Inspiration: Back Again… For the Very Last Time?

Music has a remarkable way of marking different chapters of our lives. Last month, on my 40th birthday, Fran and I travelled to London to see Dilated Peoples perform at The Jazz Cafe as part of the 25th anniversary of Expansion Team. It wasn't the first time we'd seen them—that was back in 2013 at Liverpool's East Village Arts Club—but we never expected another opportunity. Travelling through a rare red heat warning, it felt like far more than another concert. It felt like returning to an important chapter of our lives, with the possibility that this might also be the last time we'd see the group perform together.

▶︎ Watch: Dilated Peoples - Worst Comes To Worst

The Soundtrack to a Lifetime

For anyone unfamiliar with Dilated Peoples, they're one of those rare groups who have never really chased trends. Formed in Los Angeles by Evidence, Rakaa and DJ Babu, they built a loyal following through intelligent lyricism, exceptional production and an authenticity that never seemed to waver. While hip hop evolved around them, they remained true to their own sound.

For me, Expansion Team became one of those albums that quietly soundtracked a significant part of my life. Like many favourite records, it wasn't simply something you listened to—it became woven into memories and milestones without you ever realising it.

Perhaps the best example came years later at our wedding. Our first dance began with William Bell's beautiful I Forgot to Be Your Lover before, halfway through, cutting into Worst Comes to Worst. For those who know the song, they'll instantly recognise William Bell's recording as the sample that sits at its heart. It felt like the perfect way to bring together two songs from different generations that had become part of our own story.

Back Again

Returning to see Dilated Peoples thirteen years after Liverpool inevitably felt different.

The audience was older.

We were older.

I never imagined hip hop would become an old man's game, but somehow that's exactly what it has become—and I mean that in the best possible way. The crowd wasn't there because something was fashionable. They were there because the music had stayed with them. People who had grown up with these records now have careers, families and children waiting for them at home. Yet for a couple of hours, none of that really mattered.

The music hadn't changed.

We had.

A Different Perspective

The years between those two concerts hadn't only changed the audience.

Evidence has lived through unimaginable personal loss following the death of his wife, Wendy Yao, and the responsibility of raising their son while continuing to make music. Knowing that inevitably changed how I watched the performance.

There was still the same chemistry between Evidence, Rakaa and DJ Babu, but there was also a sense of perspective. Twenty-five years after Expansion Team, the songs carried the same honesty they always had, but the people performing them—and the people listening—had lived a great deal more life.

That's what made the evening feel so special. It wasn't simply nostalgia. It was an appreciation of everything that had happened in between.

The Jazz Cafe

The venue itself felt like another milestone.

The Jazz Cafe has always been somewhere I'd wanted to visit, largely because of its place within UK hip hop. It's intimate, iconic and one of those venues where you feel genuinely connected to the performance.

Standing there on my 40th birthday, alongside Fran after more than twenty years together, watching one of our favourite groups in a venue I'd wanted to experience for so long, it was difficult to imagine a better setting. We first saw Dilated Peoples back in 2013 and never expected we'd get the chance again, making the evening feel even more special.

Sometimes it's not just the music you remember. It's who you shared it with, and the memories you've built together along the way.

Inspiration Comes in Many Forms

As architects, we're often encouraged to look forwards—to embrace new ideas, new technology and new ways of thinking. That's important, but I also think there's value in occasionally looking backwards.

Returning to something that has quietly shaped who you are reminds you why it mattered in the first place.

Whether it's music, architecture or the people we share our lives with, the things that stand the test of time are rarely those chasing the latest trend. They're the ones that remain authentic.

If this really was the last time we'll see Dilated Peoples perform together, then it felt like the perfect bookend. From Liverpool in 2013 to London in 2026. From our twenties to my 40th birthday. From hearing Expansion Team for the first time to celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary.

Some experiences don't just become memories.