Label: Assault Records, Big Beat
Released: March 22, 1994
Genre: G-Funk, Gangsta Rap, West Coast Hip Hop
Remember that underground mixtape you spent weeks hunting down, only to discover it was more hype than heat? That’s D.F.C.’s “Things in tha Hood” in a nutshell.
This 1994 album had all the ingredients for a classic. Flint Town’s D.F.C. (originally MC Breed’s crew) boasted guest appearances from hip-hop royalty like Warren G, the D.O.C., and even a young Nate Dogg. The hype was real.
But let’s be honest, D.F.C.’s Al “Alpha” Breed and T-Double-E just don’t hold their own. Their rhymes are forgettable, and their flow gets lost in the shadows of their legendary guests. The beats? A tired retread of G-funk, with some tracks sounding like unwanted MC Breed B-sides. Songs like “Pass the Hooter” are about as exciting as watching paint dry.
Thankfully, it’s not a total disaster. MC Breed himself shows up on a hefty chunk of the album, bringing his signature energy and reminding us why he was a star in the first place. Tracks like “Put Your Locs On” channel the spirit of George Clinton, and the West Coast collaborations with MC Eiht are pure sunshine-soaked California cool. “Caps Get Peeled” and “Mo’ Love” are the record’s saving graces.
Here’s the thing: “Things in tha Hood” has that undeniable 90s charm. There’s a certain magic to that era, and D.F.C. captures a bit of it. But for the most part, this album is a collector’s curiosity, a reminder of what could have been. It’s worth a spin for hip-hop historians, but most listeners can skip this one without missing much.
