EvolutionHipHop : Featured Artists : Dilated Peoples

Dilated Peoples is the trio of Evidence, Rakaa Iriscience and DJ Babu. Based out of Los Angeles, this very solid and experienced crew has been around since the early/mid 90s. Signed to ABB Records, Dilated Peoples put out the singles "Global Dynamics" (my sentimental favorite), "3rd Degree" and "Work the Angles". They started getting a buzz on the streets and college radio off these early records. I became aware of Dilated Peoples when I got Soundbombing 2, the 1999 Rawkus Records classic album. The title track "Soundbombing" was the song I liked the best of the then unknown artists. Majors came knocking and after much deliberation, Dilated signed a 4-album contract with Capitol Records. The first album The Platform was released in 2000. Featured tracks "Work The Angles", "No Retreat" and "The Platform". The second album, considered by Evidence as their true first major release, was entitled Expansion Team (2001). Notable songs were "Worst Comes To Worst", "Clockwork" and "Live On Stage". The third album Neighborhood Watch (2004) was very political and socially conscious. Standout songs included "Marathon", "Neighborhood Watch", "Who's Who" and "World On Wheels". The last album 20/20 (2006) featured the hits "Back Again", "You Can't Hide You Can't Run", "Kindness For Weakness" and the sickest Evidence song ever recorded called "Another Sound Mission".

Evidence released his first solo album The Weatherman in 2007. DJ Babu released Duck Season Vol. 3 in 2008. Rakaa released his first solo album Crown of Thorns in 2010. Evidence is set to release his second album Cats & Dogs On Sept. 27, 2011. The next Dilated Peoples album is entitled Directors of Photography but a release date has not been mentioned yet. - Dogmatic