The West Coast has always been considered the primary bastion of “gangsta” rap. Following the success of such hardcore groups such as N.W.A. and Ice-T, the majority or rap acts coming out of that region quickly adapted their lyrics to include gun violence, drug abuse and selling, and misogyny in order to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors. Eventually, West Coast artists became so successful that even some of the most faithful of the East Coast “backpackers” were forced to follow suit in order to keep their careers alive.

As of late, it seems that the pendulum has started to swing in the opposite direction. While many East Coast rappers are currently obsessed with the “thug”-inspired materialistic lifestyle, a number of groups are coming out of the West attempting to return to the true roots of Hip Hop. Some of the most notable of these performers are the guys at Quannum Projects, Jurassic 5, Black Eyed Peas, and the Dilated Peoples.

A year after turning the rap world inside out with their debut, The Platform, the group, consisting of members Evidence, Rakaa (Iriscience), and DJ Babu, returned the studio to create their sophomore LP, Expansion Team. With this album, their goal was to build on the lessons learned from assembling their debut in order to create a better, more complete LP. The DPs also made sure to ask for assistance from some of the best rappers and producers in the industry, a call that was answered by high profile names like DJ Premier, Alchemist, ?uestlove, Phil Da Agony, Black Thought, and Tha Liks. With all that talent in one place, it would be extremely difficult to not produce a high-quality album, and Dilated Peoples certainly do not disappoint.

Track Listing
1. Live On Stage
2. Worst Comes to Worst
3. Clockwork
4. Trade Money
5. Heavy Rotation feat. Tha Liks
6. Self Defense
7. Phil Da Agony Interlude
8. Proper Propaganda
9. Dilated Junkies feat. J-Rocc, Rhettmatic, and Melo-D
10. Panic
11. Pay Attention
12. Night Life
13. War
14. Hard Hitters feat. Black Thought
15. Defari Interlude
16. Expansion Team Theme

The Expansion Team album starts out with “Live On Stage” . Dilated Peoples use this uptempo song to kick off the album with a lot of focused energy. The trio just spit some raw braggadocio over a brassy beat by Alchemist. It’s an enjoyable introduction for the rest of the album.

“Worst Comes to Worst” is the first single to be released from the LP. For the beat, Alchemist constructs a very hypnotic track using the very familiar guitar and strings sample from “I Forgot to be Your Lover” by William Bell. I’ve heard this sample used on several rap tracks, most notably on a song from Killah Priest’s debut, but that familiarity doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of the song. Lyrically, the trio raps about their loyalty to their friends, family, and what they do.

Legendary rap producer DJ Premier lends his considerable talents to “Clockwork” , one of my favorite tracks on the Expansion Team album. Rakaa, Ev, and Babu rip fiery freestyles over one of Primo’s characteristic driving, uptempo beats. His use of orchestral string crescendos are getting to be a little repetitive, but they do help flesh out the track.

After a far too short freestyle from microphone assassin Phil Da Agony over a walking upright bass loop, the album switches into a more social/political mode with “Proper Propaganda”. Here, after a quick “news report” from Hip Hop Media Assassin Harry Allen, DP delves into a variety of deeper issues, such as the purpose of the media and other political topics. Not many are explored with a significant amount of depth, but they do bring up a few good points. Babu selects an appropriate beat for the topics, using samples with horns and voices to add aural dramatic elements.

Track 9, “Dilated Junkies” is one of those old-school songs that let the DJ flex their skills on the two turntables. Since the producer has replaced the DJ as the primary music arranger with most Hip Hop acts, songs like this have become an unfortunate rarity. DJ Babu assembles fellow Beat Junkies J-Rocc, Rhettmatic and Melo-D for some furious scratching over a tight beat with light, syncopated keyboard chords and driving percussion. If you’re a fan of nimble turntablism, you’ll love this track.

Throughout the Expansion Team LP, the Dilated peoples do an excellent job of combining skilled lyricism with professional deejaying to create a unique and distinct sound. Evidence, DJ Babu, and Iriscience do their best to crush the microphone throughout the entire piece. Babu’s production skills are not to be ignored either; his ability to blend funk, soul and jazz samples behind the boards is almost as majestic as his skill on the turntables.

So, for fans tired of the current league of Hip Hop artists; don’t worry. The Dilated Peoples have brought an Expansion Team; and it looks like the game will have to change a little to keep up.


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving