Showing posts with label Hiero Emperium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hiero Emperium. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien - Both Sides Of The Brain

Hiero Imperium: 2000

Widely regarded as the kick-off to what would be Phase II of Del's career. Okay, maybe you could point to the Hieroglyphics debut 3rd Eye Vision as the proper kick-off. Come to think of it, didn't his actual Phase II drop with No Need For Alarm? Or would I Wish My Brother George Was Here be pre-Crisis Del? I'm getting too many of these comic book analogies mixed up. Let me backtrack.

Both Sides Of The Brain came out in the year 2000. The following year, Deltron 3030 dropped, Gorillaz right behind. And with 3rd Eye Vision being out just prior, you can say Del'amania was running wild at the turn of the century. All this while being fully independent too, the Hiero crew among the first rap conglomerates to truly take advantage of a blossoming internet, exclusive content only available through their website. The CDs had better distribution than that, but with the advent of file-sharing, Del's newest material made its way across the globe to such a degree even his old label Elektra couldn't have imagined. Like, if they had, they wouldn't have dumped him so unceremoniously in the first place.

For those who were just discovering Del, Both Sides Of The Brain was about as perfect a summation to the chap's approach to hip-hop as they could hope for. Whether being known as among the best of the battle-rappers, or having one of the funniest outlooks on the ridiculousness of his surroundings, this album provides it all. I mean, the second track on here is If You Must, a tune literally about all the stinky people he's had to deal with, and super-catchy to boot. You'll never hear as many different ways of describing foul human odours as on this cut. Oh, and if you're down with the dorky side of Del, there's also Proto Culture, where he and Khoas Unique go on about classic video games. Handy way of getting a good word in for future Tony Hawk consideration.

If You Must aside, the first half mostly has Del spouting off about the rap industry while showing off his Jaw Gymnastics. On the other half, tracks like Style Police, BM's, and Soopa Feen have more fun with their topics. I almost want to put Skull & Crossbones in with that group, but Del seems deadly serious about the perils of drinking and driving on that one.

I could go on and on about all the stuff Del's rapping about, and rightfully so since he's a rap artist, but man, how can I ignore all these dope beats? There's so much going on here too, I could eat up a whole review's worth. Heck, Pet Peeves alone is over seven minutes long, with three totally different segments tying it together. Then you get production from Prince Paul, El-P (fresh off his seminal work with Company Flow), the usual assortment of in-house Hiero cats... All killer, no filler in this seventeen tracker, my friends.

Friday, May 4, 2018

Hieroglyphics - 3rd Eye Vision

Hiero Imperium: 1998

Basically mandatory listening for anyone who figures themselves a 'true hip-hop head', though I wonder just how much weight such a proclamation carries in this day and age. Back in the '90s, the Hieroglyphics crew were one of the most respected underground collectives you could find. They were rappers who flirted with major labels, even found some minor success with them, but never compromised their integrity for that easy crossover money. They were thus dropped and forced them to go proper independent before they could release an actual debut with everyone involved.

3rd Eye Vision wasn't just the culmination of the years of hard work put in by Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Souls Of Mischief, Domino, and Pep Love, but a mission statement that underground hip-hop could succeed on its own terms, supported by hardcore fans, with no major label backing sullying your vision. You had to work to find this music, and would be rewarded with hip-hop of greater class than what was polluting the charts. Heck, I only came upon this as a special request order in the music shop I worked for in the Canadian hinterlands, though the dude who wanted it couldn't pay the $30 for it. Me though, I had no problem snagging that CD for myself, after which the guy was quite sore about, but yo', I gave him a month to come through. Shit's too dope to just sit on our shelves unloved.

Of course, finding such music is now easy-peasy, so claiming righteous 'backpacker' cred in owning 3rd Eye Vision's a moot point. And as hip-hop has morphed and changed in the two decades since this dropped, does there remain much interest and necessity for an underground classic sporting some of the best MCs out of Oakland riding mint beats and jazz-funk samples while taking to task a culture long since removed from dated gangsta' tropes? Oh, you know that answer is a 'yes'!

The posse anthems - You Never Knew, The Who, Off The Record - are as earwormy as anything you might have heard from other rap collectives, each Hiero member proving just how part and parcel they are to the whole. Not that each MC doesn't get their own chance to shine solo though, each member given an eponymous short tracks to spit some bars scattered throughout the album. Hell, Del kinda' gets two such tracks, At The Helm a classic Funkee Homosapien sounding-off cut that ranks up with any of his best work.

While the album does run a tad long at twenty-one tracks, you feel it's warranted with so many skilled lyricists on hand. Heck, they probably could have done the double-LP deed, but considering every hip-hop artist was bloating the scene with such efforts, keeping things at a tight, sharp regular LP length was best. Get in, prove your point, get out, and reap the rewards as the hip-hop community celebrates your triumphant statement that underground rap could flourish in the new millennium. At least until crunk ruined everything.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Hieroglyphics - Over Time

Hiero Imperium: 2007

Speaking as a relative casual fan of the extended Hieroglyphics crew, Over Time was a welcome, nay needed reminder of why the Oakland hip-hop group deserved their underground praises. The honest truth is for all their accomplishments leading up to and through the turn of the millennium, their respective stars had sadly dimmed as the '00s carried on. Part of the problem can be attributed to changing trends within hip-hop as a whole, but a dearth of fresh, fiery material sparking interest in Del, Souls, and co. didn't help either. Yes, they were becoming victim of the ol' “falling off” narrative, a death knell within hip-hop if ever there was one.

Whether by accident or design, Over Time came out at almost as perfect a moment as any. It'd been half-a-decade since Full Circle had dropped and generally forgotten, and solo Hiero projects were growing few and far between, almost devoid of hype. A greatest hits collection would likely help keep their name out there, but this is a crew that knew its audience, underground heads who'd already have the best of their material – such a release would be hopelessly redundant. What of the rarities though? Only the most hardcore of the hardcore would have gathered all the available Hieroglyphics music, much of which had gone discontinued or become stupidly expensive on the collector's market. Why not offer the b-sides, remixes, and that as a treat to the casuals of their following, who joined the Oakland party late (*cough*)?

A sweet deal for fans then, but here’s where Over Time excels: it encapsulates the Hieroglyphics manifesto in such a complete way, I’ll argue this is required listening even if your knowledge of the crew only goes so far as Clint Eastwood. For one thing, some of their best songs are here, and though they’re in remixed form, tracks like You Never Know, Phoney Phranchise, and Soundscience remain great examples of the lyrical diversity the Hiero crew are known for. And speaking of remixes, Dan The Automator’s rub of Del’s ode to good hygiene If You Must (no, really!) is a hoot, including a child’s jingle about how you shouldn’t worry about getting sucked down a bathtub drain.

Since Del was the busiest body during the ten year period this collection gathers material from, nearly half the tunes are his. He’s often tagged up with fellow Hiero mates though, like Tajai in the thumping Masterminds, or A-Plus in the chill Battle Of The Shadow. One of the more interesting of his cuts is Cyberpunks, a harrowing ‘nerdcore’ cut that predates his Deltron 3030 work that appeared on a relatively forgotten compilation from Strength Magazine (never heard of the rag); Pep Love’s battle-rap outing Prose Officially also appeared on that CD.

In a nutshell, Over Time has the one thing RapReviews.com writer Steve ‘Flash’ Juan claimed Full Circle lacked: dopeness. While I won’t call this disc a definitive collection of the Hieroglyphics crew, it’s a strong summation of their unique strengths.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Hieroglyphics - Full Circle

Hiero Imperium: 2003

During the mid-'90s (yes, always with the '90s), the Hieroglyphics crew were gods among the backpack contingent of hip-hop fans. First to break out was that funkiest of homo sapiens, Del, soon followed by Souls Of Mischief (A-Plus, Opio, Phesto, and Tajai). When label conflicts halted all their momentum for a while, the posse eventually took matters into their own hands and began self-releasing material through their website. As the decade came to a close, the Hiero crew made a definitive statement with 3rd Eye Vision, an instant classic among underground heads. The group's proper LP debut showcased everything that made Hieroglyphics such darlings of that scene, with sharp lyricism in the form of solo freestyles and group raps, plus great production that built upon the Golden Era's fun, free-wheelin' vibes. For those tired of mainstream rap's glamour and gangsterisms, it was a breath of fresh air.

Then the group went silent.

Oh, individually, their careers carried on successfully (especially so Del's), but as a posse, Hieroglyphics seemed to turn more wayward from each other with every passing year. Dammit, can't let rumour mongering tarnish their legacy. Half a decade after 3rd Eye Vision, it came time to release a new full-length, make yet another definitive statement; silence the doubters and reclaim hip-hop back from the new growing popularity of bling and crunk.

Or not.

Truth is, rap collectives have a difficult time beating the sophomore slump, possibly more so than any other form of music. The fire that initially united a group almost always fizzles out (or, in the case of an act like Jurrasic 5, never flares as bright as their breakout). Plus, solo careers make things difficult in drawing everyone back, other commitments demanding their time.

This is definitely highlighted on Full Circle by Del's presence; or rather, his near lack of it. Whoever you felt was the strongest emcee of Hieroglyphics, there's no doubt Tha Funkee Homosapien was a driving force on many a Hiero cut. Here though, he barely shows up, and when he does he comes off sounding bored, as though he's got other things to do (Halo’s the only exception). Maybe it was simply a case of creative burnout after so many successful projects in the years between, but his lackadaisical raps hurt the album.

But a crew doesn’t die just because one member ain’t on his A-game. Sadly, this feeling permeates throughout the album. Nothing comes across as outright awful (except that ridiculous Jingle Jangle cut), yet there’s something lacking on Full Circle. Steve ‘Flash’ Juan of rapreview.com called it missing ‘dopeness’, and I can’t think of a better term for it. Those moments that make you skip back to hear a track or verse again - filled on so many Hiero projects - just don’t exist on Full Circle. For the most part, it’s an album that sounds fine as it’s playing, but is easily forgotten once finished, with little incentive to replay any time soon.

Things I've Talked About

...txt 10 Records 16 Bit Lolita's 1963 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2 Play Records 2 Unlimited 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 20xx Update 2562 3 Loop Music 302 Acid 36 3FORCE 3six Recordings 4AD 6 x 6 Records 75 Ark 7L & Esoteric 808 State A Perfect Circle A Positive Life A-Wave a.r.t.less A&M Records A&R Records Abandoned Communities Abasi Above and Beyond abstract AC/DC Ace Trace Ace Tracks Playlists Ace Ventura acid acid house acid jazz acid techno acoustic Acroplane Recordings Adam Beyer Adam Ellis Adam Freeland Adham Shaikh ADNY Adrian Younge adult contemporary Advanced UFO Phantom Aegri Somnia AEI Music Aes Dana Afgin Afrika Bambaataa Afro-house Afterhours Agoria Aidan Casserly Aira Mitsuki Airwaves Ajana Records Ajna AK1200 Akshan album Aldrin Alex Smoke Alex Theory Alice In Chains Alien Community Alien Project Alio Die All Saints Alpha Wave Movement Alphabet Zoo Alphaxone Altar Records Alter Ego alternative rock Alucidnation Ambelion Ambidextrous ambient ambient dub ambient techno Ambient World Ambientium Ametsub Amon Amarth Amon Tobin Amplexus Anabolic Frolic Anatolya Andrea Parker Andrew Heath Androcell Anduin Andy C anecdotes Aniplex Anjunabeats Annibale Records Anodize Another Fine Day Antendex anthem house Anthony Paul Kerby Anthony Rother Anti-Social Network Anzio Green Aoide Aphasia Records Aphex Twin Apócrýphos Apollo Apollo 440 Apple Records April Records Aqua Aquarellist Aquascape Aquasky Aquila Arcade Architects Of Existence Archives Arcturus arena rock Arista Armada Armin van Buuren Arpatle Artifact303 Arts & Crafts ASC Ashtech Asia Asian Dub Foundation Astral Engineering Astral Projection Astral Waves Astralwerks AstroPilot AstroPilot Music Asura Asylum Records ATB ATCO Records Atlantic Atlantis atmospheric jungle Atom Heart Atomic Hooligan Atomine Elektrine Atrium Carceri Attic Attoya Audiobulb Records Audion AuroraX Autechre Autistici Autumn Of Communion Auxilary Auxiliary Avantgarde Avatar Records Aveparthe Avicii Axiom Axs Axtone Records Aythar B.G. 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