Vancouver, B.C. – Straight outta their stint in Whistler for the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival, Dilated Peoples kept the energy up at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver. Opening for the West Coast underground heroes was our own West Coast pal CityReal, who transitioned the crowd from DJ Abel’s smooth cuts to the lively Peoples.

CityReal, who’s something of a Vancouver staple but spends much of his time on tour, was a good pick for opener; his style matched Dilated in its conscious tone and the melodic beats got the crowd hyped. Off the album The Beginning, CItyReal played “Passing Me By” and “Out Of Time,” both head bobbers. He followed with a heavy a cappella to give us something to think about, and closed with “Destiny” as the crowd waved their hands back and forth to the beat. It was a mellow but enjoyable set that organically combined deep thought and tight composition.

By this time the Commodore’s dance floor was starting to fill up with the die-hard Dilated fans – having not put out a record since 2006 it was true love and loyalty that brought the crowd out. Evidence dominated the stage from the start, with Rakaa keeping it grounded and DJ Babu keeping it live. The crew brought out “Live on Stage” to start, shifting into “You Can’t Hide You Can’t Run” and the Alchemist-produced “Panic.” Of course the ever-popular “This Way,” possibly the group’s only mainstream hit with Kanye West, was a crowd-pleaser, and it was followed up by the night’s highlight, a Babu beat-juggling and scratch set that showcased the Beat Junkie’s talents.

Predictably, both Rakaa and Evidence dropped some solo tracks – Evidence reiterated some of the set we heard a few months ago when he came through with Fashawn, performing “Chase the Clouds Away” and “Mr. Slo Flo” amid mad joints blazing. Mad Child joined the crew for “So Deadly” which features Evidence on the new Swollen Members album, and then it was into “Love and War” and “Work the Angles,” closing with the popular “Worst Come to Worst.” A great night for those who like conscious flows and crazy beats.

Written by Amalia Judith for HipHopCanada
Photography by Jamie Sands for HipHopCanada

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Tags: City Real, Dilated Peoples, DJ Babu, Evidence, Madchild, Rakaa

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Posted by @AmaliaJude

Amalia Judith was born in Winnipeg, MB and quickly whisked away to a childhood of travel throughout California, England, Germany and predominantly Pakistan. In 2006 she completed an honor's degree in English Literature, which left her quite jobless and alone in east Van. Amalia cut her teeth at abortmag.com, Canada's darkest counter-culture magazine, moving on to contribute words and flicks to HipHopCanada: she's currently the West Coast Regional Editor and has had the privilege to interview hip-hop icons like Lil' Kim, RZA, Drake, Dead Prez, Big Boi and Pharrell Williams. Amalia works with some of Vancouver's most challenging and lovely children at a therapeutic school for brain-based disabilities, as well as doing community programming for Killawatt Records.

1. 
   Tonye AganabaApr 23, 2011 at 8:44 pm

   GREAT PICS!!! Wicked review! I love CityReal he’s a real sweetie, and an EXCELLENT performer.

2. Today’s Links | underground-hiphop.netApr 23, 2011 at 9:21 pm

   [...] CityReal and Dilated Peoples in Vancouver (Live)[Review/Photos] Vancouver, B.C. – Straight outta their stint in Whistler for the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival, Dilated Peoples kept the energy … Read More » [...]