Dilated Peoples - Expansion Team: Worst Comes to Worst Don't Put Peoples First

Dilated Peoples represents all that I love and hate about hip hop. These guys make traditional legitimate hip hop records with scratch samples, break-beats, and braggadocio. For as much as I loved that in the 1980s and early 90s, it's clear that hip hop as a whole moved past that by the time we hit 1993. Dilated Peoples' entire style was the fact they didn't move with the times; they still loved the brag-heavy rap with no real songwriting skills or sense of creativity. Their debut album, The Platform was a decent release, but due to their numerous appearances on Sway and Tech's Wake-Up Show, their sophomore release Expansion Team had even more anticipation behind it from the heads.

The issue is, if you're going to do a record that is almost all braggadocio and rocking the mic, there is a mandatory rule where you have to be one of the top 20 emcees of all time and/or have some kind of amazing punchlines or charisma to carry your ass. Dilated People's emcees Iriscience and Evidence are neither. Now make no mistake, Iriscience is normally on-point at rocking the mic, but Evidence's various performances range from focused to being one of the lazyest emcees to ever touch a mic. DJ Babu seems to be the most charismatic of the three despite having zero vocals; his scratch-sampling and production steals the show on most occassions, but on this album, it's Alchemist who provides the best beats.

The lead single "Worst Comes To Worst" is a banger without question. Other than my boy Skully Black's "This or That", this is probably my favorite use of the William Bell "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" sample; one of the most overused samples in hip hop. Alchemist does it justice. Guru makes a small cameo here, and Iriscience and Evidence rock the mic (the former better than the latter). Again though, the rhyming can at times be so bad that you just fade it out in your head and rock the production. The legendary DJ Premier laces "Clockwork", a track that I wish had a better emcee like Nas or Royce on it rather than this idiot Evidence. Speaking of which, Evidence has a solo joint, the Alchemist-laced "Panic" which is another case of all beat, no rhymes. "Hard Hitters" with Black Thought is another decent song highlighted by Black Thought's over-the-top quality rhymes and trumpet-heavy production. "Worst Comes To Worst", "Clockwork" and "Hard Hitters" are the nirvana from Expansion Team.

Other highlights include Da Beatminerz' "Trade Money", where Dilated Peoples touch on the evils of money and greed, "Proper Propaganda" focuses on shady political scandals and discrimination from the higher-ups in the world, and "War" is a metaphor-filled Iriscience acapella track focused on dissention between nations and worldwide politics. These are fine songs that actually have subject matter, but I don't think I will be revisiting them anytime soon.

The rest of the songs are basically average brag-rap tracks with break-beats. Evidence is lazyer than a North Carolina fat man and Iriscience, while a dope emcee, just can't carry tracks on his own. Other than three or four songs, there is nothing BUT brag rhymes all through-out this sixteen track LP. How can you brag if you can't even put together a good album.

"When you eat steak every night you get tired of steak." -- Classy Freddie Blassie.

That's damn right. Expansion Team is all steak and no sizzle, the problem is the steak is from a mad cow and not Grade A Filet. Expansion Team is an average at best release made for true-school purists. The scratch-sampling, hippety-hop-ness works there, but if you're looking for good songs, check the 50 Cent aisle.

Yeah, I'm serious.

Track List & Rating

1. Live on Stage (***)
2. Worst Comes to Worst (*****)
3. Clockwork (*****)
4. Trade Money (****)
5. Heavy Rotation f/ Tha Liks (****)
6. Self Defense (***)
7. Phil da Agony Interlude (***)
8. Proper Propaganda (****)
9. Dilated Junkies f/ J-Rocc, Rhettmatic, & Melo-D (NOT RATED)
10. Panic (****)
11. Pay Attention (**)
12. Night Life (**)
13. War (****)
14. Hard Hitters f/ Black Thought (****)
15. Defari Interlude (***)
16. Expansion Team Theme (***)

2.5 Stars