Dilated Peoples
Formed: 1992
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Genre: Hip Hop, West Coast Hip Hop
Years Active: 1996 - 2017
Meaning of the Name: Peoples represent individuals coming together as one. It's the singular made plural.
Core Members: Evidence, Iriscience, DJ Babu
Way of Working: A pair of MC's who rap over DJ Babu's beats
Essential Releases
The Platform (2000)
Revitalised underground hip-hop with its traditional rhymes and sample-heavy production.
Expansion
Team (2001)
2nd album that continued the fine work of the first.
Evidence - The
Weatherman LP (2007)
Evidence's personal and introspective solo debut.
Dilated Peoples are a multi-ethnic trio that grew up in California and found each other through a shared love of hip hop. Evidence is Italian-American, DJ Babu is Filipino-American and Iriscience is half Korean, so the group has a strong Pacific heritage, yet they don't lean on it.
A lesser outfit would sprinkle East Asian samples on their tracks and sing "aloha" on the choruses, but Dilated were above that. Hip hop brings people together from different walks of life because its core values honour individuality and skills.
The genre is mostly associated with black communities, but in its early days many latin people were also involved, because as far as participation in hip hop was concerned, race was incidental. It didn't matter if you were black: if you couldn't DJ you weren't allowed on the decks. It just so happened that most of the people in the poor neighbourhoods where hip hop began were black and latino. What really mattered was skills, authenticity, and originality.
Evidence and Iriscience aren't the best emcees in terms of lyrics or flows, but they are solid and what they really have to offer is their own distinct personalities that shine through on the mic. You can recognise a Dilated track immediately. I instantly know which rapper is rhyming. Lyrics and flow are, of course, a massive part of hip hop but another integral part that often gets overlooked is having a fresh perspective that comes from being yourself.
Evidence is the son of TV star Jana Taylor, who was known for her roles in General Hospital and Perry Mason. He's from Venice, Los Angeles, an area with an average house price of $1.8m, and it's fine because he doesn't rap like he's from the streets. He's a laid back guy who smokes weed and does graffiti (under the name VANE), which is exactly what he presents with his slow flow.
Iriscience is the son of an immigrant who has a global perspective; Babu is a DJ who has impeccable DJ skills. What you hear in their music is the real personalities of the people involved while also being true to the foundational principles of the genre.
One of the best things about hip hop is how the culture unites peoples, as long as they're respectful to its core values, whatever their race, sex, or socio-economic background. I don't care that Roxanne Shante or Che Noir are women, for example. I care about their music being good and them having the special ingredient: their own unique style.
Some people master the craft of rapping without learning the art; they can rap without knowing how to infuse songs with their own personality. I don't care if a guy can rap like Biggie because he's isn't Biggie. As of 2024, the Mona Lisa has a value of $860m, whereas you can buy a copy on Amazon for less than a $100. It's the act of creating, not copying, that gives a thing its artistic value, and Dilated have their own style that honours the past of hip hop while being true to its roots, as well as being recognisably their own.
Skills
*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.Emotional Impact
45
Mental Impact
65
Originality
70
Artistry
60
Authenticity
75
Live
70
Production
80
Musicianship
80
Rapping
80
Songwriting
85
Danceability
60
Fun
65
Consistency
75
Range
40
Cool
75
Charisma
50
Commercial & Critical Success
Awards
Certifications >>>
- Expansion Team: Silver in the UK
