Steve 'Flash' Juon“Record companies don’t want me on after they rapper
’cause fa’real, I make ’em look like PaRappa the Rapper” – Casual
My affection for the Hieroglyphics crew dates back to before I knew their name. Del the Funkee Homosapien’s “I Wish My Brother George Was Here” got heavy rotation in my car’s tape deck in high school, and once I learned he was part of a larger collective it was only natural to explore the music of his comrades. The 90’s and 2000’s were a cornucopia of classics from the crew ranging from Casual to Souls of Mischief to Pep Love and more, not to mention compilations featuring the entire gang. “The Corner” is one such album from 2005 and to my surprise we hadn’t written about it before now. I have to admit it was Saafir’s passing that got me to double check, because the late rapper’s beef with Casual and infamous Hobo vs. Hiero battle that followed is a legendary part of hip-hop history.
That said “The Corner” expands far beyond the circle surrounding the Hieroglyphics Imperium. Take New York rap star O.C. (Omar Credle) for example, who can be heard rapping on the Mike Loe produced “Phenomenon.” It’s not like Loe is a member of the Hiero crew in any way. He’s more closely associated with D.I.T.C. rappers than anyone from California, although his career seems to have petered out right around the time this compilation released. If he had to go out at least “Phenomenon” was a high note for him to go on. Even more mysterious is Shake Da Mayor’s “Everybody’s Gangsta.” Now he’s Cali and sounds like it, but I haven’t heard of him doing with anything for Hiero before or since, leaving the most notable thing about the track to be the throwback 1980’s synth provided by Chops.
What are we to make of this allegedly Hieroglyphics album then? Hold up, rewind that. We don’t need to use the word “allegedly” at all. While it’s true that the Imperium was stretching the definition a little to include some friends and colleagues they respected, the MAJORITY of this release is straight up Hiero material. It starts hard and hot with “What the Funk (Remix)” featuring Casual and 3/4ths of Souls of Mischief, featuring a piano laced track courtesy of Q. Tones, sandwiched at the end by a live performance of “Love Flowin’.” Going down the list I find 9 out of 11 songs to be identifiable as Hieroglyphics, leaving no doubt this is real deal Cali chronic that’s “got it on lock like a LoJack.”
From Opio’s stupidly dope “Talk Dirty” produced by A-Plus to Tajai’s elon.js produced “Raindance” to Pep Love’s crunchy fried chicken static b-boy anthem “Stop Rock,” there’s no shortage of material to scratch your third eye itch. Take it from Pep himself: “I just want to rhyme, smoke weed and play/and I don’t really care what people say.” That’s how the Hieroglyphics roll. They make rap for the fun of it, not to show off big piles of cash or flaunt heavy weaponry. Their shots are fired metaphorically, even if Saafir did make fun of Casual for spending $300 on a .380 in that aforementioned KMEL battle. I’m not saying they don’t pack heat, but how many Hiero members have you ever heard of doing a jail bid? Exactly. This is rapping by rappers who live to rap, many of whom are just as good at producing as they are spitting. “The Corner” is another fine showcase of their talents.