Dilated Peoples have been working together as a group for over 10 years now and with Neighborhood Watch (only their third full-length studio release) they prove that they can go from heavy beats with hard-hitting rants to mellow grooves with peaceful lyrics without losing their trademark sound. Along the way Rakaa and DJ Babu have become a force to be reckoned with in the West Coast Rap scene.

The CD starts off with the opener "Marathon" which is a bass-bumping intro to what's yet to come. "Tryin' to Breathe" has kind of a slow jam feel with cool flowing lyrics while "Caffeine" has a fresh, funky piano groove. One of the highlights is "Who's Who" which is a head-thumping, hip-hopping dance tune which reminded me of Jay-Z's "Dirt off ya Shoulder." The next track "Poisonous" featuring Devin the Dude isn't bad, though it comes with some of the disc's more laughable lyrics "She ain't the one to trust/ She'll treat you hard like Toys R' Us," whatever that means.

Songs like "Reach Us" and "Love and War" are thoughtful, introspective tunes that remind of DMX's sentimental side like "Slippin'," or one of 2Pac's great heart-felt gems like "I Ain't Mad at Cha." "Big Business" and "World on Wheels" are hard-hitting and great to bump out to. Another highlight finds newcomer sensation Kanye West guesting on the melodic, flute-and-piano-tinged "This Way" which is a song about life as a player. The CD closes well with "DJ Babu in Deep Concentration" which is DJ Babu showing off his mad DJing skills. All in all, if you'll pardon the pun, I'd have to say that Neighborhood Watch, is well worth a look.