgau, Robert (May 25, 2004). "Robert Christgau: CG: Artist 4575". The Village Voice. Retrieved September 21, 2023 – via www.robertchristgau.com.
  8. ^ a b Day, Adrienne; Dolan, Jon; Ganz, Caryn; Mahoney, John; Pappademas, Alex (May 2004). "Breakdown". Spin. Vol. 20, no. 5. SPIN Media LLC. p. 108. ISSN 0886-3032.
  9. ^ "Review: Dilated Peoples - Neighborhood Watch | Sputnikmusic". www.sputnikmusic.com. December 30, 2009. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Lynskey, Dorian (April 2, 2004). "Dilated Peoples, Neighbourhood Watch". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Music Review: Dilated Peoples - Neighborhood Watch". Tiny Mix Tapes. December 14, 2006. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  12. ^ "Lescharts.com – Dilated Peoples – Neighborhood Watch". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  13. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Dilated Peoples – Neighborhood Watch". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  14. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  15. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  16. ^ "The Billboard 200". Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 17. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. April 24, 2004. p. 62. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  17. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 17. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. April 24, 2004. p. 23. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
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