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Underground Hip hop veterans, Dillon & Paten Locke finish what they started with Rations, the long awaited follow-up to their cult-classic, Food Chain and 4th project in their food-centric catalog; released through their own label, FULL PLATE. Begun in 2016 but halted due to Paten Locke’s sudden passing from cancer in 2019, Dillon carries the torch for the pair of triple-threats, deftly holding down rapping & scratching duties over Paten’s brutally chopped & soulfully assembled beats. Conceptually, the album builds on common themes from the Dillon & Paten Locke universe: relationships (between family, friends, lovers and foes), rebellion (against society and self) and relaxation (with various libations, life’s simple luxuries and of course gourmet foods). Rations is a real-life reflection of the creation of the work itself: the trappings and the traps.
This go-round, instead of leaning into their more comedic instincts, Dillon & Paten Locke are dead serious. A militaristic sense of duty is pervasive throughout the LP, a nod to Paten’s given moniker, The General. You can feel the earnestness in Dillon’s raps as he both celebrates the victories in the trenches and laments the loss of his comrade, Paten. With a consistent tone throughout the songs, we gain a deeper sense of grown man raps in dire times. The project itself embodies the very definition of Rations: a fixed amount of a commodity during a shortage as in wartime.
The aptly named Rations is indeed the final offering from Dillon & Paten, so you’ll have to make it last. But the duo isn’t on the front lines alone, they’ve called for reinforcements including longtime collaborators & Hip hop luminaries: Large Professor, Diamond D, Masta Ace, Wordsworth, Cool Calm Pete, Akroabtik, as well as their in-house roster of Atlanta, GA and Jacksonville, FL based ‘FULL PLATE FAM’ – Willie Evans Jr., Day Tripper, Yamin Semali and Jay Myztroh of Stono Echo. Garnishing the dish with extra flavor are multi-instrumentalist & producer extraordinaire, DJ Harrison, lending his talents on the Fender Rhodes, as well as beloved indy rap villain turned in-demand drummer, Jay Mumford (fka J-Zone). Paten himself makes a few appearances throughout the album in the form of rare interviews and a long lost acapella. Coming from the beyond, the words of The General hold weight – with one last serving of Rations for your plate. Dillon and Paten Locke offer up this final chapter of nourishment for hip hop survival.
2 – One Man Army ft. Akrobatik & Masta Ace
3 – We Got It ft. Yamin Semali & Day Tripper
4 – No Bluffin’ ft. Large Professor & J Scienide
6 – Bump ft. Wordsworth & Black Sheep Dres
7 – Pallbearers ft. Willie Evans Jr. & Cool Calm Pete
10 – Down with the Kings ft. Diamond D
11 – Illusive Futures ft. Jay Myztroh of Stono Echo
13 – Gunsmoke Starring Dillon
16 – Burning in the Ashtray
18 – Found in a Crate (Paten Locke Cover)
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