Souls of Mischief

Souls of Mischief’s 1993 debut album ’93 Till Infinity’ and their hit single of the same name has become an underground classic, which challenged West Coast’s lyrical game, with the production giving nods to the likes of Tribe Called Quest and The Pharcyde, utilising jazzy beats and grooves. Following this seminal album, Souls of Mischief have been pretty slept on, not achieving the success to which the quality of their music deserved. Now 2014, the Hieroglyphics troupe have just released their sixth studio album, ‘There is Only Now,’ produced by Adrian Younge, which features some high profile collaborations, including Snoop Dogg himself, which will undoubtedly get hip hop heads excited. Upon first listening, its classic Souls of Mischief, the production is spaced-out jazz, yet the overall sound is perhaps more mature, more authoritative. They sound as if they are back with clear intent to reassert their talent upon a scene that has become laden with artists who have clearly been influenced by Souls of Mischief’s output.
Seeing their appearances at SXSW festival in Austin this year proved that the group are still fresh and full of energy, ready to again make a big impact upon the world of hip hop. ’93 ‘til Infinity’ of course got the biggest reception, yet their back catalogue is still full of other quality tracks, such as ‘Cab Fare,’ ‘Rock it Like That’ and ‘Get the Girl, Grab the Money and Run.’ Their performance moves from blissed-out grooves to jazz-funk with a vocal delivery that can be both frenetic and cutting, fitting with the subject matter that often deals with violence and death, yet done so with dry wit. Listening to tracks from their new album, I can’t help but feel eager to catch them live in the near future when they will inevitably tour. Souls of Mischief are back, and back with real purpose which will hopefully keep them in the game.