I had a dream the other night that the debut disc from these two Los Angeles MCs and one DJ sounded like the soundscape hip-hop of DJ Shadow, Kid Koala, select Wu-Tang Clan, etc. Instead of The Platform's monochromatic sonic palette and declamatory mic skills, visions of shifting textures and receded vocals danced in my head.

Now I wouldn't interpret these visions as positing a better musical world where all sound is engulfed in the entropy of Shadowscaping. But Dilated People's rap duo of Evidence and Rakaa clearly need something to divert attention from their ever-loving selves.

Not that they're sucker MCs. On the contrary, their expert flow is sure-footed and unwavering. Problem is, they remind us of it at virtually every track-turn: "It's creativity, talents, ability;" "Never rock the mic in vain;" "Takes respect to perfect the art form;" "It ain't where you put your words, it's where you don't." And those tidbits are just from the well-named title tune and first single. Evidence and Rakaa are so immersed in their rhyming skills that they can't stop boasting about their own verbal mastery, and let's face it, that can get as wearying as the most anonymous No Limit thug-worship.

Their particular brand of lyrical insularity reaches its nadir on "Guaranteed" (RealAudio excerpt): "Some think I'm clever/ Others think I'm the one who makes too many references to weather." Who the hell would think that — except the folks in their poetry workshop? (Granted, that could be a lot of people nowadays.) The Dilated Peoples epitomize a growing faction in hip-hop that puts poets before MCs before musicians. I know poetry can be musical, and I'd be the last person on earth to deny hip-hop's musicality, or even to suggest that it would somehow better itself by using more "real" musicians. Still, judging from their one-musical-idea-per-track m.o., Evidence and Rakaa clearly are in it for the versifying.

These shortcomings are amendable, though, because they do have a great scratchmaster in DJ Babu. So, despite all the above, The Platform is nonetheless a solid-plus effort due to the funky mechanics of Babu (although "Triple Optics" (RealAudio excerpt) sounded funkier live on last year's The Funky Precedent, an underground hip-hop compilation which included cuts by Ozomatli, Aceyalone and Jurassic 5). The problem is that this inventive DJ is allowed to shift gears and twist and crawl only after Evidence and Rakaa have said their pieces.

"Right On" (RealAudio excerpt), for instance, ends with a record skip coda that changes directions beguilingly. Chuck D would be proud to rap over such a careening corner turn; here's hoping Evidence and Rakaa learn to ride the waves as well next time out.