Dilated Peoples | |
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![]() Dilated Peoples in 2001 | |
Background information | |
Origin | Los Angeles, California, US |
Genres | Hip hop |
Years active | 1992–2017, 2022–present |
Labels | |
Spinoffs | Step Brothers |
Members | Evidence Rakaa Iriscience DJ Babu |
Website | dilatedpeoples |
Dilated Peoples is an American Los Angeles-based hip hop trio, composed of rapper and record producer Evidence, rapper Rakaa, and Beat Junkies deejay and record producer DJ Babu. [1] The group is better known in the UK, where they reached the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart with two tracks, "This Way" and "Worst Comes to Worst". [2] Their songs were featured in the 2003 video games Need for Speed: Underground and NBA Street Vol. 2 , as well as MLB 06: The Show.
Dilated Peoples began when DJ Babu (from the DJ crew Beat Junkies), Evidence, and Rakaa joined together in 1992 and released "Third Degree" (1997) on ABB Records, developing their material in the underground hip hop community. They had previously recorded an album titled Imagery, Battle Hymns & Political Poetry (1995) that was never released, although many fans still have it on bootlegged tapes. The group eventually signed with Capitol Records [3] and released The Platform (2000).
The second album, Expansion Team , was released in 2001 [4] led by the Alchemist–produced "Worst Comes to Worst," which utilized a vocal sample from Mobb Deep's "Survival of the Fittest" and a musical sample from William Bell's "I Forgot to be Your Lover". Expansion Team debuted at number 8 on the US Billboard R&B Albums chart and number 36 on the Billboard 200. [5] The group's third album, Neighborhood Watch , was released in 2004 and debuted at number 55 on the Billboard 200, selling 143,000 copies in the United States. [6] In addition to the Kanye West-produced single, "This Way," it featured the singles "Who's Who?" and "Sorry? OK", which were also included as tracks on the Need for Speed: Underground and SSX 3 soundtracks, and peaked at number 35 on the UK Singles Chart. [2] The fourth album, 20/20 , was released in 2006; the debut single, "Back Again", was featured on the Fight Night Round 3 soundtrack. This is the third EA Games soundtrack on which the group has been featured. "Back Again" is also featured on Sony's MLB 06: The Show . In 2012, they collaborated with PlatinumGames to record the track "This is Madness" for the credits of the beat-'em-up video game, Anarchy Reigns . 20/20 was the group's "farewell" album on Capitol Records, ending a four album recording contract. They also work with the underground hip hop group, Global Warning, who originated in Anaheim.
Dilated Peoples are affiliated with fellow West Coast hip hop collective the Likwit Crew. Tha Alkaholiks appeared on The Platform on the track "Right On" and Expansion Team on "Heavy Rotation". The group also collaborated frequently with west coast emcees Defari and Amad Jamal (an Urban Umpires member) and helped to launch their careers. Defari made one appearance on each Dilated Peoples' album: "Ear Drums Pop (Remix)" on The Platform; "Defari Interlude" on Expansion Team; "Closed Session" on Neighborhood Watch; and "Olde English" on 20/20. Dilated Peoples also made multiple appearances on Defari's album Odds & Evens. Another Dilated associate is their long-time producer, the Alchemist, who produced five songs on The Platform, three songs on Expansion Team, four songs on Neighborhood Watch, and two songs on 20/20. Dilated Peoples were featured on a song on the Alchemists' 1st Infantry album. Rakaa has also made guest appearances on the songs "Trance Fat" on Looptroop's album, Good Things , "Zet 't Blauw" from Dutch rapper Jerome XL's album, De laatste dag and "Memory Fades" on St. Cule's album, American Beef.
Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||
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US | US R&B | SWI | UK | |||||||
2000 | The Platform | 74 | 30 | — | 89 | |||||
2001 | Expansion Team
| 36 | 8 | — | 55 | |||||
2004 | Neighborhood Watch
| 55 | 16 | 91 | 96 | |||||
2006 | 20/20
| 97 | 35 | 56 | 107 | |||||
2014 | Directors of Photography
| 41 | 9 | 19 | — | |||||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Year | DVD |
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2007 | The Release Party
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Year | Song | Chart positions | Album | |||
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US | US R&B | US Rap | UK | |||
1997 | "Third Degree" (featuring Defari) | — | — | — | — | non-album single |
1998 | "Work the Angles" | — | — | — | — | The Platform |
2000 | "No Retreat" (featuring B-Real) | — | — | 42 | — | |
"The Platform" | — | — | 22 | 89 | ||
2001 | "Worst Comes to Worst" (featuring Guru) | — | 84 | — | 29 | Expansion Team |
2002 | "Downtown" | — | — | — | — | One Big Trip |
2004 | "This Way" (featuring Kanye West) | 78 | 41 | 22 | 35 | Neighborhood Watch |
"Love & War" | — | — | — | — | ||
2005 | "Back Again" | — | 114 | — | 98 | 20/20 |
2006 | "You Can't Hide, You Can't Run" | — | — | — | — | |
2007 | "Spit It Clearly" | — | — | — | — | The Release Party |
2014 | "Good As Gone" | — | — | — | — | Directors of Photography |
"Show Me the Way" (featuring Aloe Blacc) | — | — | — | — |
Title | Year | Other performer(s) | Album |
---|---|---|---|
"Major League" | 1998 | Rasco, Defari | Time Waits for No Man |
"Rework the Angles" | 1999 | Sway & King Tech | This or That |
"Long Awaited" | Lootpack | Soundpieces: Da Antidote | |
"Thieves" | 2003 | The Alchemist, Prodigy | The Cutting Room Floor |
"Behold My Life (Remix)" | Defari | Odds & Evens | |
"For the Record" | 2004 | The Alchemist | 1st Infantry |
"No Brainer" | Mr. Complex | Twisted Mister | |
"Live from Master Control, Pt. 2" | 2005 | Da Beatminerz, Chali 2na, Wordsworth | Fully Loaded w/ Statik |
"Clowns" | 2006 | Defari | Street Music |
"Dilated Agents" | Planet Asia, Rasco | The Medicine | |
"Another X-Ecution" | 2007 | Roc Raida | Beats, Cuts and Skits |
"Co-Operation" | Strong Arm Steady | Deep Hearted | |
"Yellow & Grey (Remix)" | 2009 | Notes to Self | A Shot In the Dark |
"I Am (Remix)" | Bekay | Hunger Pains | |
"Believe That" | 2010 | Amad Jamal | Barely Hanging On: The Chronicles of a Brotha Like Rodney King |
"Three Story Building" | Copywrite | The Life and Times of Peter Nelson | |
"Battlaxe" | 2012 | Madchild, Bishop Lamont, D-Sisive | Dope Sick |
"Back For You" | 2014 | Statik Selektah | What Goes Around |
"The Kingdom That Worshipped the Dead" | 2015 | Jedi Mind Tricks | The Thief and the Fallen |
"1st (Remix)" | 2016 | Torii Wolf | — |
"Way Ahead" | Snowgoons | Goon Bap | |
Christopher E. Oroc, stage name Melvin Babu, better known as DJ Babu or DJ Babu the Dilated Junkie, is a Filipino-American DJ and record producer. He is a member of DJ crew the Beat Junkies, Los Angeles-based hip hop trio Dilated Peoples together with Evidence and Rakaa Iriscience, and a member of the Likwit Junkies along with rapper Defari. He served as the curator and host of Soundcheck for Beat Junkie Radio on Dash Radio. As of 2017, DJ Babu is the Program Director and a lead instructor alongside fellow crew members Mr. Choc, Melo-D, DJ Rhettmatic, D-Styles and J.Rocc at the Beat Junkie Institute of Sound.
Rakaa Taylor better known by his stage names Rakaa, Rakaa Iriscience, and Iriscience, is a rapper from Los Angeles, California. He is a member of Dilated Peoples alongside Evidence and DJ Babu.
The Platform is the debut studio album by American hip hop trio Dilated Peoples. It was released on May 23, 2000, through Capitol Records. Recording sessions took place at Audio X in Burbank, D&D Studios in New York, Can Am Studios in Tarzana and Threshold Studios in Santa Monica. Production was handled by members Evidence and DJ Babu, as well as Alchemist, Joey Chavez, E-Swift, KutMasta Kurt and T-Ray. It features guest appearances from Aceyalone, B-Real, Everlast, and Likwit Crew members Defari, Phil Da Agony, Planet Asia and Tha Alkaholiks. The album represents a movement of several California underground hip hop artists away from the violence and misogyny of gangsta rap, towards a more traditional, conscious form of rap.
Alan Daniel Maman, professionally known as the Alchemist, is an American hip hop producer, DJ, rapper, and entrepreneur. He began his music career in 1991 in the hip hop duo the Whooliganz under the moniker Mudfoot, along with now-actor Scott Caan. He has produced music since the 1990s.
Farid Karam Nassar, better known by his stage name Fredwreck, is a Grammy Award-winning American hip hop recording artist, DJ and record producer. He got his big break when he became a producer for Dr. Dre's newly founded record label Aftermath Entertainment, and then went on to work with Snoop Dogg's record label Dogghouse Records and became a known producer on Tha Dogg Pound-affiliated material. During this time he also was a producer for Snoop Doggs track: Riders on the storm Ft The Doors on EA's Need for Speed Underground 2. He has produced tracks from Kurupt's Tha Streetz Iz a Mutha and most of his next release, Space Boogie: Smoke Oddessey; both released during the period the rapper had left Death Row Records. He has also produced for other hip-hop and pop artists such as Eminem, Britney Spears, Ice Cube, Westside Connection, Lil' Kim, Hilary Duff, Xzibit, The Game, Nate Dogg, Everlast, Cypress Hill, 50 Cent, Mobb Deep, as well as non-US acts such as Dizzie Rascal, Tamer Hosny, Qusai Kheder and Karl Wolf.
Michael Taylor Perretta, known professionally as Evidence, is an American rapper and record producer from Venice, Los Angeles, California. He is also a member of the group Dilated Peoples, as well as being one-half of Step Brothers with The Alchemist. Before creating music, Perretta was a graffiti artist.
Expansion Team is the second studio album by American hip hop trio Dilated Peoples. It was released on October 23, 2001, through Capitol Records. Recording sessions took place at D&D Studios and The Dewgarde Crib Of Hits in New York, at SoundProof and Skip Saylor Recording in Los Angeles, at Encore Studios and Mad Dog Studios in Burbank, at Front Page Recorders in Glendale and at The Studio in Philadelphia. Production was handled by members Evidence and DJ Babu, as well as Alchemist, Joey Chavez, Da Beatminerz, DJ Premier, Juju and Questlove. It features guest appearances from Black Thought, the Beat Junkies members DJ Rhettmatic, J. Rocc and Melo-D, and the Likwit Crew members Defari, Phil Da Agony and Tha Alkaholiks, with cameo appearances from Cokni O'Dire, GuRu, Noelle Scaggs and Shae Fiol.
Neighborhood Watch is the third studio album by American hip hop trio Dilated Peoples. It was released on April 6, 2004, through Capitol Records. Recording sessions took place at D&D Studios in New York, at Soundproof Recordings, at the Nodd Factor in Houston, at Larrabee West in West Hollywood, at Ameraycan Studios in North Hollywood, and at Record Plant in Los Angeles. Production was handled by members Evidence and DJ Babu, as well as Alchemist, Joey Chavez, Kanye West, Nucleus, Rob "Reef" Tewlow and DJ AM. It features guest appearances from Defari, Devin the Dude, J. Rocc, Kanye West, Phil Da Agony and Planet Asia.
20/20 is the fourth studio album by American hip hop trio Dilated Peoples. It was released on February 21, 2006, through ABB/Capitol Records. Recording sessions took place at Soundproof East in Los Angeles, at Al Gibbs Mobile Studio, Capelton's Room, at Ameraycan Studios in Burbank and at Daddy's Room in Corona. Production was handled by members Evidence and DJ Babu, as well as Alchemist, Sid Roams and Porse. It features guest appearances from Capleton, Defari, Krondon and Talib Kweli. The album debuted at number 97 on the Billboard 200 and number 35 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States. It also made it to number 56 on the Swiss Hitparade.
Street Music is the third studio album by American rapper and Likwit Crew member Defari. It was released on August 8, 2006 via ABB Records. Recording sessions took place at Soundproof, Unsung Studios and Likwit Studio in Los Angeles. Production was handled by Evidence, Mike City, DJ Babu, Superstar Quamallah, Alchemist and E-Swift, with Beni B and Defari serving as executive producers. It features guest appearances from Dilated Peoples, J-Ro, Boo Kapone, B-Real, Threat and Tuffy.
Soundpieces: Da Antidote! is the first full-length studio album by American hip hop trio Lootpack. It was released on June 29, 1999, via Stones Throw Records. The production was handled entirely by member Madlib. It features guest appearances from Medaphoar, Declaime, Godz Gift, Kazi, Oh No, Defari, Dilated Peoples and tha Alkaholiks.
The Weatherman LP is the debut solo studio album by American rapper and producer Evidence. It was released on March 20, 2007, via ABB Records. Recording sessions too place at Soundproof East in Los Angeles, at Millenia Music, at Chopp Shopp Studios in Durham, at Daddy's Room in Corona, at The Lab, at The River Rock, and at The Hideaway in Minneapolis. Production was handled by The Alchemist, Sid Roams, DJ Babu, Jake One, DJ Khalil, and Evidence himself. It features guest appearances from the Alchemist, Chace Infinite, Defari, Joe Scudda, Kamilah, Kobe, Madchild, Noelle Scaggs, Phonte, Planet Asia, Rakaa Iriscience, Rapper Big Pooh, Res, Sick Jacken and Slug.
The Layover EP is the first solo extended play by American rapper and record producer Evidence. It was released on November 25, 2008, via Decon. Recording sessions took place at Soundproof East, Chop Shop Studios, The Ether, The Lab NYC, Dirt Class West, Daddy's Crib, Soundproof West, Studio 1, Dirty Science Lab 12. Production was handled by The Alchemist, Khrysis, DJ Babu, Sid Roams, and Evidence himself. It features guest appearances from Aloe Blacc, Blu, Defari, Elzhi, Fashawn, Krondon, Phonte and Will.i.am. The album didn't reach the Billboard 200 chart, however, it peaked at No. 27 on the Heatseekers Albums in the United States, and received generally favourable reviews from music critics.
Decon is a New York–based advertising agency and record label. Decon is known for their "Green Week" initiative for NBC Universal, which involved an installation at the 30 Rockefeller Center. Additionally, Decon has produced documentary-style profiles featuring Nissan Leaf. They were also involved in launch of the Fiat 500 in New York in the year 2011.
Cats & Dogs is the second solo studio album by American rapper and record producer Evidence. It was released on September 27, 2011 through Rhymesayers Entertainment. Recording sessions took place at ALC Laboratories in Santa Monica, Soundproof West in Venice, The Drug Lab and Soundproof East in Los Angeles, Infamous Studios in Queens, Stophouse Studios in Minneapolis and All This Could Be Yours in San Francisco. Production was handled by the Alchemist, Sid Roams, DJ Premier, Rahki, Charli Brown, Twiz the Beat Pro, and Evidence himself. It features guest appearances from Aesop Rock, Aloe Blacc, Catero, Krondon, Lil' Fame, Prodigy, Raekwon, Rakaa Iriscience, Ras Kass, Roc Marciano, Slug, Step Brothers and Termanology, with cameos from Amber Strother, Danny Keyz, Noelle Scaggs and Wendy Guerra.
Lord Steppington is the debut studio album by California-based hip hop duo Step Brothers. The album was released on January 21, 2014 by Rhymesayers Entertainment. The record was produced entirely by Alchemist with one track produced by Evidence, and includes guest appearances from Action Bronson, Roc Marciano, Blu, Fashawn, Rakaa, Oh No, Styles P, Domo Genesis and The Whooliganz – Alchemist's old group which included actor Scott Caan.
Directors of Photography is the fifth studio album by American hip hop trio Dilated Peoples. It was released on August 12, 2014, via Rhymesayers Entertainment. Recording sessions took place at Soundproof in Venice with additional recording at The Drug Lab in Los Angeles. Production was handled by members Evidence and DJ Babu, as well as Alchemist, 9th Wonder, Bravo, Diamond D, DJ Premier, Jake One, Oh No and Twiz the Beat Pro. It features guest appearances from Aloe Blacc, Catero, Defari, Gangrene, Krondon, Sick Jacken, Vince Staples, with Action Bronson, Domo Genesis, Fashawn, Rapsody and Vinnie Paz appearing on one of the two bonus tracks.
Dijon Isaiah McFarlane, known professionally as Mustard, is an American record producer and DJ. A frequent producer for California-based artists YG and Ty Dolla Sign, he has produced a bulk of singles and albums for both rappers, as well as other prominent acts in hip hop and R&B. He first saw recognition for his work on Tyga's 2011 single "Rack City".
Weather or Not is the third solo studio album by American rapper and producer Evidence. It was released on January 26, 2018 via Rhymesayers Entertainment. Production was handled by the Alchemist, Budgie, DJ Babu, DJ Premier, Nottz, Samiyam, Twiz the Beat Pro, and Evidence himself. It features guest appearances from Catero, Defari, Jonwayne, Khrysis, Krondon, Mach-Hommy, Rakaa Iriscience, Rapsody, Slug, Styles P and the Alchemist.
The L.J.'s is the debut studio album by American Los Angeles-based hip hop duo the Likwit Junkies, composed of rapper Defari of the Likwit Crew and DJ/record producer DJ Babu of Beat Junkies and Dilated Peoples. It was released in March 2005 through ABB Records. Recording sessions took place at Daddy's Room in Corona, California. Production was handled by DJ Babu, with Defari co-produced two of its 18 tracks. It features guest appearances from Dodee Westbeach, Noelle Scaggs, Evidence, Krondon, Phil Da Agony, Planet Asia and Rakaa Iriscience. The album was supported by four singles: "Keep Doin It" b/w "S.C.A.N.S.", "The Hop" b/w "Dark Ends", "One Day Away" b/w "Strength in Numbers" and "Ghetto" b/w "Brother". The album was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics.