"Dilated Peoples started the underground hip-hop movement in 1992 Los Angeles. The duo, which met at the Hip-Hop Shop studio, were equally talented rappers before they came together and formed Dilated Peoples. Rakaa has previously worked with the Zulu Nation and the West Coast Rocksteady Crew, while Evidence had production work under his belt. In 1997 DJ Babu of the Beat Junkies joined the crew and they started to release singles and EPs with the label ABB. One of their biggest underground hits was the single ""Work the Angles,"" which sold 20,000 copies off the streets in just one month. When their underground unit started seeing the mainstream surface, major labels began approaching Dilated Peoples about a record contract. In 2000 the group released its first major label LP, The Platform, which mixed their famous street rhymes with loaded political commentary. While the album was made when the boys were still struggling artists, it garnered loads of critical and commercial acclaim, paving the way for their next major label LP, Expansion Team, in 2001. The group's wider approach to mainstream issues and more mainstream collaboration had the album doing even better than the previous.At this point the group decided to start touring, and traveled with the film Scratch, an independent documentary that followed hip-hop DJs and turntabalists. With their third album, Neighborhood Watch, the boys decided to work with bigger producers and enlisted Joey Chavez, Rob Tewlow and Kanye West. The album was yet another success and the West produced single ""This Way"" went on to become their biggest success yet. They toured with West and others and released 20/20 in 2006."