Souls of Mischief
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Biography:
The East Oakland backpacker crew are members of the loose underground hip-hop consortium known as Hieroglyphics. The group consists of four erudite but hardcore MCs: A-Plus, Phesto, Opio and Tajai. Their debut album in 1993, '93 Til Infinity, produced an early-'90s anthem of the same name and spawned a movement towards bohemian yet rugged hip-hop. The crew drew comparisons to De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest for their abstract, whimsical style of storytelling. '93 Til was a youthfully impressionistic album echoing jazz and funk influences combined with precocious lyrical gestures. Such tracks as &"That's When Ya Lost" and &"Never No More" were memorable for their lyrics and feel alike. Two years later, SOM shucked off their reputation for their sophomore release, No Man's Land, a derisive and brash departure from '93 Til. While the crew lost some fans who were looking for a '95 Til, they managed to cultivate a loyal fan base who respected their out on a limb artistic development. Rather than sticking to the formula that made them popular with the college hip-hop set, they chose to shatter their image similar to De La Soul's second album De La Soul Is Dead. Their Northern California mindset combines chaos, danger, and the avant-garde, all from a very intellectual B-Boy perspective. The crew dropped the virtually invisible Focus strictly for web heads in 1999, then returned with Trilogy: Conflict, Climax, Resolution, another dark, trippy, and brooding exploration in 2000. Michael Di Bella, All Music Guide
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