| 93 'til Infinity | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Souls of Mischief | ||||
| Released | September 28, 1993 | |||
| Recorded | Hyde Street Studios San Francisco, CA Spring-Mid-Late Summer 1993 | |||
| Genre | Alternative hip hop, golden age hip hop, jazz rap | |||
| Length | 54:38 | |||
| Label | Jive | |||
| Producer | Domino Del tha Funkee Homosapien A Plus Casual Jay Biz |
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| Souls of Mischief chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [1] |
| Robert Christgau | (A-) [2] |
| RapReviews | (9.5/10) [3] |
| ThaCorner | (9.75/10) [4] |
93 'til Infinity is the debut album by Souls of Mischief. The group consists of four members (A-Plus, Opio, Phesto D and Tajai) and is a subgroup of the hip-hop collective Hieroglyphics.
Contents |
The sound of their debut is characteristic of the distinct style explored by the collective, including a rhyme scheme based on internal rhyme and beats centered around a live bass and obscure jazz and funk samples. 93 'til Infinity is often heralded as the best album to come out of the Hiero Golden Age, a period in the early-to-mid-nineties during which the collective released several critically acclaimed albums (including Del tha Funkee Homosapien's No Need for Alarm and Casual's Fear Itself) and rose to national prominence.
93 'til Infinity was propelled into success by its title track and lead single, which reached #72 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also featured singles "That's When Ya Lost" and "Never No More" which reached the Hot Rap Singles, but never charted on The Billboard Hot 100. According to Allmusic author Steve Huey, "Although the title cut is an underappreciated classic, 93 'til Infinity makes its greatest impression through its stunning consistency, not individual highlights."[1] Huey also goes on to remark that 93 'til Infinity is "one of the most slept-on records of the '90s".
93 'til Infinity has been hailed by many critics for its genre defying subject matter, funky production and charismatic rapping. Although it was not as popular as other West Coast hip hop albums at the time of its release, it is garnered with much acclaim. It is the most acclaimed Souls of Mischief album in many critics' eyes. Suzann Vogel of Philadelphia Weekly gives much praise to it in this quote:
| “ | At the pinnacle of the G-funked gangsta era, Souls of Mischief took the low road of emotional complexity. Hailing from Oakland, Calif., the foursome's distinctive lyrical mapping, infectious beats and subtle melodies on their debut rerouted gun-toting wannabes back to the underground and vaulted record-label Hieroglyphics to indie legend. MCs Tajai, Opio, Phesto and A-Plus exhibited a surprising charisma between them while undoing ghetto esteem. Their world of boredom, girls, weed, books, lounging and, of course, violence was a more easily understood reality for those caught between Pete Rock's tragedy, De La Soul's hippie aesthetics and Tupac's marginalizing glamour. Follow-up releases by Souls fell pathetically flat of achieving 'Til Infinity's harmony, and MCs have since broached personal topics of greater depth. Still, the genre-altering release possesses one undeniable truth: Reality's never sounded so good. | ” |
Steve Huey of Allmusic also gives 93 'til Infinity much praise calling it "the best single album to come out of Oakland's Hieroglyphics camp" as well as saying how "[Souls of Mischief] completely redefined the art of lyrical technique for the West Coast, along with fellow standard-bearers Freestyle Fellowship, the Pharcyde, and Hiero founder Del tha Funkee Homosapien."[1]
In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums. The title track was also included in the compilation remix album Another Late Night: Zero 7, released in 2002. 93 til infinity was featured in the 411 video magazine best of volume one.
| # | Title | Producer(s) | Performer(s) | Sample(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Let 'Em Know" | Domino | *"Shadow Dancers" by George Benson *"Dope Fiend Beat" by Too $hort |
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| 2 | "Live and Let Live" | Domino |
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*"Can I Dedicate" by Loading Zone |
| 3 | "That's When Ya Lost" | Del tha Funkee Homosapien |
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*"Feeling You, Feeling Me" by Monk Higgins *"Statues" by Jack Bruce *"Who Do You Love" by The Doors |
| 4 | "A Name I Call Myself" | Del tha Funkee Homosapien |
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*"Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss *"Skydive" by Freddie Hubbard *"Respect" by Rotary Connection |
| 5 | "Disseshowedo" | Domino, Jay Biz |
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*"Speak Truth to the People" by Butlers/Peter |
| 6 | "What a Way to Go Out" | A-Plus |
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*"Feeling You, Feeling Me" by Monk Higgins *"North Carolina" by Les McCann *"Pass the Peas" by The J.B.'s *"I'm Housin'" by EPMD |
| 7 | "Never No More" | A-Plus |
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*"First Light" by Freddie Hubbard |
| 8 | "93 'til Infinity" | A-Plus |
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*"Heather" by Billy Cobham |
| 9 | "Limitations" | Jay Biz |
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*"We're A Winner" by Curtis Mayfield |
| 10 | "Anything Can Happen" | A-Plus |
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*"Lonely Town" by Freddie Hubbard *"Rainmaker" by Traffic |
| 11 | "Make Your Mind Up" | Del tha Funkee Homosapien |
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*"Collage" by Ramsey Lewis *"Knowledge" by Gang Starr |
| 12 | "Batting Practice" | Casual |
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*"Povo" by Freddie Hubbard |
| 13 | "Tell Me Who Profits" | Domino |
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*"Inside You" by Eddie Henderson |
| 14 | "Outro" | Domino |
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*"Africana" by The Propositions |
| Single information |
|---|
"93 'Til Infinity"
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"That's When Ya Lost"
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"Never No More"
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| Year | Album | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard 200 | Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | ||
| 1993 | 93 'til Infinity | 85 | 17 |
| Year | Song | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles | Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | ||
| 1993 | "93 'Til Infinity" | 72 | 65 | 11 | 20 |
| "That's When Ya Lost" | - | - | 24 | - | |
| 1994 | "Never No More" | - | - | 46 | 15 |
Souls Of Mischief:
Additional personnel: