Souls of Mischief talk '93 'Til Infinity' and beyond

A cornerstone of East Oakland's hip-hop scene of the early-to-mid '90s, Souls of Mischief came together while its members were still in high school. A spin-off from the likeminded Hieroglyphics crew, featuring MCs A-Plus, Opio, Phesto, and Tajai, the Bay Area natives have been delivering raw hip-hop, drawing upon jazz, funk, and improvisation, using rap as a medium for storytelling rather than boasting about personal assets.

In 1993, SOM's self-produced debut, the acclaimed 93 'Til Infinity, sported a title track that has become an anthem of sorts for the group. Twenty years later, the group is revisiting with a full U.S. tour. For many, the jazz-influenced alt-rap album remains a classic, and although the Souls never quite found mainstream success, they continue garnering praise from artists as varied as Kanye West to Vampire Weekend. The Souls recently announced that Adrian Younge would be producing their new album, There is Only Now, which they anticipate will drop this fall. Before they play tonight at Terminal West, the Souls talk about their beginnings, influences, and the new record.

What does it mean to be celebrating the 20th anniversary of 93 'Til Infinity ?
Phesto: It's almost like the infinity of a certain time. It's a record that stood the test of time and is very influential to this day. It was our first record and it set the standard for us. To this day, we always use that as our standard but we have grown as artists since then and we always try to make something different and kinetic.