Souls of Mischief

Essential Albums

  • 93 'til Infinity
    93 'til Infinity

    When Souls of Mischief, still teens, named their debut 93 ’til Infinity, did they somehow know they were about to enter the canon of underground rap? Or that these gymnastically rhymed, groove-infused, witty, and endlessly cool songs—especially the titular one—would go on to inspire an LP (Outkast’s first), a film (Jonah Hill’s 2018 release Mid90s), and multiple remakes and samples (by J. Cole, Tyga, and Kanye West, to name a few)? Nah, these hood-raised Oakland smarty-pants had no idea—they were invoking infinity out of simple youthful hubris and exuberance. The title track is one of the great anthems of finding one’s chill in an unchill environment. Over the sampled sparkling marimba of jazz fusionist Billy Cobham, the quartet, members of the outside-the-box Hieroglyphics hip-hop collective, celebrate good times (“Here's a 40, swig it, you know it's frigid,” says Opio) and get over on jealous crews and fun-hating cops. But this is no West Coast gangsta barbecue jam. While G-funk dominated the national conversation, these Cali kids offered an alternative—brainier than Pharcyde, more stoned than Tribe—where bright, battle-rap-tested voices finish each other’s clever sentences over warm standup bass and grimy upbeat drums. With Souls' take on gun violence on “Live and Let Live,” they examine all sides via vivid narrative. When they brag about sexual prowess on “A Name I Call Myself,” they manage to also brag about their skilled lyricism. Later in the record, Del tha Funkee Homosapien delivers a hook: “Emcees should know their limitations”—but here, Souls’ potential feels infinite.

Albums

Music Videos

Artist Playlists

Singles & EPs

Appears On

More To Hear

  • SOULS
    SOULS

    Souls of Mischief stop by Stretch and Bobbito Radio.

About Souls of Mischief

East Oakland crew Souls of Mischief helped establish the early ‘90s West Coast hip-hop sound with ’93 ‘til Infinity, from which the dreamy title track distilled their vibe: jazzy samples, driving beats, and heady, dizzying raps.

ORIGIN
Oakland, CA, United States
FORMED
1991年
GENRE
Hip-Hop/Rap

Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada