Released: June 12, 2014

Songwriter: Evidence Rakaa Iriscience DJ Premier DJ Babu

Producer: DJ Premier

[Intro]
Dilated Peoples
DJ Premier on the beat
DJ Babu on the cut
(You know the saga, who liver)
(Sacrifice my life but I won’t give in)
(That’s why I’m driven, blessed with the God given)
(See with your eyes dilated for the for the sake of the G’s)

[Verse 1: Rakaa]
I was getting buried alive
Heard the dirt hit the coffin top, I barely survived
But I broke through my grave, ripped the pine box cell apart
Head first yelling, “Maggot Brain, Funkadelic art”
There is a darkside
Fairweather friends flock, Hitchcock
Same birds scatter when the ends stop
A couple let their guards down, figure it was done for certain
Talking about (Nekst) "time to pull the plug and close the curtains”
Eyes wide, bugged like "holy leaping Lazarus
I thought that y’all we're...nevermind", material still hazardous
Hazmat, clutching their chests like asthmatics
From mathematics, a natural dash of black magic
Salute to new voices flexing power advancing
The ballot’s a modern branding versus classic sound clashing
Took heavy fire, survived the crash landing
Smiled to walk away from the wreckage, the last standing

[Hook: Rakaa]
They thought that it was gone for good
They figured it was good as gone
They thought that it was gone for good
They figured it was good as gone
(You know the saga, who liver)
(Sacrifice my life but I won’t give in)
They thought that it was gone for good
(See with your eyes dilated for the for the sake of the G’s)

[Verse 2: Evidence]
Devise a plan and I execute it ‘til I’m undisputed
If the record never stated, I’ve been showing most improvement
At a time when my peers declined, I used it as a booster
Used the dedication as a plus, I ain’t used to losers
Lock the rare loops from the safe, then I change the combination
Then I set the pace, settle down, and lay the conversation
Drew an outline that made me think that this a new beginning
Kept an older frame of mind when I been spraying all the fillings
So God bless us, cut from different cloths and different textures
Different walks of life, some act, some are directors
Some are extras, and those ain’t easy to find
And I ain’t easily defined, what’s fame? A thin line
I been thinking walking over the edge but keep blinking
Taking two steps back to my zone for no reason
Call it comfort, and that is not the best for my art
Not the best way to end and not the best way to start
Good as gone

[Hook]

[Verse 3: Evidence & Rakaa]
I was out of mind and sight
Dark clouds all around me, trying to find the light
I took flight with the dot dot legs dangling
Cliff-hanging never dock in my spot
I stand by what I say, ‘cause I’m easy to find
Dates posted every day of the year in bold lines
The more that I roam the more that I’m free
The more I’m in Rome the more that I’m me
The more I’m at home, the more that it’s stress
The moral is, we be touring it best
I’m not the same old run of the mill
Who keeps running until, the feet tell him put the runners to rest
I’ve seen the last come first
I’ve seen the first, last
Double majored in life
Some of the worst passed
Back to school learning secrets that the Earth had
Sat in coach and studied business before my first class

[Hook]

Dilated Peoples

The trio is composed of Evidence, Rakaa, and DJ Babu and released their first album The Platform in 2000 to critical acclaim. Teaming up with The Alchemist, they released Expansion Team the following year. Neighborhood Watch brought their biggest hit This Way, which features John Legend and Kanye West. Albums 20/20 and 2014’s Directors of Photography further solidified the group’s respect among underground fans. The group continues to tour and collaborate with fellow underground MCs to this day.