L.A.'s Dilated Peoples' origins run deep within the Cali independent hip-hop scene. MCs Evidence and Iriscience met while participating in freestyle battles, eventually hooking-up with DJ Babu of crate-digging turntable crew the Beat Junkies. The trio have released four albums since signing to Capitol in 2000. Undeniable skills and tight production keep Dilated Peoples in the money, while collaborations with the Roots, the Beatnuts, and Talib Kweli, among others, keep them firmly rooted in hip-hop's underground.