Capitol Records Dilated Peoples consists of (from left to
right) Rakaa, Babu and
Evidence.
By Ruvin Spivak
Daily Bruin Contributor
If the theme of the band’s last album was, “10 years
in the making,” come Oct. 23, Dilated Peoples will be
announcing its official entrance into the hip-hop major leagues
with a new album titled “Expansion Team.”
The anticipated new album is the sum total of touring,
networking and building on an already diverse fan base. These days,
the group can boast a following in places like Hamburg, Germany,
just as well as it could always represent Los Angeles, Dilated
Peoples’ hometown.
Babu, Iriscience and Evidence ““ Dilated Peoples’
three-man crew ““ have a lot to be thankful for. Rakaa (a.k.a.
Iriscience) shared what he thought were the most important lessons
of the time spent between albums.
“I’ve learned how to exercise patience toward all
things ““ good and bad, and I’ve learned that even
though the world’s a huge place, it’s just a bunch of
little neighborhoods. Â As long as you approach people like
that then they will never look at you as foreign or alien,”
Rakaa said.
Coming from different ethnic backgrounds themselves, Dilated
Peoples embodies the different spices of both Southern California
and the United States but also the ever-integrating world of
hip-hop culture.
However, when it comes to the music, diversity is only a minor
novelty compared to the skills they have to maintain. Dilated
Peoples has become a force everywhere, from the Los Angeles
underground to the international hip-hop community.
“We let our creativity and our artistry speak as
extensions of us as people,” Rakaa said. “Now, with
“˜Expansion Team,’ we’re saying that as people and
artists and as a group, we’re growing too. We’re
stretching the whole game out. We’re not the type of people
who just created characters to project. This is really us:
Iriscience, Evidence and Babu.”
However they choose to reveal their true selves, it seems to be
working well.
Dilated is not only part of the Capitol Records label, but it is
also a key player to the Okayplayer family, home to The Roots,
D-Angelo, Talib Kweli and other world respected artists. On top of
this impressive resume, the group has been known to work with the
likes of B-Real, KRS-ONE, Xzibit and the Beastie Boys.
So what’s changed for Dilated Peoples since its last
album, “The Platform?”
If anything, the band members have become undisputed underground
heavyweights because of their own hard work. With the release of
“Expansion Team,” Dilated Peoples has bulked up to
prepare for any challenge it might face in the rap game.
Fans might be aware of one such dispute that started on
“The Platform,” with a guest appearance by rapper
Everlast (formerly of House of Pain) who aroused animosity from the
real Slim Shady himself.
It seemed as though Dilated Peoples and Eminem were cutting
tracks for Rawkus Records one minute, while facing-off in what
Rakaa calls “a misunderstanding” the next minute.
Regardless, Dilated Peoples became the focus of a verbal assault
by Eminem on several tracks. Lyrics such as: “Dilated, you
violated / Now you about to get annihilated /Â We’re
going to bury you,” resulted in Dilated Peoples’ own
attack rap titled, “Searching for Bobby Fisher,” which
included disses aimed at Eminem.
Eventually the problem was resolved by two groups of artists
that cared about the negativity created by the conflict. Cypress
Hill’s B-Real along with Montage from the Xzibit camp helped
both crews realize that the the conflict was unnecessary.
“Eventually, Eminem and his fam had fans in L.A., and we
(Dilated Peoples) love going out to Detroit, so we just ended
it,” said Rakaa. “As long as there’s a mutual
respect, we want to let them eat, and they need to let us eat.
Everyone should be able to feed their families safely as far as
I’m concerned.”
With the ability to stay cohesive after long tours, and
diplomatic after public challenges, Dilated Peoples have earned the
right to boast a new sound on “Expansion Team” that
mixes dark and heavy cuts with a victorious Rocky Balboa type of
twist.
Dilated Peoples has literally come out of battles of many types
and its new song “War”reflects the band’s
experiences.
Fans already know the song because it has become an a cappella
anthem on tour, but it might perhaps become a new voice for the
recent events sparked by the Sept. 11 attack. The song was
originally intended for a United Nations music project by DJ Vadim
of the United Kingdom several years ago.
The message of the song is that there are many types of wars but
the only war that matters is the war for peace.
Rakaa gave the Los Angeles community a special message to affirm
his conviction: “We have to recognize that we live in L.A.,
but culture existed before man made boundaries. People should
really understand and respect the duty of Aztlan.
“You don’t have to travel overseas to experience
culture,” Rakaa continued. “Stroll through Korea Town,
Little Tokyo or whatever. L.A. is a beautiful place and as much as
I love to get away from it, I can never wait until I get home.
Peace to everyone who supports the scene.”
Dilated Peoples will play the final show of its latest
promotional tour on Oct. 23 for its record release party at The
Palace in Hollywood. Tickets are currently available through
Ticketmaster.