This came out in 2000 — or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Near as I can tell, S.I. stands not for Sports Illustrated but for Street Institute — presumably a reference to the ‘hood smarts of duo Clever Kisum and DJ Silk.
Unfortunately, this L.A. twosome’s sophomore album only makes us think of other things S.I. doesn’t stand for — like Startlingly Innovative. Or even, sometimes, Slightly Interesting. From start to finish, Back In Tha Hood is as unimaginative as its title — just the umpteen millionth album of West Coast G-funk fulla Jeep-pumping beats stolen from Dre, melodies and lyrics borrowed from P-Funk and full-mouthed rhymes about rolling deep in Compton wit’ yer homies and macking cheddar from the player-haters. Ultimately, what S.I. really stands for is Supremely Irrelevant.
