No Minor League Affair

After blowing up the college mix-show circuit with "Work The Angles,"| andthe Defari, A.G., and Xzibit assisted "Rework The Angles," on Bay Areaindependent label ABB Records, Dilated Peoples have inked a deal withCapitol Records to release their debut album, The Platform. Thegroup which comprises producer/MC Evidence, Iriscience and DJ Babu of theWorld Famous Beat Junkies, will release their yet-to-be-picked first singlein January 2000, Evidence says. The full-length is expected in March.

"We believe that they are artists and entrepreneurs," says Capitol's Vice President ofA&R Ron Laffitte, who signed the band. "We hope to help them fulfill theirvision."

While Laffitte declined to discuss specifics, he says the contract is a "fair,market value deal." He adds that they could have received more moneyelsewhere but went with Capitol because they offered them creative control."We are taking direction from them, they know how to reach their fan basebetter than we do," he says. "They have an ability to control and affecthow this record is marketed."

ABB head Beni B will also be involved in the making of The Platform,but as of press time he was unable to provide specifics.

The group was formerly signed to Immortal Records. They were set to releasean album, Imagery, Battlehymns, and Political Poetry, in 1995. Afterthe deal went sour, they left their management firm and went back to thedrawing board. They are now represented by Attorney Dave Ehrlich in apartnership arrangement.

Dilated re-emerged in June, 1997, releasing "ThirdDegree"/"Confidence"/"Global Dynamics" on ABB. They followed that up with"Work The Angles"/"The Main Event"/"Triple Optics" in April 1998. And, inFebruary 1999, they released "Rework The Angles"/"Guaranteed"/"Work TheAngles Remix."

In the last few years, the group has attracted a rabid fan following asevidenced by a recent 20-city cross-country tour. On the road with Jurassic5 and The Breakestra, the tour posted near sell-outs at every stop, with nomajor label support. In Chicago, fans lined up around the block, says DanDalton, who organized the tour and manages Jurassic 5. "The kids who buyvinyl, the underground fans, know about Dilated Peoples."

This is what initially attracted Laffitte to the group. "We didn't wake upone day and say, 'let's get back into the hip-hop game,'" Laffitte says.When he ventured out to a club to catch the trio, he says that he "developedthese feelings that you get as a fan," and got excited about working withDilated Peoples. He was impressed by the close rapport the group has withtheir fans.

The band is excited about the opportunity to take their music to abroader audience on their own terms. "We decided that we would never go toa label again and say, 'please believe in our vision,'" Evidence saysexcitedly. "[With Capitol] we're sharing a vision."

He adds that Laffitte's experience as a Megadeth's former manager alsoworked in his favor. "Ron Laffitte really understood that we want to dothis as a rock group and have 15 to 20 albums." - Adam Matthews