Since 1992 Dilated Peoples have been building, it started out as freestyle sessions at the Hip-Hop Shop. Then in 1997 the group decided to take their destiny in their own hands by hooking up with ABB Records. The 12" "Third Degree" featuring Defari, with "Confidence" and "Global Dynamics" was released. Shortly after this debut they were then encouraged to produce a maxi-single, "Work The Angels" with "Triple Optics" and "The Main Event." The creation of these concoctions opened up the ears to many hip-hop heads across the globe and gave the group a fan base. After all the positive feedback from their fans Dilated continued to press on. This is when "Rework The Angels" featuring AG, Defari and Xzibit dropped with "Guaranteed" and the Evidence Remix of "Work The Angels." This is how it all began.

Now it's the year 2000 and Dilated Peoples are still doing it. They continue to shine with the release of the maxi-single, which includes the title track, "The Platform" with "Annihilation" and "The Platform Remix." I don't know about y'all but these cats got me saying "Damn!" They just keep on rising to the top and now they have blessed us with their full-length debut "The Platform" on Capitol Records.

"The Platform" has everything from dope production to ill guest appearances. On production you got Dilated themselves as the executive producers of the album, then there is The Alchemist, T-Ray, E-Swift, Joey Chavez and Kut Masta Kurt. As for the special guest appearances you got B-Real, The Liks, Aceyalone, White E. Ford, Phil Da Agony, DJ Revolution, Defari and Planet Asia.

All the tracks on the album are ill although we have heard a couple of them in the past. Who cares right? The more Dilated the better, put all that shit on there. That's just giving the heads their moneys worth. Other tracks that are contributing to their "dilating the world" are "The Platform", "EarDrumsPop", and my favorite "Years In The Making." "We sending this out to every obstacle that made us stronger, we sending this out to poison that made the antidote".

Dilated got it all pretty much, lyrics thanks to Iriscience and Evidence, scratches thanks to DJ Babu (My DJ so nice, he don't slice, he severs). You just can't fuck with them. I don't know if I'm overly supportive because I am from the same town they are or what. What I do know is they are hard workers and I see that in them. These guys are positive and I respect them for that. They are the next generation of Hip-Hop. On the back cover of the album it says, "ALL MOVEMENTS BEGIN UNDERGROUND." All I got to say to that is "Right on, Right on!"

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Review: Mental*Star 
courtesy of hiphop-elements.com