One of hip-hop's most prolific, charismatic, and longest-lasting crews, Oakland's Hieroglyphics collective (Del the Funky Homosapien, Souls of Mischief, Casual, Pep Love, DJ Toure, and Domino) has been cranking out next-level rhymes and sample-propelled production for more than 20 years now. While Hieroglyphics' crossover visibility has risen and fallen over time, they've never stopped making dope music, continuing to perform around the globe and inspire legions of devout followers. Although collectively they've released dozens of records, The Kitchen is only their third official group album (10 years after Full Circle and 15 since Third Eye Vision). As usual, high-flying lyricism and effortless interplay shine on each track. The production (usually handled in-house) branches out here, thanks to a collaboration with Sacramento DJ crew The Sleeprockers. The beats are still funk-driven and loaded with obscure loops (and we get more scratching than usual), but they're slightly different than that classic Hiero bump. Regardless, there's plenty of excellent stuff here.