Dilated Peoples live!
Dilated Peoples, Aceyalone
Double Door, Chicago
Friday, June 20, 2008
Hip-hop shows have become a rarity at the Double Door, which is why it was a welcome surprise to see Los Angeles’ Dilated Peoples play the compact venue on the first night of summer. Of course, in 15 years this hip-hop trio – comprising Rakaa Iriscience, Evidence, and Babu — has sold out venues more than five times the size of the Wicker Park stage. But with its high-energy stage presence, Dilated Peoples made the most of the space on the Chicago stop of the “Fresh Rhymes And Videotape” tour.
Presented by Decon Records/Media, the show was about more than live sets, though. In between each act, Dilated friend and music video director Jason Goldwatch projected snippets of his prerecorded, smoked-out film projects. Most memorable was a segment featuring his take on the video for The Police’s “Every Breath You Take.” Here Goldwatch interprets the hit from a paranoid man’s mindset, as he mixes the video with clips of surveillance camera footage to show how privacy has become nonexistent in the 21st century. Another notable visual element of the show was Goldwatch’s placement of various cameras around the stage, which allowed him to project real time footage of the performances and the crowd on the large, dual screens.
Amid all the visual stimulation the music itself was not overshadowed. One of the openers, Project Blowed vet Aceyalone, did a respectable job of warming up the crowd with the help of his DJ and hype man, Hines Buchanan. Having collaborated with Dilated in the past and now recording under Decon, he was an obvious choice for the tour and got a solid reception performing past favorites like the bass-heavy “Arhythamaticulas” and the dancehall-centric tracks from his latest album, Lightning Strikes (DCN). But, by the last track, Acey seemed exhausted as he fumbled over his own lyrics.
Once Dilated Peoples stepped to it was clear it hasn’t lost a bit of chemistry. While the groups’ last LP, 2006’s 20/20 (Capitol), wasn’t quite critically acclaimed and shrouded the group’s future in uncertainty, on this warm night, all seemed right.
Granted, aside from a guest appearance by popular producer/occasional rapper the Alchemist, there weren’t many surprises. But its reliability as a true-school hip-hop group or so-called “backpack rap” act is what its core audience appreciates. At a Dilated show it’s understood DJ Babu will preserve the art of turntablism as he did at the Double Door, flexing his scratching and vinyl manipulation skills. Dilated’s seminal hit, “Work The Angles,” essentially an advanced take on rapping about rapping, will appear and the audience will love it.
As the group grows older, though, the material has become less concerned with just showcasing the elements of hip-hop for the sake of the culture. Such is the case with Evidence’s solo material from 2007’s The Weatherman LP (ABB), like his unforeseen feel good anthem, “Chase The Clouds Away,” which he performed. Meanwhile, Rakaa introduced some his new politically driven solo raps that he has been building up to in recent years. But while each member got his own chance to shine, the highlight of the night came when every performer stepped to the stage for the Mobb Deep-sampled single, “Worst Comes To Worst.” Essentially a song dedicated to having your family’s back, playing this track last with Aceyalone, Alchemist, and other affiliates made for a classic hip-hop moment and an apt close to the night.
— Max Herman
Category: Live Reviews, Weekly
