At the average age of 18, Souls of Mischief entered the studio, having signed a major-label deal with Jive Records, to record “93 ‘til Infinity”. It was released on September 23rd 1993, and caught the wave of the hip-hop scene that was in the mainstream by this point. Their sound was based around a live bass guitar, accompanied by samples of jazz and funk music. The album catapulted the band to success with its title track, which reached #72 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1998, it earned the accolade of one of The Source’s 100 Best rap Albums.
Their sophomore studio album, “No Man’s Land”, released on October 10th 1995, received a comparative amount of success, reaching #27 on the R&B chart. This would however, be Souls of Mischief’s final release on Jive Records.
“Focus” was the title of their third album, released on April 20th 1998. It was the first release on the independent label, Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings label. It was only released as a cassette and record for ten years but is now available on iTunes in a digital format. Their two albums, “Trilogy: Conflict, Climax, Resolution” and “Montezuma’s Revenge” followed a similar pattern with the success and critical acclaim that the albums earned.
However, on August 26th 2014, the band unleashed their album “There Is Only Now”. The album has guest appearances from household names, Busta Rhymes and Snoop Dogg. They released it under the record label, Linear Labs, and Essential Music.
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.
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