Souls of Mischief

East Oakland's Souls of Mischief are members of the loose underground hip-hop consortium known as Hieroglyphics. The group consists of four erudite but hardcore MCs -- A-Plus, Phesto, Opio, and Tajai -- whose mindset combines chaos, danger, and the avant-garde, all from an intellectual B-Boy perspective. Their 1993 debut album, 93 'Til Infinity, produced an early-'90s anthem of the same name and spawned a movement toward bohemian yet rugged hip-hop. The crew drew comparisons to De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest for their abstract, whimsical style of storytelling. Two years later, Souls of Mischief shucked off their reputation for their second album, No Man's Land. While the crew lost some fans who were looking for a "'95 Til," they managed to retain a loyal fan base who respected their artistic development. Rather than stick to the formula that made them popular with the college hip-hop set, they shattered their image similar to the way De La Soul had done with their second album, De La Soul Is Dead.