Souls Of Mischief's 93 til Infinity is a hiphop classic of the type that causes people to remember precisely where and what they were doing when they first heard the airy keys of its opening bars. The deeply testimonial track and album of the same name were pillars of the golden age and have remained in the hearts of true-schoolers ever since. In an interview marking and discussing the 20-year anniversary of the seminal LP, Red Bull Music Academy Radio delves into where the titanic foursome is and has been in the two decades since. So where are A-Plus, Opio, Phesto and Tajai at now? The four wise men discuss their influences, citing Run DMC, Grandmaster Flash and Rakim as group favorites.They speak at length of their favorite tracks and label relations. They even provide us some insight into the evolution of their name, beginning as Rhythm and Excellence, transitioning to Soulz of Mischief, and then finally dropping the 'z' and settling with the iconic Souls Of Mischief. The group provides a keen window into the life of a child growing up in pre-hip-hop Oakland in the late 70's and having to use their craft as a defense mechanism, keeping them occupied and out of trouble in what was a deeply troubled Oakland community.
Wherever they are, whatever they're doing, the impact 93 til Infinity has had on our proud tradition can hardly be denied. These men bridged the gap between the east and west sides of hip-hop in a way that made them virtually undetectable in geography at precisely the time when the geographical divide was becoming a real and tangible thing. Hip-hop's great chameleons have five albums under their belt and don't appear to be in any sort of recession. Here's to 20 more. Listen below:
