On December 2, Bay Area group Souls of Mischief returns with Montezuma’s Revenge, its first album as a group since 2000′s Trilogy: Conflict, Climax, Resolution. Old heads will remember that album got a lot of criticism for its production, the result of a misguided trend towards synthesized “homemade” beats. But this one is produced by Prince Paul, auteur behind numerous classics such as De La’s 3 Feet High and Rising and his A Prince Among Thieves. (A-Plus and Domino contribute beats, too.) Intrigued? Montezuma’s Revenge drops via Hiero Imperium.

A bio snippet for your troubles:

In an era when most rap albums are accomplished by emailing beats and verses back and forth, Souls of Mischief’s Montezuma’s Revenge was created the old-fashioned way, with the MCs – A-Plus, Phesto, Opio and Tajai – and producers – Prince Paul and Domino – in the lab together from the beginning to the end of the recording process honing and perfecting each song to create a magnum opus. “We rented a house across the Golden Gate Bridge near Point Reyes. We stayed in the house for at least a month,” explains Opio. “Prince Paul came out, we had no TVs or distractions, we just did music every day. It kind of seemed like he might be a slave driver, but it didn’t come to that, he just let us do our thing. We knew he wanted a highly stylized album, so we just focused on the styles.” “It was cool, because Paul was making us do stuff over, and he really did help produce the record,” adds Tajai. “He had concepts, and its good to have an outside perspective – it was a great process.”

The result is a cohesive, creative hip-hop album, the kind of project you’d expect from veteran MCs like Souls of Mischief under the auspices of a genius producer like Prince Paul. Souls first encountered Prince Paul while touring with A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul back in the day. But it was on a more recent tour with Handsome Boy Modeling School that the seeds of this collaboration were planted. “He came at me like ‘I’m a big ass fan of SOM, and I’d like to do a record with y’all,’” recalls Opio. “I wanted to just ask him for some beats, but in my mind it seemed corny to ask Prince Paul for a beat CD and I didn’t know how to go about it. On the last day of tour he said ‘I’m hella serious about doing this record.’” Opio brought the idea to the rest of the group, and the rest is history.

So what exactly is Montezuma’s Revenge? “We recorded on this street called Montezuma Street in the boonies. When we came back that was the working title, because it was called Montezuma house,” Tajai recalls. “The deeper meaning is this album will make you crap yourself.” The final product features 18 tracks worth of the quality hip-hop you’ve come to expect from Hieroglyphics, with cover art by esteemed illustrator Steve Lopez (famous for his illustrations of Erykah Badu and others).

After a rousing intro from Del the Funky Homosapien, SOM re-introduce their fans to their no-holds-barred lyricism on “Won 1”. The next track, “Postal”, talks about relationships from an honest perspective. “Tour Stories”, the first single from the album, is a favorite of Opio’s. “When we first heard that track the hook just came to mind right away,” he explains. “The vibe of the song is really representative of our lives because we tour so much.” Another highlight is “Poets” where the four MCs utilize wordplay and double meanings to illustrate their tales. One of the pinnacles of Montezuma’s Revenge is “Fourmation” where the Souls pass the mic back and forth displaying a mastery of the style.

Here’s the track listing:

• 1. “Intro” (feat. Del the Funky Homosapien)
• 2. “Won!”
• 3. “Postal”
• 4. “Tour Stories”
• 5. “Skit”
• 6. “Proper Aim”
• 7. “You Got It”
• 8. “Hiero HQ”
• 9. “Poets Skit”
• 10. “Poets”
• 11. “Mr. Freeman Skit”
• 12. “Fourmation”
• 13. “Dead Man Walkin”
• 14. “For Real Y’all”
• 15. “Lickity Split”
• 16. “Home Game”
• 17. “Outro”
• 18. “Lalala”

Souls of Mischief, “Tour Stories”

Souls of Mischief, “Lalala”

Tomorrow, Souls of Mischief and Strong Arm Steady kick off a month-long tour together. Both have albums coming out in the next several weeks. Souls of Mischief has teamed with Prince Paul to record Montezuma’s Revenge, which drops November 10 on Hiero Imperium. And Strong Arm Steady have teamed with Madlib to form Stoney Jackson; their disc is scheduled to drop before the end of the year on Stones Throw. Deep R.O.O.T.E.D., an L.A. group signed to Tajai Massey’s Clear Label Records, will open on most dates.

• 9/30: Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA (1) (2) (3)
• 10/03: Canes, San Diego, CA (1) (2) (3) (4)
• 10/04: Chasers, Scottsdale, AZ (1) (2) (3)
• 10/05: Green Room, Flagstaff, AZ (1) (2) (3)
• 10/06: LaunchPad, Albuquerque, NM (1) (2) (3)
• 10/08: Marquis Theatre, Denver, CO (1) (2) (3)
• 10/09: Black Sheep, Colorado Springs, CO (1) (2) (3)
• 10/11: Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT (1) (2) (3) (5)
• 10/13: Badlander, Missoula, MT (1) (2) (3)
• 10/14: Neumo’s, Seattle, WA (1) (2) (3)
• 10/15: TBA, Bellingham, WA (1) (2) (3)
• 10/16: Berbati’s Pan, Portland, WA (1) (2) (3)
• 10/17: Wow Hall, Eugene, OR (1) (3) (6)
• 10/18: Red Fox Tavern, Eureka, OR (1) (2) (3) (6)
• 10/20: Slim’s, San Francisco, CA (1) (2) (3) (7)
• 10/21: Avalon, San Jose, CA (1) (2) (3)
• 10/22: Southpaw, Brooklyn, NY (1) (8)
• 10/23: San Manuel Amphitheater, San Bernadino, CA (1) (2) (9)
• 10/24: Downtown Brew, San Luis Obispo, CA (1) (2) (3)

(1) Souls of Mischief
(2) Strong Arm Steady
(3) w/Deep R.O.O.T.E.D.
(4) w/Andre Nickatina
(5) w/Collie Budz
(6) w/Swollen Members, Common Market
(7) w/Ghostface Killah, Fashawn
(8) w/Tanya Morgan, Kam Moye, Oddisee, A.G., Sadat X, DJ Jab
(9) Smokeout Festival

Souls of Mischief will kick off the new year with the appropriately named Ice Cold tour. To commemorate the adventure, they’ve released a new song, “Tour Stories,” as part of a zip file of MP3s called, you guessed it, “Ice Cold MP3s.” The tour dates and a link to the MP3s are listed below.

• 1/08: The Underground, Reno, NV
• 1/09: Whiskey Dick’s, Lake Tahoe, CA
• 1/12: Domino Room, Bend, OR
• 1/13: Berbati’s Pan, Portland, OR
• 1/14: Nectar Lounge, Seattle, WA
• 1/15: The Blvd, Spokane, WA
• 1/16: Zebra Cocktail Lounge, Bozeman, MT
• 1/17: The Badlander, Missoula, MT
• 1/18: Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT
• 1/20: Sandbar, Vail, CO
• 1/21: Three20South, Breckenridge, CO
• 1/22: Fox Theater, Boulder, CO
• 1/23: Cervantes, Denver, CO

1/08-1/23: w/Bukue One, Serendipity Project

Download: Ice Cold MP3s

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

It’s been a decade since the Hieroglyphics crew, quickly recovering from a series of failed major label deals, regrouped to form one of the most lasting and influential imprints in hip-hop. You can’t talk about the West Coast without mentioning Hiero and its crew of ace MCs — Del the Funky Homosapien, Souls of Mischief (A-Plus, Phesto, Opio and Tajai), Casual and Pep Love. (And you can’t forget producer and label manager Domino, either.)

To celebrate 10 years in the game, the mighty Hiero family have lined up a series of special projects. First comes Over Time, a compilation of B-sides and rarities. It actually dropped last Tues., March 20. Next up comes a spring jaunt featuring Souls of Mischief. The quartet will hit several East Coast and Canadian cities, wind through spring music festivals such as Signal Fest and A3C 2007, and pair up with underground vets Zeph & Azeem and Icon the Mic King, and Bukue One on select dates.

A-Plus will drop his solo debut My Last Good Deed on May 1. Finally, this may be the year when we finally get a new Del album.

But first, A-Plus‘ solo debut. In a press release, the Oakland rapper and producer says his solo debut marks the first time he’s been able to freely express himself. “I’ve never said anything this personal on a Souls of Mischief album before… ever,” he says. “When writing songs in a group, you have to keep everyone’s messages in a cohesive manner and that doesn’t always allow for each of our personalities to stand out.” In addition to his beats, A-Plus sought out J-Zone, Q-Tones and Jake One to add tracks.

In related news, Hieroglyphics recently signed a metal group, A Band Called Pain. The group’s album, Broken Dreams, drops on July 3.

Here’s the tour dates:

• 3/30: The Terrace, Pasadena, CA
• 4/13: The Rutledge, Nashville, TN
• 4/14: The Loft, Atlanta, GA
• 4/15: The Hideaway, Johnson City, TN
• 4/18: Southpaw, Brooklyn, NY
• 4/19: Heaven, Ottawa, ON
• 4/20: Tabu/The Outback, Killington, VT
• 4/21: Pepper Jack Cafe, Hamilton, ON
• 4/22: Blind Pig, Ann Arbor, MI
• 4/23: Abbey Pub, Chicago, IL
• 4/24: The Stonefly, Milwaukee, WI
• 4/26: Emerald Lounge, Asheville, NC
• 4/27: The Soapbox, Wilmington, NC
• 4/28: Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC
• 4/29: The Handlebar, Greenville, SC
• 4/30: The Howlin Wolf, New Orleans, LA
• 5/01: Thee Imperial, Jacksonville, FL
• 5/02: Roxanne’s on Main, Oakland Park, FL
• 5/03: The Firestone, Orlando, FL
• 5/04: The Orpheum, Tampa, FL
• 5/05: Beta, Tallahassee, FL

4/13-5/05: w/Bukue One
4/13, 4/18-4/24, 4/28, 4/30-5/04: w/Icon the Mic King
4/14: A3C Festival w/Collective Efforts, Black Milk, Binkis Recs, Kaze, Simple Complexity, Kenn Starr, Proton, Transistor Fist
4/18-4/22: w/Zeph & Azeem
4/28: Signal Fest w/Masta Ace, Wordsworth, DJ Flo Fader, Black Milk

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