Dilated Peoples - 20/20
Label: ABB Records
Grade: B-
Highlight: “You Can’t Hide, You Can’t Run”
Overview: “Back for the very fourth time,” Rakaa, Evidence and DJ Babu return with 20/20. Production on the album comes courtesy of Alchemist, Joey Chavez and Bravo, as well as Dilated Peoples’ Evidence and DJ Babu. Guest artists include Defari, Krondon, Talib Kweli and Capleton on the off-target reggae infused “Firepower.” This album is more Neighborhood Watch than it is The Platform, as some of the sing-song choruses and corny punchlines ache for radio play more than backpacker anthems. Babu’s cuts are on point as usual, but the vocals are often so slowed down that the styles don’t seem to match (check “Rapid Transit” and “Olde English” for proof). The customary background sirens and answering machine messages are all too common on today’s hip hop albums, but DP has always been more cutting edge than this. The good news is that a sub-par Dilated album is still better than most of the material on the shelves today.
