It’s been a little over ten years since Del, Souls of Mischief, Casual and producer Domino launched Hiero Imperium. So this summer, the crew will celebrate with the Freshly Dipped Tour, a summer-long trek through North America.

Oddly, at the moment, it looks like Del the Funky Homosapien, perhaps the best known Hiero member, will not be on the tour. However, everyone else will be there, including Pep Love (who joined the crew in 1998). In addition, they’ll bring along their new Hiero Imperium label mates, all whom dropped albums last year: Musab (former member of Atmosphere, who dropped the controversial The Slicks Box), Knobody (who issued Tha Clean Up) and Prince Ali (author of Curb Side Service). A non-affiliated group, critically-acclaimed Seattle duo Blue Scholars, will finish the bill. (June 17 update: Tanya Morgan has just been added to the show.)

Other treats to look out for include a new album from Souls of Mischief’s Opio, Vulture’s Wisdom, Vol. 1, set for release in July; a commemorative seven-inch single featuring Hiero and Blue Scholars; and the premiere of the collective’s new Hiero Jeans.

“We are putting this tour together to thank our fans for their years of loyal support, expose them to our new projects including our brand-new lifestyle line, Hiero Jeans, and to celebrate the ways that hip-hop style has influenced the fashion world,” says Tajai from Souls. He replaced Domino as Hiero Imperium’s CEO in 2006.

The Freshly Dipped Tour promises lots of good hip-hop, but Del will be missed. Hopefully he’ll make it out to some of the dates. In the meantime, check out the current itinerary; as usual, I’ll update when more information becomes available.

• 6/14: Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA
• 7/11: Glasshouse, Pomona, CA
• 7/12: El Rey Theater, Los Angeles, CA
• 7/13: Belly Up Tavern, San Diego, CA
• 7/14: Beauty Bar, Las Vegas, NV
• 7/15: The Clubhouse, Tempe, AZ
• 7/16: Orpheum, Flagstaff, AZ
• 7/17: Sunshine Theater, Albuquerque, NM
• 7/18: Granada Theater, Dallas, TX
• 7/19: Emo’s, Austin, TX
• 7/20: Parrish, New Orleans, LA
• 7/22: The Social, Orlando, FL
• 7/23: Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
• 7/24: Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC
• 7/25: The Music Farm, Charleston, SC
• 7/26: Soapbox, Wilmington, NC
• 7/27: Steppin Out, Virginia Beach, VA
• 7/29: Bedrock, Baltimore, MD
• 7/30: The Note, West Chester, PA
• 7/31: Highline Theater, New York City, NY
• 8/01: Jerky’s Live, Providence, RI
• 8/02: The Middle East, Boston, MA
• 8/03: Higher Ground, Burlington, VT
• 8/05: Babylon, Ottawa, ON
• 8/06: Mod Club, Toronto, ON
• 8/07: The Salt Lounge, London, ON
• 8/08: Blind Pig, Ann Arbor, MI
• 8/09: Skully’s, Columbus, OH
• 8/10: Abbey Pub, Chicago, IL
• 8/12: High Noon, Madison, WI
• 8/13: First Ave, Minneapolis, MN
• 8/14: Waiting Room, Omaha, NE
• 8/15: Fox Theater, Boulder, CO
• 8/16: Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT
• 9/18: The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
• 9/19: Senator Theatre, Chico, CA
• 9/20: Colonial Theatre, Sacramento, CA
• 9/22: Midtown, Bend, OR
• 9/23: McDonald Theatre, Eugene, OR
• 9/24: Roseland, Portland, OR
• 9/26: Showbox, Seattle, WA
• 9/27: Showbox, Seattle, WA
• 9/28: Richards on Richards, Vancouver, BC
• 9/29: Element, Victoria, MB
• 10/01: Oasis, Reno, NV
• 10/02: The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA

7/11-10/02: w/Blue Scholars, Musab, Prince Ali, Knobody
7/11-8/15: w/Tanya Morgan

www.hieroglyphics.com
www.myspace.com/hieroglyphics

Hieroglyphics is a famously close-knit crew. Its members — Del the Funky Homosapien, Souls of Mischief and Casual — first united when they attended high school in the late 80s, and it’s been on ever since. Domino mentored them as they built their careers, and in 1997 they added Pep Love to the lineup. A decade later, the group remains unchanged.

Their record label, Hiero Imperium, has occasionally released albums by artists that aren’t Hiero crew. They released former Stones Throw homie Encore’s second album Layover in 2004; and Yay Area weirdo Z-Man’s Dope or Dog Food that same year. This year, however, will mark Hiero’s busiest year in regards to recruiting outside talent.

At the top of the list is Musab. Often credited as the man who helped build Rhymesayers (his 1996 debut album as Beyond, Comparison, was the first Rhymesayers album with national distribution), the Minneapolis veteran has evolved from a street-savvy backpacker to a game-spitting pimp. Literally. His third album, The Slicks Box, drops August 14.

Also coming out is A Band Called Pain, a metal band out of San Francisco. Their album Broken Dreams may be Hiero’s most uncharacteristic release to date; it hit stores on July 3.

Freestyle champ Knobody arrives courtesy of Triple I League, a subsidiary Hiero launched to nurture up-and-coming talent. His debut Tha Clean Up arrives on September 18. “Knobody’s well of rhymes runs deep. The only other emcee I’ve heard who can consistently flow on the same subject throughout a song without having to switch up is Eminem,” says Casual in a press release.

Finally, Prince Ali’s debut album Curb Side Service comes out October 9. It features guest shots from Keith Murray, Planet Asia and Rakaa from Dilated Peoples as well as Hiero fam. “Hiero has always been about putting out quality music,” says Tajai in a press release. “Ali is an artist who embodies Hiero’s vision and we’re excited about supporting him.”

A Band Called Pain, Musab, Knobody and Prince Ali’s releases will hopefully lead up to Del’s long-awaited The 11th Hour. While a release date of October 16 was announced for that album last month, no further details have been revealed.

www.hieroglyphics.com
www.myspace.com/hieroglyphics