| Neighborhood Watch | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Dilated Peoples |
| Cover: | Neighborhoodwatch.jpg |
| Recorded: | 2003–04 |
| Genre: | Hip hop |
| Label: | Capitol |
| Prev Title: | Expansion Team |
| Prev Year: | 2001 |
| Next Title: | 20/20 |
| Next Year: | 2006 |
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 . "Love & War" was used in the video game NBA Live 2004.
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.
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". Tiny Mix Tapes critic wrote: "on Neighborhood Watch, their delivery is stale and unimpressive, much like the overproduced Expansion Team". 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". Spin reviewer wrote: "Evidence and Iriscience remain so humorlessly hard they could guard Buckingham Palace".
| Chart (2004) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[1] | 55 | |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[2] | 16 |