Rating: NNNN
‘Back for the very fourth time — don’t worry if I write cheques, I write rhymes,’ spits Evidence on Back Again, rearranging an infamous Diddy line into a backpacker aphorism. Fortunately, neither Ev nor his Dilated pal Rakaa writes rhymes his ass can’t cash, and the remainder of the record is rife with brow-raising darts and the mindblowing beats to match, outstripping the last two Dilated records and threatening the alignment of your neck vertebrae in the process. Fresh horror soundtrack samples, crusty soul breaks and pianos galore cut together courtesy of DJ Babu’s tornado scratches provide continued justification for Dilated’s condescending attitude toward other weaker rap groups. Also: best album title of the year so far.
