93 'til Infinity | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 28, 1993 | |||
Recorded | 1992–1993 | |||
Studio | Hyde Street (San Francisco) | |||
Genre | Alternative hip hop | |||
Length | 54:38 | |||
Label | Jive | |||
Producer |
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Souls of Mischief chronology | ||||
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Singles from 93 'til Infinity | ||||
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93 'til Infinity is the debut studio album by American hip-hop group Souls of Mischief. It was released on September 28, 1993, [1] [2] [3] on the Jive label.
The sound of 93 'til Infinity 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. 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." [4]
93 'til Infinity met commercial success with its title track and lead single, which reached No. 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.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Christgau's Consumer Guide | A− [5] |
RapReviews | 9.5/10 [6] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Source | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
93 'til Infinity was critically acclaimed for its subject matter, production, and rapping, though it was not as popular as other West Coast hip hop albums at the time of its release. The St. Petersburg Times noted that "the new school diversity and relaxed swagger is highlighted by the Souls' raw and effortless verbal flow." [9] The Washington Post praised "the distant trumpet shouts and fuzzy drum brushes in 'Never No More' and the combination of record-scratches and Ramsey Lewis keyboard samples on 'Make Your Mind Up'." [10] Suzann Vogel of Philadelphia Weekly wrote:
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.[ citation needed ]
Steve Huey of AllMusic also positively reviewed 93 'til Infinity, 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" and that it's "one of the most slept-on records of the '90s". [4]
In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source 's 100 Best Rap Albums. [11]
Over the years, the title track "93 'til Infinity" has been referenced and sampled by numerous artists, including Consequence and Kanye West in their 2004 song "03 'Til Infinity", [12] J. Cole in 2009's "Til' Infinity", [13] Freddie Gibbs in 2009's "How We Do", [14] Big K.R.I.T in 2010's "Somedayz", [15] and Joey Badass in 2013's "95 Til Infinity". [16]
No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Let 'em Know" | Domino | 4:15 |
2. | "Live and Let Live" | Domino | 5:20 |
3. | "That's When Ya Lost" | Del the Funky Homosapien | 3:35 |
4. | "A Name I Call Myself" | Del the Funky Homosapien | 4:11 |
5. | "Disseshowedo" | Domino, Jay Biz | 2:59 |
6. | "What a Way to Go Out" | A-Plus | 3:59 |
7. | "Never No More" | A-Plus | 3:41 |
8. | "93 'til Infinity" | A-Plus | 4:46 |
9. | "Limitations" | Jay Biz | 3:21 |
10. | "Anything Can Happen" | A-Plus | 3:02 |
11. | "Make Your Mind Up" | Del the Funky Homosapien | 3:51 |
12. | "Batting Practice" | Casual | 4:04 |
13. | "Tell Me Who Profits" | Domino | 4:02 |
14. | "Outro" | Domino | 2:04 |
Total length: | 53:10 |
Year | Album | Peak position | |
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Billboard 200 [17] | Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums [18] | ||
1993 | 93 'til Infinity | 85 | 17 |
Year | Song | Peak position | |||||||||||
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Billboard Hot 100 [19] | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks [20] | Hot Rap Singles [21] | Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales [21] | ||||||||||
1993 | "93 'Til Infinity" | 72 | 65 | 11 | 20 | ||||||||
"That's When Ya Lost" | — | — | 24 | — | |||||||||
1994 | "Never No More" | — | — | 46 | 15 | ||||||||
"—" denotes that a recording did not chart. |
Souls of Mischief:
Additional personnel:
Souls of Mischief is a hip hop group from Oakland, California, that is also part of the hip hop collective Hieroglyphics. The Souls of Mischief formed in 1991 and is composed of rappers A-Plus, Opio, Phesto, and Tajai.
Teren Delvon Jones, better known by his stage name Del the Funky Homosapien or Sir DZL, is an American rapper.
Hieroglyphics, also known as the Hieroglyphics Crew and Hiero, is an American underground hip hop collective based in Oakland, California. It was founded in the early 1990s by rapper Del the Funky Homosapien. The collective is currently composed of rappers Del the Funky Homosapien, Casual, Pep Love, producer/manager Domino, DJ Toure, and the four individual members of the rap group Souls of Mischief: Phesto, A-Plus, Opio, and Tajai.
Yameen is an American hip hop producer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. His most recent album, "Diamond is Unfadable" was released in 2017 on Rumble Pack Records.
"Never No More" is a song by American hip hop group Souls of Mischief recorded for their 1993 debut album 93 'til Infinity. The song was the third and final single released in promotion of the album.
Focus is the third studio album from Souls of Mischief. It was their first release on the independent Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings label, and was released in 1999. For over a decade, it was a cassette and LP release, only available through the group's website; it has since been made available on digital music sites.
3rd Eye Vision is the first studio album by American hip hop collective Hieroglyphics. It was released by Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings on March 24, 1998. It peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, as well as number 88 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It has sold more than 100,000 copies.
Damani Thompson, known by the stage names, Phesto and Phesto Dee, is an American rapper and producer. He is one of the founding four members of the Oakland, California-based underground hip hop group Souls of Mischief, and, with the Souls of Mischief, a part of the eight-person, alternative hip hop collective, the Hieroglyphics.
Adam Carter, known by the stage name, A-Plus, is an American rapper and producer. He is one of the founding four members of the Oakland, California-based underground hip hop group Souls of Mischief and, with Souls of Mischief, a part of the eight-person, alternative hip hop collective, the Hieroglyphics.
Tajai Massey, known by the stage name Tajai, is an American rapper and producer. He is one of the four founding members of the Oakland, California-based underground hip hop group Souls of Mischief and, with Souls of Mischief, a part of the eight-person, alternative hip hop collective Hieroglyphics. He is also one half of the hip hop duo Rap Noir.
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