Dilated Peoples, Little Brother

Dilated Peoples is the rap equivalent of a Honda--nothing fancy, just a solid, dependable ride that's as reliable as Rip Hamilton curling off a screen. You know when you step into a DP show that you'll get thoughtful lyrics inspired by soul snippets bouncing off of dusted boom bap. You know you'll get razor-sharp turntablist precision from Beat Junkie member DJ Babu. You know you'll get head nod. What the California trio lacks in anthems (with all due respect to Expansion Team's "Worst Comes to Worst"), it makes up for with consistency and cred. Supporting act Little Brother comes with the distinction of having BET ignore their last joint, The Minstrel Show, because it was too smart, thus making it a self-fulfilling prophecy. Expect a lot of the crowd to gather in circles and rhyme amongst themselves about hating mainstream rap.