by John Bear
Daily Lobo
If one were to look up the term
"hip-hop" in any dictionary, more
than likely, he or she would see a
photograph of Dilated Peoples.
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They deserve this honor not
because they are the greatest rap
group. They aren't. They should
get a photo because their sound
is the absolute essence of hip-hop
music.
This works for and against
them. They are widely mimicked
by aspiring rappers at keg parties
everywhere, endlessly jocked on
by surly chaps with crooked baseball
caps. On some level, this is a
good thing.
On the other hand, their style
is somewhat generic in nature.
One could listen to an entire Dilated
Peoples album and have no
idea who it was, were it not for
the unwavering self-referencing.
This is bad, because originality is
a widely cherished virtue in the
realm of hip-hop - that and the
fact that their songs sometimes
seem a little too ring-tone ready.
Having said that, Dilated Peoples'
latest effort, 20/20, is a fine example of rap music which, while
not the most original - perhaps
not even all that inspired - is nevertheless
an entertaining listening
experience.
It opens with a coded telephone
call to the weed dealer.
Very compelling. While we are
on the subject, rappers everywhere
should stop using recorded
phone messages from homies,
ass kissers, disgruntled fans and
psycho groupies. It was cute for a
minute but has since moved into
the neighborhood of clichÇ - its
neighbor being the oft-repeated
phrase "throw your hands in the
air." Knock it off.
Things pick up after this, however.
The production is not all that
fantastic but possesses an undeniable
sense of competency. If Dilated
Peoples do anything right, it is the large amount of time they devote to
their DJ, Babu. He cuts, scratches
and otherwise fl ips things up and
down throughout the album. The
DJ is rapidly becoming the bastard
stepchild of hip-hop music, but
these guys give the turntablist the
props he deserves.
MCs Evidence and Rakaa provide
all their lyrics in the liner
notes. This is a refreshing change
of pace, because sometimes
catching every word is difficult.
While their words are neither
enlightening nor particularly
fresh, it is nice to be able to read
along.
The beats on the album serve
as a prime example of skillful
production. Hip-hop instrumentals
tend to be repetitive at times.
This problem can be overcome
by use of negative space - that
is, momentary removal of certain
elements. For example, a beat
may have a repeating bass drum
pattern of one, two, three, four.
The producer may remove, say,
the first bass drum hit in the sequence
periodically. This causes
the beat to stutter for a fraction of
a second then regain its rhythm,
resulting in an unpredictability
that will keep listeners engaged.
Dilated Peoples don't make the
best music in the world. But their
respect for all elements of hiphop
music - lyrics, DJing and
production - gives them points
they may not have earned otherwise.
These guys take it seriously,
and for that, respect is due.
