You’d think for a Hip Hop group that has been around since ’97 as well a single with uber-star Kanye West, Dilated Peoples would need no introduction. But sometimes the unfortunate truth is that there are some media folks who are just late on their info, or just plain sloppy in doing their homework. Yes I am referring Evidence’s picture repeatedly being misused in news broadcastings misidentifying him with grafitti artist Buket getting arrested. Perhaps that’s the fine line of straddling an indie audience appeal and a major record label backing. But hey these guys have been making music for a while, DJing, producing, recording, on their own solo projects, or with other people – they’re pretty much successful in their own right. Plus a little notoriety never hurt nobody.

Here's an interview with Evidence (he's the one looking at the camera, in case you didnt know.)

Catz: How did you guys all meet? How did you decide that these were the guys (DJ Babu and Rakaa Iriscience) that you were going to work with?

Evidence: Because when you see a DJ at a strip club doing that good for the ladies, you figure he could probably do that good for anybody.

Catz: How about Iriscience? How did you decide that he would be your other MC?

Evidence: Well, I actually first met him as a graffiti artist and thought that if he could be so organized with his graffiti work, then he must able to do something similar in a rhyme form. We were a figurative group until about late 1997, when we recorded our first record and became official.

Catz: You started out on an independent label, ABB Records, then signed to Capital, fulfilled your contract and now are independent again. How do you compare the experience between major and indie labels?

Evidence: There are benefits and negatives on both sides. Basically, being independent is like putting a mirror up to yourself: If your work ethic is good it will show in the size and quality of your audience. If you don't work hard, you'll probably fail. At a major, the label sinks millions into promotions and radio time, so if you're not an active artist it still looks like you're doing the damn thing. It's easier to be lazy on a major than at an independent. You also get more money upfront at a major, but little money after that, where at an independent it's the reverse order; you have to grind it out on the road to see some paper. Ultimately, I prefer artistic freedom, so I enjoy being independent right now.

Catz: Is the creative inspiration any different when you're at a major as opposed to an indie and vice versa?

Evidence: Yeah, they're different challenges. I liked the challenge of being on a major and trying to make a record that would satisfy our old fans while fitting alongside Dr. Dre in a mix. I feel that straddling both lines was our biggest accomplishment. On an independent, though, you have more artistic freedom and don't feel pressure to make that big single. But the pressure to make big single resulted in us making This Way with Kanye West, so a lot beautiful things have happened from both ends of the industry spectrum. No matter what, the next record will be 100 percent us.

Catz: What are the ingredients of the Dilated Peoples' sound?

Evidence: Two people from the opposite ends of town, different ethnicities, different ages, coming together for no better reason than making rap music, then adding a crazy Filipino guy into the middle of it. All of that, plus listening to a lot of Gang Starr.

Catz: Is there anyone you're feeling lately?

Evidence: Yeah, which is dope, because I haven't been inspired in a while. There was a time during 2005 and 2006 where I hit a dry spell and couldn't find anything that caught my attention. Recently, I've found a lot of stuff on the West Coast: From a producer's standpoint, I'm loving DJ Khalil from Self-Scientific, I think he might be one of the best in the game, period. Jacken from Psycho Realm, a Mexican rapper from L.A., he really spits and I wanted to hear someone like that rep for L.A. Also, I think (L.A. rapper) blu's Below the Heavens is an amazing record. I feel that I'm most blessed, however, in the way that my best friends are the most inspiring to me, like Alchemist, Planet Asia or Defari.

Catz: How do you feel the role of the producer has changed over the past years, with it being so much easier to make beats and distribute them?

Evidence: I think it changed when Kanye West came out. I mean, when I was coming up, you had guys like Premier, Pete Rock, and Marley Marl before that, but only nerds like me or people into the game really knew about them. Later on, you had a producer like Timbaland that some people could put a face to, but when Kayne came out, it started the era of the producer as a superstar. He opened up a whole new lane. Because of him, you have the birth of Scratch magazine and other forms of media concentrated on producing. It's possible to be a star producer, instead of behind-the-scenes. But I don’t think that just because you’re a producer now that gives you the right to be Kanye West.

Catz: There was recent incident with your picture and (grafitti artist) Buket -

Evidence: [laughs] I'm not supposed to talk about it because we have a pending lawsuit, but… I'm not Buket. Hey, it’s interesting, if you do the history on me it ties it in a funny, ironic way, but check out the video for Mr. Slow Flow.

Catz: Your songs cover a lot of political issues, and one song in particular, Proper Propaganda, makes reference to Philly -- the MOVE bombing and Mumia. That’s interesting that you guys are informed, I mean there are people in Philly who don’t even know about that. What kind of place do political messages have within your music?

Evidence: “Edutainment” would be the best way to describe how we want to approach it. As Alchemist puts it, sometimes you have to sneak the medicine into the brownie for people to eat it, but we never wanna be to heavy on people. We don't want to be too preachy. But, if your hand is rocking and you're bouncing up and down and you pick up a message, maybe only subliminally at first but enough for you to figure it out later, than we'll take it.

Catz: Has putting out a solo record changed your approach at for the next Dilated record?

Evidence: Yeah, because I got to let out a side of me that I wouldn't be able to on a Dilated record, the same way that Iriscience will when his solo record comes out. I think we're going to come back stronger as a result of that, because being in a group involves compromise, for better or worse. Because we've done our solo efforts, it's going to be easier to compromise and work together. We're not going to try and push ideas that would be better suited for solo records.

Dilated Peoples performed this past Sunday at the TLA for the Decon Presents Fresh Rhymes and Videotapes Tour along with The Alchemist, Aceyalone, and 88 Keys.