Posted on 02.23.2004
Souls
of Mischief
Oakland, California.
A-plus
Opio
Phesto
Tajai
--- Souls of Mischief
Biography :
From the bowels of the bustling metropolis of Oakland, California, four artists
emerge with the determination, skill and pure talent to change the face of Hip
Hop. The four combine to form Souls of Mischief ; a feisty band
of microphone marauders and beat plunderers.
The Souls of Mischief have been honing their skills for nearly two decades in
the Oakland area. They all hail from the same area in East Oakland and have
attended school together since elementary ; their lasting friendship strengthened
by their mutual interest in music. Battling hosts of MC’s from far and near,
and gaining fame as stunning lyricists, these four young men ; A-plus,
Opio, Phesto and Tajai, along with their musical family, Hieroglyphics,
have worked at their craft until it has become like a sharp-edged sword, cutting
through boundaries of sound and style. "We started out trying to be definitely
different, and most definitely better than the stuff that’s out there"
remarks the energetic, mad scientist-like Phesto.
Looking at their track record, the Souls of Mischief have achieved these goals
and are continuing down their path of excellence. Their first LP, 93
’Til Infinity (Jive, 1993) debuted at #14 on Billboard’s R&B
charts, placing at 109 in the top 200. Their second album, No
Man’s Land (Jive, 1995) came in at #27 on the R&B charts.
Although both albums were received well by the Hip Hop community, neither achieved
the type of success enjoyed by more mainstream acts. "We just want to make
good music" says Tajai, "sales are important, but we aren’t going
to compromise our music’s quality to sell." This attitude is central to
the Souls’ unique style and appeal.
Atypical of what has been dubbed the "West Coast Sound," the Souls
of Mischief’ music, lyrical structure and content challenge the listener to
actually LISTEN to what is being said and pay attention to the subtle nuances
of beat and scratch which accent their lyrics. According to the smooth-flowing
A-plus, "We’re trying to present a broad spectrum and redefine what it
is to be West Coast, and more importantly- Hip Hop in it’s entirety." Straying
from empty gangsterisms and other forms of negativity, these brothers try to
constantly add to the quality and depth of Hip Hop. This is a very precarious
position in a world where artists of a positive nature rarely reach critical
acclaim, yet the Souls of Mischief embrace the challenge. As a result, their
work has been embraced by the Hip Hop community all over the globe. They have
been billed with the best and brightest of the industry, including tours with
A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Common Sense, The Alkaholiks, Pharcyde, The
Roots, KRS-ONE, Wu-Tang Clan and others. They also brought their Hieroglyphic
show, which includes Del the Funky Homosapien,
Casual and the Prose to fans throughout the United States, Canada and Japan.
This worldwide exposure has made their style one of the most loved and reproduced
in Rap.
The Souls of Mischief’ lyrics and production can currently be heard on the Hieroglyphics
debut LP, Third Eye Vision (Hiero
Imperium, 1998) available through their own Hiero Imperium label. This project
represents a new direction for the Souls of Mischief, as they are able to team
up with their Hieroglyphic brethren (Casual, Del, The Prose, Domino) and create
more energetic rhythms and styles. As the first release on their own independent
label, Third Eye Vision has enabled
the Souls of Mischief to have complete creative and marketing control over their
own material. The Souls of Mischief also have an independent album in circulation
entitled Focus (Hiero Imperium,
1998) which has been making a lot of noise on the underground since its release
in early 1998. At present, the group has just released a new album : Trilogy :
Conflict, Climax, Resolution (Hiero Imperium, 2000) and is collaboratiing
with the Pharcyde on a project tentatively titled Almyghty Myghty Python.
So what is it to be a "Soul of Mischief ?" The name seems to imply
a much darker, more nefarious group of characters than those described. "We
make mischief on the microphone—we came to wreak havoc on the mic," Opio
chimes in. It seems that somewhere in their essence, at the base of their psyche,
there is a nagging voice which keeps telling these young men to break the standards.
By taking lyricism into realms uncharted, and even into some areas which would
be better left alone, they express this mischievous soul and break ground in
the Hip Hop industry. Their courage and determination to challenge the status
quo of rap make them innovators in this field of imitators.
thanks to www.hieroglyphics.com
--- Souls of Mischief Discography :
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