Souls Of Mischief - No Man's Land 2xLP - Clear w/ Blue & Orange Splatter

Get On Down / Jive (2024, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for thirty plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

This long overdue reissue of the second Souls Of Mischief album came out as part of last year's Record Store Day Black Friday.  It has taken me a moment to write about it.  This is in large part because I've already written about this album when I picked up the original pressing of it a few years ago. I'm not as motivated to tackle an album just because it's a slightly fancier reissue.

That said, it's a slightly fancier reissue worth picking up.  It's a nice gatefold sleeve with thick card stock that is miles better than the original pressing.  My original has a pretty gnarly seam split as well, so that just makes this one even better.  The colored vinyl is sharp looking, though that means less and less to me as the years go buy.  You can usually trust Get On Down reissues to sound good, and I've heard no issues with this release.

The album itself is so much better than I gave it credit for in 1995.  I was really down on it when it was originally released, primarily because I thought the production was a step down from 93 Til Infinity.  I still think that it's a step down, but over the years I have heard so much boring, abysmal hip hop production that in comparison, No Man's Land is much better.  

As far as post-1994 hip hop goes, it's pretty elite production if we're being honest.  It's just that in 1995 I was coming right out of the golden era and was watching so much hip hop turn into something I wasn't interested in, so I had turned my attention to punk and indie rock.  But today, 30 years later in 2025. I can see this album for what it is, an unappreciated album from one of hip hop's best groups.

Souls Of Mischief - No Man's Land:
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=CdRNZZPU5mI

Souls Of Mischief – 93 'Til Infinity (The Remixes) 2xLP

Jive (2024)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for thirty plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

I actually picked this up on Record Store Day Black Friday last year, but didn't get around to writing about it until now.  93 'Til Infinity is one of my top five hip hop albums of all time, and most days I'd probably say it's in my top three.  I've been obsessed with it since the very moment I saw the title track on Yo! MTV Raps when it first came out.  

This album is meant as a companion piece, with remixes and a B side from the 12" singles that came out around the album's release.It's great to have these songs in one place, but it also feels like something of a missed opportunity to me.  While there was only one official B side on those early singles, "Good Feeling," this really was the time to finally get a version "Cab Fare" on to a proper release.  I know, I know - sample clearance.  But this was the time to try.  I also think that "Get The Girl, Grab The Money & Run" from the Low Down Dirty Shame soundtrack should have been added.  Two more new songs would have gone a long way.

As far as the remixes go, they are all stellar, but there's not that many.  Only four remixes are here, which is fine, because that's all that was made.  They're definitely worth checking out if you haven't heard them before, giving a completely new flavor to tracks like "Make Your Mind Up," "Never No More," "That's When You Lost" and of course the remix to the song "93 'Til Infinity." 

Let's do some math here.  One B side.  Four Remixes.  Why is this a double LP?  It's because the rest of the album is full of instrumentals.  Five instrumentals and an acapella version of the title track.  I'm not a DJ, so I really don't need these very much.  Are they cool to listen to?  Absolutely.  But it's kind of scattershot with instrumentals of three LP versions and two of the remixes.  If this was a whole album of the LP instrumentals, yeah - sign me up.  But this kind of feels like an unnecessary double LP.  I'm probably more sensitive to it than usual because of the RSD tax making this a pretty pricey record.  I would have been perfectly happy with a single LP that doesn't have any of the instrumentals.  And add in "Cab Fare!"

Souls Of Mischief – 93 'Til Infinity (The Remixes):

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mCSBGVk3AseBaG81kdOUmmLA79TPQAlWg

Souls Of Mischief - 93 'til Infinity 2xLP - Blue Vinyl (/2000)

Get On Down (2022, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

Yeah, I have this on vinyl already.  I actually wrote about it during the first few weeks of starting up Ed Lover Dance Day around here.  But as it is one of my top three hip hop albums of all time, I just couldn't resist picking up this colored vinyl variant with the obi strip.  It was also an easier decision since I had a Get On Down gift certificate kicking around from Christmas.

I don't really have anything to say about the album that I didn't already say here.  But to summarize quickly, it's just one of the greatest things I've heard in my entire life with absolutely killer production and stellar lyrics all the way through.

Sound quality wise, it's good.  Just as good as the old 2021 2xLP pressing that Traffic put out.  In fact, the liner notes on the gatefold are exactly the same, making reference to it being nearly twenty years since its initial release even though we're now only a year away from the thirtieth anniversary.  If you don't have this album yet, that criminal.  This is a great version to pick up.  If you only have a single LP version, it's also worth the upgrade.  But if you already have the 2xLP version, it's probably only worth grabbing if you're a bit obsessive like I am.

Souls Of Mischief - 93 'til Infinity:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k3iPJ9cBB9c_y9oSCOexs9-75aYImFmEg

Souls of Mischief - No Man's Land 2xLP

Jive (1995)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

Well, I'm out of Casual singles from the Fear Itself era, and while I don't have all of the Souls of Mischief singles from that time period, I figured now would be a good week to tackle the second Souls of Mischief full length, No Man's Land.  This was the follow up to 93 'Til Infinity, which was one of my all time favorite hip hop records when it came at and continues to be to this day.  

Now in 1995, I had really moved away from hip hop and was listening to much more punk and indie rock.  I was really disillusioned with the direction hip hop was moving, but in 1995 I was still game for a new release from anyone that was part of the Hieroglyphics crew.  I bought this CD right away and was extremely disappointed.  It just didn't connect with me at all and I pretty much filed it away after a few listens and moved on with my life.

It wasn't until many years later that I gave it another chance.  I liked it much better when I was a bit older.  While I still contend that the beats are not at the level of 93 'Til, they are way better than I gave them credit for in 1995.  Lyrically, the Souls are on fire and while their tone and delivery is more aggressive than on their debut, they still run circles around most multi-MC groups and pass the microphone back and forth with ease, never losing the flow of the song.

If I'm in the mood to listen to Souls of Mischief, I'm going to reach for 93 'Til Infinity nine times out of ten.  It's just one of those records that is embedded into my consciousness at this point.  But every so often I will pick up one of their other albums and I am never disappointed these days when No Man's Land is playing.  It's the true definition of an album that's a grower.  And I had to have the vinyl in my collection.

Souls of Mischief - No Man's Land:
https://hieroglyphicsimperium.bandcamp.com/album/no-mans-land

Casual / Souls of Mischief / Extra Prolific - A Low Down Dirty Shame 12"

Jive (1994)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

The last of the Casual singles from the golden era is this three-way split EP that also features fellow Hieroglyphics acts Souls of Mischief and Extra Prolific.  It features songs from the soundtrack of a movie called A Low Down Dirty Shame, which I've never seen despite it starring Keenon Ivory Waynes and me being a huge a huge fan of I'm Gonna Git You Sucka.  Maybe I need to check it out one day.

As far as this single goes, we get two versions of an exclusive Casual song called "Later On."  The LP version features a laid back, storytelling vibe with a a jazzy drum vibe, some keyboards in the hook and some atmospheric chatter in the background.  It's not my favorite Casual song from this era as I prefer Casual when he's hitting a little harder, but lyrically there's good stuff here.  The remix of this is far superior in my opinion.  It has a completely different vocal take and some new lyrics over a beat that is still slower in tempo, but hits much harder than the LP version.

Souls of Mischief contribute "Get The Girl, Grab The Money and Run." The LP version probably isn't as strong as anything on their 93 'Til Infinity album that was released the previous year, but it's still a strong offering.  Hiero was operating at a level so much higher than most at this time, even their lesser tracks can hang with the best of the era.  The Souls remix has a beat that's a bit more minimalistic than the LP version.  It's good, but in this instance I think the one the put on the album was better.

Lastly we have the Extra Prolific track "In Front of the Kids."  Nothing really to see here as this is also on the Like It Should Be full length, so nothing exclusive here.  It's not even one of the better songs on that album.  This EP should be a perfect bridge from writing about Casual singles to writing about Souls of Mischief singles, but those Souls singles are expensive and I don't have them all yet.  Hopefully one day.

Casual - "Later On":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEZjTN-k15M&ab_channel=Casual-Topic

Souls of Mischief - "Get The Girl, Grab The Money and Run":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRzuTjbIqco&ab_channel=SoulsOfMischiefVEVO

 

Souls Of Mischief - 93 'Til Infinity 2xLP

Traffic (2010, Reissue)

I have written about this record once before on this site, but if I am going to begin a journey writing about influential 90s hip hop records every Wednesday (Ed Lover Dance Day), I cannot do that without mentioning 93 'Til Infinity.  This album, along with Del's No Need For Alarm and Casual's Fear Itself (more on that next week), pretty much make up my holy trinity of hip hop.  Yes all three are Hieroglyphics related, but these three records hit me like nothing ever had previously.  I love them all so very much.

93 'Til Infinity was actually the first of the big three Hiero records to come out.  I remember when I first saw the video for the title track on Yo MTV Raps.  It was laid back and reminded me of the Pharcyde's "Passin' Me By" a little bit.  I don't know for sure that I was aware that they were affiliated with Del The Funky Homosapien when I first heard the song.  No Need For Alarm wasn't out for a few more months and with no internet, the only way I would have known that was if I read it in The Source, which was a distinct possibility.

Once I had bought the full Souls record and No Need For Alarm came out in November of 93, it was pretty clear to me that something special was happening.  93 'Til Infinity is a remarkably consistent record, full of incredible songs with amazing rhymes and killer beats.  I love the way the jazzy samples mix with the bouncing bass lines to provide canvases for all of the Souls' vocal interplay.  These guys riff off of each other so well and it comes off unnervingly laid back and effortless.  I'm sure a ton of work goes into making something sound this tight, but the whole record has the vibe of just being tossed together on a summer afternoon because the guys just didn't have anything else to do that day.

93 'Til Infinity is twenty six years old.  I was sixteen when I heard it for the first time.  Here I am at forty two, and whenever I play this album it still sounds so cutting edge to me.  Maybe part of that is me still being stuck in the 90s, but I think the much bigger part of it is that Souls Of Mischief created a bonafide classic album.  One that will likely outlive all of us.

Souls Of Mischief - "93 'Til Infinity":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VwfYCFYZws

Souls Of Mischief - "Limitations":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orDlWs6BphQ

Souls Of Mischief - "That's When Ya Lost":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MMc9UVXyUM

Souls Of Mischief - 93 'Til Infinity 2xLP

Traffic (2010, Reissue)

I have been writing up a lot of reissues lately.  One reason for that is that this has been something of a slow starter of a year for new music.  The second reason is there are some really good reissues out there and I have a little extra to pick them up.  I'd been keeping my eye on this Souls Of Mischief record for a little bit, but then it looked like it had gone back out of print.  I didn't want to pay through the nose for it, so I was patient and kept a look out.  Luckily, it popped back up on Amazon and I was able to grab a copy.

Along with Del The Funky Homosapien's No Need for Alarm and Casual's Fear Itself, 93 'Til Infinity rounds out my three favorite hip hop records of all time.  Yeah, I realize that's a pretty heavy lean towards the Hieroglyphics crew, but what can I say, these albums hit me like a ton of bricks twenty some odd years ago.

The beats are just fantastic.  While you could make the argument that similarities could be heard to the sort of jazzy, bebop influenced beats that A Tribe Called Quest was using, I always felt that Souls managed to hit on some of the melodic elements of that, but keep things more aggressive.  While no one is ever going to mistake these guys for NWA, you can't deny the very obvious West Coast feeling of this songs.

Four different guys rapping also provide such a dynamic style to these songs as they play off of each other and finish each others lines from time to time.  The lyrics are innovative and the rhyming is unique. Even twenty two years later I think you'd be hard pressed to find any current rappers putting out a record this interesting.

Again, 93 'Til Infinity is one of my very favorite records.  I'm thrilled to finally have a copy to complete my trinity of the best hip hop records on vinyl.

Souls Of Mischief - "That's When Ya Lost":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MMc9UVXyUM

Souls Of Mischief - "93 'Til Infinity":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VwfYCFYZws