Dilated Peoples

Moving from the underground to the overground is difficult in any musical genre, but especially in hip-hop, a populist medium whose participants generally look with suspicion upon artists who seem more comfortable with creativity than with cashing in. Such was the reputation of Dilated Peoples (on tour with Aceyalone, The...

By Michael Roberts

June 19, 2008

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Moving from the underground to the overground is difficult in any musical genre, but especially in hip-hop, a populist medium whose participants generally look with suspicion upon artists who seem more comfortable with creativity than with cashing in. Such was the reputation of Dilated Peoples (on tour with Aceyalone, The Alchemist and 88-Keys), even though tracks laid down by group leaders Evidence and DJ Babu were always more accessible than advertised. For that reason, the pair paid dues for the better part of a decade before finally signing to a major label, Capitol — and while the imprint stuck with them through four albums, from 2000's The Platform to 2006's 20/20, none of the discs broke the bank. The Release Party, a DVD/CD combo issued last year by Decon Media, symbolically ended this period, leaving Evidence and DJ Babu back where they started, commercially speaking. Artistically, however, they're undoubtedly in a better place, and to them, that's what matters most.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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