Things in Tha Hood

When Ice-T, N.W.A, and Eazy-E first became popular in the late '80s, West Coast gangsta rap wasn't just about exploitation — those Los Angeles rappers were making a serious sociopolitical statement and did their part to bring attention to the social problems of the inner city. But in the 1990s, a lot of the gangsta rap that came from California was exploitive — not to mention cliché-ridden and predictable. On 1994's Things in tha Hood, DFC pours on the usual gangsta rap clichés, and the L.A. group doesn't have anything new or different to say when it comes to gang violence, drugs, or sex. But while DFC's lyrics are hardly innovative or groundbreaking by 1994 standards, the beats ultimately prove to be the saving grace of this enjoyable, if derivative, CD. Dr. Dre didn't produce any of the material on Things in tha Hood; nonetheless, his influence is all over this album. The producers include Warren G, MC Eiht (of Compton's Most Wanted fame), and the D.O.C., and every one of them is heavily influenced by Dre's production style. DFC wins no awards for originality, but when you're grooving to G-funk jams like "You Can Get the Dick" and "2-2 the Chest," you have to acknowledge that the L.A. residents do have a way with a hook.