Happy 10th Anniversary to Dilated Peoples’ fifth studio album Directors of Photography, originally released August 12, 2014.
One thing I’ve always disliked about the discussion of “underground” hip-hop is that it’s often viewed and defined by what it’s not. It’s viewed as a reaction to more commercially accessible music, with the artists attempting to be explicitly anti-“pop.” I’ve enjoyed writing tributes to albums for this website that were created in opposition to the status quo, but that doesn’t mean every rapper or group who releases an album that doesn’t follows the trends of the time is taking a stand against the mainstream.
Truthfully, I have no recollection of what was going on in what constituted “mainstream” hip-hop in the year of our lord Beyoncé 2014. What I do remember is being very happy that Dilated Peoples were putting out a new album. Made up of Michael “Evidence” Perretta, Rakaa “Iriscience” Taylor, and Christopher “DJ Babu” Oroc, the Los Angeles-based group had an established history of creating hard-hitting, uncompromised hip-hop music. Directors of Photography, released 10 years ago, was no exception.
Directors of Photography is the group’s fifth full-length and their first in nearly a decade after dropping The Release Party (2007), a combination concert DVD/EP, to celebrate their completion of their contract with Capitol Records. That project featured a few new tracks and remixes of some previously released material. Afterwards, each member of the group focused on their own solo endeavors. Evidence and Rakaa dropped solo projects, while Babu put out the third part of his acclaimed Duck Season mixtape series. But even as each member worked in the studio separately during this time, they continued to tour as a group.
The Dilated crew eventually signed to the Minnesota-based Rhymesayers Records. Evidence released his sophomore album, Cat and Dogs (2011), through the imprint, as well as Lord Steppington as half of the Step Brothers, a team-up between him and The Alchemist. Given the strength of the relationship with one third of the crew, Rhymesayers releasing the Dilated “reunion” album wasn’t a shocker.
As the title suggests, photography is a theme throughout the album. Evidence has long had a passion for photography, inheriting his love for the visual medium from his mother and one of his cousins. In an interview with Talib Kweli’s People’s Party podcast, he spoke about him and Babu being some of the early adopters of Instagram in 2011, back when the only people on it “were from Japan and Istanbul, Turkey.”
But mostly what Dilated have on their mind throughout Directors of Photography is their own legacy. Hip-hop groups are not known for their longevity, so working together for (at that point) close to two decades and releasing five full-lengths was no small feat. The group came back together like they hadn’t missed a beat, releasing an album just as strong as anything in their catalogue.
Listen to the Album:
Evidence and Babu produce roughly half of Directors of Photography, with the group enlisting an impressive array of outside beatmakers. Some are established collaborators (the aforementioned Alchemist and DJ Premier) and other top-tier creators (Diamond D, Jake One, and 9th Wonder). On the mic, both Evidence and Rakaa hold their own as battle-tested veterans, rhyming with conviction and passion. Rakaa shines the brightest, sounding super-charged on every verse he delivers.
The crew reflects on how far they’ve come on “Show Me the Way,” the album’s Jake One-produced second single. Backed up by Aloe Blacc (a fellow longtime fixture of the LA hip-hop scene), Rakaa and Evidence express how they’re content with the careers that they’ve built for themselves. Even with the knowledge they must continue to commit to their unglamorous blue collar grind, they’re prepared to keep forging ahead. “Energizing, on the darkest streets I shine,” Rakaa raps. “Saw the light up on the mountain, to the peak I climbed / Breathtaking new perspectives on the life I grind / First tear of joy fell, looking like I'm crying.”
Dilated ruminates on their past and potential futures throughout Directors of Photography. Tracks like “Directors” and “Good As Gone,” the rugged DJ Premier produced lead single, find the group looking to take hold of their destiny after their hiatus. The Alchemist-produced “Cut My Teeth” features Evidence and Rakaa recounting how their respective upbringings in the Venice and Mid-City neighborhoods of Los Angeles shaped the men that they became.
Dilated face adversity with a fairly cavalier attitude on “Trouble,” eager to face new challenges. “I'm already on the double, trouble's nothing new,” Evidence raps. “About to burst out this bubble I'm accustomed to.” The pair of emcees are more Zen-like on “Let My Your Thoughts Fly Away,” produced by Diamond D. The track finds Ev and Rakaa inside their own heads, seeking solace in their own thoughts to escape from the stresses they encounter during their lives. “Cutting through dark clouds even when the sky's grey,” Rakaa raps. “Dreaming even though we're wide awake.”
Every Dilated album has featured solo material from each member of the group, and all three get their chance to shine on their own on Directors of Photography. Rakaa considers the dire state of the world on “Century of Self,” confronting how corporations and the government look to increase their fortunes at the expense of the world’s poor and disenfranchised populations. Evidence speaks on staying grounded on the bouncy “The Reversal,” knowing that he’ll be tempted to the trappings of fame, but vowing to put hard work first. DJ Babu’s skills behind the turntables take center stage on “Figure it Out (Melvin’s Theme),” providing rapid-fire scratches amidst slowed-down vocal samples and a pair of four-bar verses from Ev and Rakaa.
Overall, Evidence and Rakaa hold down the vast majority of the album’s lyrical duties on their own. Most appearances are similar to Aloe Blacc’s presence on “Show Me the Way,” where the guest emcee delivers the song’s chorus. A then young and hungry Vince Staples delivers the hook to “The Dark Room,” a hymn to the importance of staying motivated to avoid complacency, while Strong Arm Steady’s Krondon lends his unique voice to the 9th Wonder-produced “The Big Picture.”
Gangrene (composed of The Alchemist and Ohno) join Dilated on “Opinions May Vary,” a frenetic, off-kilter jam that would fit right in on the aforementioned Lord Steppington. All four emcees let loose lyrical fury on the piano-driven track produced by Babu. Alchemist sounds unhinged, claiming to “dance over rhythms like a fly on shit.”
“Hallelujah,” one of the album’s two digital-only bonus tracks, is a menacing, hard-hitting posse cut that used to end albums back during hip-hop’s golden era. Dilated’s two emcees are joined by Fashawn, Rapsody, Domo Genesis, Vinnie Paz, and Action Bronson. The eclectic mix of guests makes for an interesting mix of styles and personalities, as each verse stands out. “Losing all control of wild paintings in my broken brain,” Domo boasts. “I don’t think you get it, Scrappy, down for anything you n****s sending at me.”
As of now, Dilated Peoples haven’t released another project since Directors of Photography. Evidence has put out another pair of extremely dope solo albums and has continued his mastery as a producer. He handled the production for full projects by artists like Domo Genesis and Bly. Meanwhile, Rakaa still collaborates with his many allies in the hip-hop community, while Babu tours and performs as a DJ, both solo and as a member of the Beat Junkies Collective.
I certainly hope Dilated aren’t done recording and releasing material as a group. Their sound and styles are timeless enough that they could likely release another “reunion” album by the end of this year and it would likely sound as fresh as anything else on the market. Directors of Photography shows that Dilated Peoples’ commitment to their craft has helped them stay grounded and always capable of releasing timeless material.
Listen: