Dilated Peoples

Four albums deep, L.A.'s Dilated Peoples stick to the same formula they've used since their classic "Work the Angles" single back in 1998. As a result, 20/20 is a familiar take on traditional hip hop. Rakaa gives a standout performance, dropping jewels like "Life insurance for kids, undertakers waiting/ Earth is purgatory/ Here between the pearly gates and Satan" on "You Can't Hide, You Can't Run," and frequently outshining rap partner Evidence. And the album's best track, "Firepower (The Tables Have to Turn)," is a fiery reggae-rap number with dancehall great Capleton that bounces all over the place as Capleton shouts out, "Burn them!" The innovative number makes many of 20/20's boom-bap beats -- courtesy of Joey Chavez, Bravo, Alchemist, and other L.A. veterans -- sound rote by comparison. A few other songs -- particularly the title cut and "Kindness for Weakness" -- prove Dilated Peoples are still a talented trio worth listening to, but for the most part, they're just coasting here.