Atlanta, Georgia-based recording artist Dillon & the late great producer Paten Locke drop their highly anticipated album RATIONS

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 indie 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 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.

Dillon & Paten Locke – Rations via iTunes/Spotify

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