Souls Of Mischief - 93 'Til Infinity Vinyl 2LP

Consisting of MCs A+, Phesto, Opio and Tajai (with production by A+, Domino, Del the Funky Homosapien, Jay Biz and Casual), East Oaklands Souls of Mischief burst onto the scene in the early 90s with an impact that few other West Coast artists had at the time. Culminating in the release of their classic debut, they created a bouillabaisse that was most parts West Coast swagger but – similar to The D.O.C. and Cypress Hill – with a sonic approach that could just as well have stepped off the streets of New York City.

Recorded in less than two weeks at San Franciscos Hyde Street Studios, 93 til Infinity doesnt suffer from a single freshman jitter or misstep. Its a fully-realized effort, packed from start to finish with ridiculous lyricism – all carried out in impressive four-part, tag-team style – and backed by a wide range of musical possibilities, from hard boom-bap to 70s CTI-jazz-sprinkled grooves. But without worthy music, the groups high-level lyricism could have fallen by the wayside. Digging deep into crates that other producers had yet to mine, the production crew gave the quartet exactly what they needed, with unpredictable rolling basslines, dusty drums and jazz keyboard and horn stabs and swirls. Non-singles like Disseshowedo (produced by Domino and Jay Biz), Batting Practice (Casual), Limitations (Jay Biz, with Del and Casual contributing verses) and What A Way To Go Out (Domino) made sure that the fast-forward button remained untouched. No matter the angle from which you approach 93 til Infinity, back-in-the-day listeners and new fans will both find much to enjoy.