Review Summary: One of hip-hops forgotten classics.
10 of 12 thought this review was well writtenFor those that do not know, Souls of Mischief are a 4 piece subgroup of the hip-hop collective Hieroglyphics from Oakland, California. The group’s line up on this album consisted of Opio, Tajai, Phesto and A-Plus, serving as the groups DJ. In 1993 they released this very album, aptly titled, “93 ‘til Infinity”.
One of the first things you might notice while listening to “93 ‘til Infinity” is that Souls of Mischief’s style is not like most standard early 90s West Coast rap groups like N.W.A., in fact their style would better fit the alternative hip-hop scene on the East Coast with groups like A Tribe Called Quest or K.M.D.. Another thing that separates Souls of Mischief from the early 90s West Coast hip-hop scene are the lyrics. While Dr. Dre and Compton’s Most Wanted were busy rapping about guns and selling drugs Souls of Mischief chose to rap about getting a higher level of education and about taking your girl out on a date to the movies.
Like A Tribe Called Quest’s Ali Shaheed Muhammad, A-Plus opts for a more jazz oriented feel with the beats. A-Plus show cases some of his best production tracks like, “Anything Can Happen”, and the classic title track. “93 ‘til Infinity” also features production from Hieroglyphic affiliates, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Jay-Biz, and Domino.
The laid-back jazzy beats and positive lyrics seem as somewhat of a stark reaction to the more violent nature of west coast hip-hop at the time. They showed that hip-hop did not need to always rely on drugs and violence in order to be good. “93 ‘til Infinity” is one of the best hip-hop albums of all time and is often overlooked due to its contrast in sound. If you like 90s hip-hop, “93 ‘til Infinity” is an album that you are going to want to hear.
