View source for Souls of Mischief

{{short description|American hip hop group}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Souls of Mischief
| image             = Souls of Mischief.jpg
| landscape         = yes
| caption           = Souls of Mischief; from left to right: Phesto, Tajai, Opio, A-Plus
| background        = group_or_band
| alias             = 
| origin            = [[East Oakland, Oakland, California|East Oakland, California]], U.S.
| instrument        = 
| genre             = [[West Coast hip hop]], [[alternative hip hop]]
| occupation        = 
| years_active      = 1991–present
| label             = [[Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings|Hieroglyphics Imperium]], [[Jive Records|Jive]]/[[Bertelsmann Music Group|BMG]]
| current_members   = [[A-Plus (rapper)|A-Plus]] <br /> [[Phesto]] <br /> Opio<br /> [[Tajai]]
}}

'''Souls of Mischief''' is a hip hop group from [[Oakland, California]], that is also part of the [[hip hop collective]] [[Hieroglyphics (band)|Hieroglyphics]]. The Souls of Mischief formed in 1991 and is composed of rappers [[A-Plus (rapper)|A-Plus]], Opio, [[Phesto]], and [[Tajai]].

==History==
East Oakland native Tajai began rhyming with future bandmate A-Plus at age 8, while both were in [[elementary school]].<ref name="Tajai Interview">{{cite web | url = http://www.gorillamovement.com/Tajai.html | access-date = 2007-02-03 | title = Tajai Interview | publisher = Gorilla Movement.com | year = 2005}}</ref> Tajai and Phesto met later in [[junior high school]].<ref name="Phesto Interview">{{cite web | url = http://ensim.hieroglyphics.com/artists/souls/phesto-interview.html | access-date = 2007-02-03 | title = Phesto Interview | publisher = StinkE Productions | date = 1996-07-18 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060719094917/http://ensim.hieroglyphics.com/artists/souls/phesto-interview.html | archive-date = 2006-07-19 }}</ref> Tajai recruited his best friend Phesto in middle school and A-Plus brought Opio into the budding act in [[high school]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mag.citizensofhumanity.com/blog/2015/12/10/souls-of-mischief/ |title=Souls Of Mischief - Humanity Magazine |website=Mag.citizensofhumanity.com |date=2020-03-02 |access-date=2020-03-06}}</ref> before making its [[major record label|major-label]] debut on [[Jive Records]] with the group's well-received album ''[[93 'til Infinity]]'', in 1993.<ref name="Phesto Interview"/>

The group is part of the hip-hop collective [[Hieroglyphics (band)|Hieroglyphics]], along with [[rapping|emcees]] [[Del tha Funkee Homosapien]], Casual, [[Pep Love]], Jaybiz, and [[record producer|producer]] [[Domino (producer)|Domino]].<ref name="Phesto Interview"/> The group participated as full members in all three of Hieroglyphics' studio albums: 1998's ''[[3rd Eye Vision]]'', [[2003 in music|2003's]] ''[[Full Circle (Hieroglyphics album)|Full Circle]]'', and 2013's [[The Kitchen (album)|The Kitchen]].

''93 ’til Infinity'' is the group's highest charting album to date (No. 17 Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums; No. 85 [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]) and, in January, 1998, was named one of the Top 100 Rap albums by ''[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]'' magazine.

The group stayed with Jive for one more album, 1995's ''[[No Man's Land (Souls of Mischief album)|No Man's Land]]'', before being released from the label during the same year.

The group released two albums on Hiero's self-owned [[independent record label|independent label]], [[Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings]]: 1998's ''[[Focus (1999 album)|Focus]]'', and [[2000 in music|2000's]] ''[[Trilogy: Conflict, Climax, Resolution]]''.

On October 30, 2006, ''Hierocast'' (Hieroglyphics' official [[podcast]]), Del tha Funkee Homosapien reported that the Souls of Mischief was currently working on its next studio album with [[Prince Paul (producer)|Prince Paul]] ([[De La Soul]], [[Gravediggaz]], [[Handsome Boy Modeling School]]).{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}

On January 6, 2009, Souls of Mischief released the ''Tour Stories'' EP produced by Domino and co-produced by Prince Paul. The song is taken from the group's fifth studio album, ''Montezuma's Revenge'', released on Hieroglyphics Imperium.

In 2013, a documentary about the band was released entitled ''Til Infinity: The Souls of Mischief''.<ref>{{Citation|last=Smith|first=Shomari|title=Til Infinity: The Souls of Mischief|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6314468/|type=Documentary|others=Stretch Armstrong, Adisa Banjoko, Yasiin Bey, Casual|publisher=SkyFre Productions|access-date=2020-10-31}}</ref> Produced and directed by Shomari Smith, it reflected on the 20-year anniversary of the band's debut album ''93 'Til Infinity'' and includes over 50 interviews with prominent MCs, DJs, and producers of the era.

During the [[2017 NBA Playoffs]], [[Gatorade]] released a television commercial promoting Gatorade Flow, which featured [[Indiana Pacers]] star forward [[Paul George]] and the instrumental music of Souls of Mischief' ''93 'Til Infinity''.<ref name="Ball is Life Article">{{cite web | url = http://ballislife.com/paul-george-gatorade/ | access-date = 2017-04-20 | title = Ball is Life Article | website = ballislife.com | year = 2017}}</ref>

==Discography==
===Studio albums===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Album details
! scope="col" colspan="4"| Peak chart positions
|-
! scope="col" style="width:2.9em;font-size:90%;"| [[Billboard 200|US]]<br /><ref name="US-200">{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/souls-of-mischief/chart-history/billboard-200 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826214416/https://www.billboard.com/music/souls-of-mischief/chart-history/billboard-200 | url-status=dead | archive-date=August 26, 2018 | title=Souls of Mischief – Chart History: Billboard 200 | publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]] | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | access-date=August 26, 2018}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:2.9em;font-size:90%;"| [[Independent Albums|US<br />Ind.]]<br /><ref name="US-Ind-Al">{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/souls-of-mischief/chart-history/independent-albums | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826224455/https://www.billboard.com/music/souls-of-mischief/chart-history/independent-albums | url-status=dead | archive-date=August 26, 2018 | title=Souls of Mischief – Chart History: Independent Albums | publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]] | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | access-date=August 26, 2018}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:2.9em;font-size:90%;"| [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|US<br />R&B]]<br /><ref name="US-R&B-Al">{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/souls-of-mischief/chart-history/r-b-hip-hop-albums | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826215925/https://www.billboard.com/music/souls-of-mischief/chart-history/r-b-hip-hop-albums | url-status=dead | archive-date=August 26, 2018 | title=Souls of Mischief – Chart History: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]] | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | access-date=August 26, 2018}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:2.9em;font-size:90%;"| [[Rap Albums|US<br />Rap]]<br /><ref name="US-Rap-Al">{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/souls-of-mischief/chart-history/rap-albums | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826231524/https://www.billboard.com/music/souls-of-mischief/chart-history/rap-albums | url-status=dead | archive-date=August 26, 2018 | title=Souls of Mischief – Chart History: Top Rap Albums | publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]] | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | access-date=August 26, 2018}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[93 'til Infinity]]''
|
* Released: September 28, 1993
* Label: [[Jive Records|Jive]]
* Format: [[Compact disc|CD]], [[LP record|LP]], [[Cassette tape|cassette]], [[Music download|digital download]]
| 85 || — || 17 || —
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[No Man's Land (Souls of Mischief album)|No Man's Land]]''
|
* Released: October 10, 1995
* Label: Jive
* Format: CD, LP, cassette, digital download
| 111 || — || 27 || —
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Focus (Souls of Mischief album)|Focus]]''
|
* Released: April 20, 1998
* Label: [[Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings|Hieroglyphics Imperium]]
* Format: LP, cassette, digital download
| — || — || — || —
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Trilogy: Conflict, Climax, Resolution]]''
|
* Released: October 24, 2000
* Label: Hieroglyphics Imperium
* Format: CD, LP, cassette, digital download
| — || 37 || — || —
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Montezuma's Revenge (album)|Montezuma's Revenge]]''
|
* Released: December 1, 2009
* Label: Clear Label
* Format: CD, LP, digital download
| — || — || 93 || —
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[There Is Only Now]]''
|
* Released: August 26, 2014
* Label: Linear Labs
* Format: CD, LP, cassette, digital download
| — || — || 35 || 20
|-
| colspan="14" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
|}

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year
! scope="col" colspan="4"| Peak chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Certifications
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album
|-
! scope="col" style="width:2.9em;font-size:90%;"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US]]<br /><ref name="US-100">{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/souls-of-mischief/chart-history/hot-100 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826171822/https://www.billboard.com/music/souls-of-mischief/chart-history/hot-100 | url-status=dead | archive-date=August 26, 2018 | title=Souls of Mischief – Chart History: Hot 100 | publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]] | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | access-date=August 26, 2018}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:2.9em;font-size:90%;"| [[Dance Singles Sales|US<br />Dance<br />Sales]]<br /><ref name="US-Dance-Sales">{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/souls-of-mischief-mn0000041857/awards | title=Souls of Mischief – Awards | publisher=[[TiVo Corporation]] | work=[[AllMusic]] | access-date=August 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130909012040/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/souls-of-mischief-mn0000041857/awards |archive-date=September 9, 2013}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:2.9em;font-size:90%;"| [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|US<br />R&B]]<br /><ref name="US-R&B">{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/souls-of-mischief/chart-history/r-b-hip-hop-songs | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826193055/https://www.billboard.com/music/souls-of-mischief/chart-history/r-b-hip-hop-songs | url-status=dead | archive-date=August 26, 2018 | title=Souls of Mischief – Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]] | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | access-date=August 26, 2018}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:2.9em;font-size:90%;"| [[Hot Rap Songs|US<br />Rap]]<br /><ref name="US-Rap">{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/souls-of-mischief/chart-history/rap-song | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826180348/https://www.billboard.com/music/souls-of-mischief/chart-history/rap-song | url-status=dead | archive-date=August 26, 2018 | title=Souls of Mischief – Chart History: Hot Rap Songs | publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]] | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | access-date=August 26, 2018}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| "That's When Ya Lost"
| rowspan="2"| 1993
| — || — || —{{efn-ua|"That's When Ya Lost" did not enter the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs]] chart, but peaked at number twenty-two on the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs#Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles|Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles]] chart.<ref name="US-BU-R&B">{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/biz/search/charts?f[0]=ts_chart_artistname%3ASouls%20of%20Mischief&f[1]=itm_field_chart_id%3ABubbling%20Under%20R%26b/hip-hop%20Songs&f[2]=ss_bb_type%3Achart_item&type=2&artist=Souls%20of%20Mischief | title=Chart search – "Souls of Mischief", Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]] | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | access-date=August 26, 2018}}</ref>}} || 24
|
| rowspan="2"| ''93 'til Infinity''
|-
! scope="row"| "[[93 'til Infinity (song)|93 'til Infinity]]"
| 72 || 20 || 65 || 11
|
*[[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]]: Platinum{{Certification Cite Ref|region=United States|type=single|title=93 'til Infinity|artist=Souls of Mischief}}
*[[British Phonographic Industry|BPI]]: Silver<ref name="BPI">{{cite certification|region=United Kingdom|access-date=July 10, 2022|artist=Souls of Mischief}}</ref>
|-
|-
! scope="row"| "Get the Girl, Grab the Money and Run"
| rowspan="2"| 1994
| — || 23 || — || 50
|
| [[A Low Down Dirty Shame (soundtrack)|''A Low Down Dirty Shame'' soundtrack]]
|-
! scope="row"| "[[Never No More]]"
| — || 15 || —{{efn|group=upper-alpha|"Never No More" did not enter the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number twenty on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart.<ref name="US-BU-R&B"/>}} || 46
|
| ''93 'til Infinity''
|-
! scope="row"| "Rock It Like That" 
| rowspan="2"| 1995
| — || 22 || —{{efn|group=upper-alpha|"Rock It Like That" did not enter the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number seventeen on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart.<ref name="US-BU-R&B"/>}} || 44
|
| rowspan="2"| ''No Man's Land''
|-
! scope="row"| "Fa Sho Fa Real"
| — || — || — || —
|
|-
! scope="row"| "Shooting Stars"
| rowspan="2"| 1999
| — || — || — || —
|
| rowspan="2"| ''Focus''
|-
! scope="row"| "Step Off"
| — || — || — || —
|
|-
! scope="row"| "Medication"
| rowspan="4"| 2000
| — || — || — || —
|
| rowspan="4"| ''Trilogy: Conflict, Climax, Resolution''
|-
! scope="row"| "Bad Business"
| — || — || — || —
|
|-
! scope="row"| "Acupuncture"
| — || — || — || —
|
|-
! scope="row"| "Soundscience"
| — || — || — || —
|
|-
! scope="row"| "Tour Stories"
| rowspan="2"| 2009
| — || — || — || —
|
| rowspan="2"| ''Montezuma's Revenge''
|-
! scope="row"| "Proper Aim"
| — || — || — || —
|
|-
| colspan="14" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
|}

==Notes==
{{notelist-ua}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p41664/biography|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic Biography]
* [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Souls+Of+Mischief Discogs.com Profile]
* [http://www.hieroglyphics.com/ Hieroglyphics.com Official Site]
{{Souls of Mischief}}
{{Hieroglyphics (band)}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Souls Of Mischief}}
[[Category:Hip-hop groups from California]]
[[Category:Alternative hip-hop groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1993]]
[[Category:Jive Records artists]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Oakland, California]]
[[Category:Underground hip-hop groups]]