Since joining forces more than 20 years ago, the LA-based hip-hop group Dilated Peoples has made 6 albums, had 13 singles, been featured on 3 EA Games soundtracks, and has collaborated with the likes of Kanye West and John Legend. Comprised of members DJ Babu, Evidence, and Rakaa Iriscience, Dilated Peoples is still hard at work in the music industry, putting out their 6th album, Directors of Photography, last August. As part of their promotional tour for the album, the band will be coming by Ketchum’s very own Whiskey Jacques on December 27. Here SVPN’s Hayden Seder catches up with group member DJ Babu.
SVPN: Your album Directors of Photography came out in August. Can you tell me about the process, backstory, etc. behind the album? How do you think it differs from your previous five albums?
DJ Babu: It actually was a very intense experience. I think initially we thought we were going to knock this LP out in 3-6 months when it actually ended up taking almost two years. We’ve never stopped touring or recording but it had been a bit since we made music as DP, and it took a while before we all got on the same page, so the first year of recording was a lot of sparring and almost getting to know each other again in the studio. But after this period we started racking up more and more material that we loved, we started getting into our groove, and in my opinion what resulted is arguably our best work to date.
SVPN: How did you first get together as a group in 1992?
DJ Babu: At that time I was not in the group, I actually joined around 1998. I was managing Fat Beats LA and DJ-ing around the city when I met Rakaa and Ev. I was already a fan and played their music on the radio and on mixtapes so they asked me to do a couple shows and studio sessions and it snowballed into me being the third member of Dilated Peoples (DP).
SVPN: What are some of your earliest musical influences? What current groups or artists influence you today?
DJ Babu: I was heavily influenced by MTV and ‘80s and ‘90s hip-hop. I’ve always loved rap groups that featured dope DJ’s like EPMD, UTFO, Run DMC, Low Profile, Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, the list goes on.
SVPN: After so many years in the music industry, what advice would you give to other hip-hop groups that are just starting?
DJ Babu: Love what you do and practice your craft.
SVPN: You all started performing together in 1998. How do you think your sound has evolved since then?
DJ Babu: I think we’ve evolved in a very natural and organic way. I don’t think our formula has changed much, we just focus on getting better at what we do.
SVPN: As a group, you’ve collaborated with many other artists including Kanye West, Xzibit, John Legend, Aloe Blacc. How does working with different artists influence your own sound?
DJ Babu: I think collaborating is healthy on many levels; for one if we collaborate with someone that means we feel what they are doing, we’re fans of them, and they’re most likely great at what they do, so it makes you bring your A game. Also, other artists bring new and refreshing energy to a situation and add textures and other elements that help enhance our music.
SVPN: The 2004 song “This Way” was a huge success. What’s the story behind how you became involved with the 3 collaborating artists (Kanye West, Xzibit, John Legend)?
DJ Babu: At the time we were signed to Capitol Records, so obviously being signed to a major label also brings the pressure to sell records. At the time Capitol had a list of people they wanted us to potentially work with and Kanye was on that list and an obvious choice for us. We were already fans of his production, but we had no idea that he was also an aspiring rapper, so we were all surprised when he asked if he could kick a verse on our song. Little did any of us know that he would evolve into one of the biggest artists of our generation.
SVPN: What do you do to stay grounded or inspired when you’re on tour?
DJ Babu: Go record shopping.
