Since signing with Capitol in 2000, this LA rap trio have been praised and criticized as a powerful underground phenomenon that mainstream hip-hop fans largely ignore. Coming off 2004’s Neighborhood Watch — largely a commercial flop, even with the hit single “This Way” with Kanye West — MCs Evidence and Raaka (with long-time DJ Babu, whom they nabbed from the Beat Junkies) branch out, seemingly in search of the right hook. Long-time DP producer the Alchemist is relegated to just two tracks, the bombastic opener, “Back Again,” and the closing title track. The rest of the disc features free-flowing beats and rhymes reminiscent of DP’s self-produced-demo-tape days, this time with contributions from fellow underground icon Talib Kweli on “Kindness for Weakness” and reggae star Capelton on “Firepower.” Complementing the freestyle raps of Evidence and Raaka, these cameos add horsepower and starpower to DP’s old-school productions.
Dilated Peoples + Little Brother + Defari + Project Move | March 13 | Paradise Rock Club, 967 Comm Ave, Boston | 617.228.6000
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On the Web:
Dilated Peoples: http://www.dilatedpeoples.com/
