by Phil Comey
Associate Features Editor

Past the “bling-bling” and the Dr. Suess raps of today’s commercial hip-hop, we find the dwellers of underground rap. It is here one can find the hidden rap gem, the Hieroglyphics.

The group based out of Oakland, Calif. is comprised of individual artists and the four-man group Souls of Mischief. Perhaps the most well known member of the group, Del (the funky homosapien), appeared briefly in the mainstream as the hypnotic rapper in the Gorillaz hit “Clint East Wood.”

Full Circle, released on Oct. 7 of this year, is the follow up effort to the Hieroglyphics only other record, Third Eye Vision, and should propel this underground act into the limelight. To put it simply, if you have any true understanding of what hip-hop was meant to be, this album is for you.

It has everything from intelligent lyrics and innovative rhyme schemes, to daring and creative beats. Lyrically speaking it is hard to think of another hip-hop group that can challenge them. They are not afraid to step away from talking about cars and money, and use their intellects to sell their records.

Lyrics like “You soft and squeamish/feminine like a seamstress/Serina or Venus/I got the U.S. open like I’m Agasi” are more of the norm throughout the album rather than the occasional jewel.

But as soon as you feel you have the group pinned into the lyrical category of “battle rap” the group exposes their heart with lyrics like, “Each day a new step up the stair way to heaven/to get closer to God I intersect with my brethren.”

Their beats are a step away from what typical hip-hop would consider the West Coast sound, but in their case this is a good thing. The beats are creative and differ from track to track, making them a difficult group to put into one genre.

The album opens with the hard-hitting beats of “Fantasy Island” and the “Powers That Be,” which are perfect for rolling down your windows and letting your subwoofers hit everyone’s eardrums.

Then tracks like “Classic” playfully sample the sounds from a symphony, as the members flex their creative ear for all types of music.

But a listener can get no further then the track “Make Your Move” before they hear the group easily move from the battle rap sound to serve the audience a saddened portion of emotion.

Then, while many other rap groups feel it necessary to talk about women disrespectfully, Hieroglyphics make it a point to talk about the plight of a woman dabbling in drugs and prostitution on the track “Maggie May.”

Right before the album ends, the track “Full Circle” comes on and they appropriately use the soulful, guest voice of Goapele for the chorus to complement their heartfelt lyrics.

This group also differs from other rap groups in the sense that each member demonstrates their lyrical prowess and uniqueness, as opposed to other rap groups, who struggle to boast one star MC.

The rhyming styles of members Pep Love, Del and Opio have nothing in common aside from strong lyrics, but provide a refreshing change with each passing of the microphone.

I know it has been all praise up until now, but I can’t let these intellects pass without some criticism of their album.

First, I commend the effort of the group to keep all the beats diverse and interesting. However, some reach too far into the realm of different and become weird like on the oddly constructed track “Heatish.”

Also, for those that know the group member Del from prior work, more was expected of him on this album, and it was not delivered. His verses are used sparingly and only provide glimpses of his potential.

If you thought the idea of rap enticed you with its promise of true poetry and was let down by the mainstream rap sound on the radio, I strongly recommend checking this CD out.

It has enough variety to be played from start to finish and has enough courage to challenge the idea of typical rap sound, venturing into the shadows of invention.

For more information about this group you can visit their website at www.hieroglyphics.com.

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