East Oakland native Tajai began rhyming with future bandmate A-Plus at age 8, while both were in elementary school. Tajai and Phesto met later in junior high school. Tajai recruited his best friend Phesto in middle school and A-Plus brought Opio into the budding act in high school before making its major-label debut on Jive Records with the group's well-received album 93 'til Infinity, in 1993.
The group is part of the hip-hop collective Hieroglyphics, along with emcees Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Casual, Pep Love, Jaybiz, and producer Domino. The group participated as full members in all three of Hieroglyphics' studio albums: 1998's 3rd Eye Vision, 2003's Full Circle, and 2013's The Kitchen.
93 ’til Infinity is the group's highest charting album to date (#17 Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums; #85 Billboard 200) and, in January, 1998, was named one of the Top 100 Rap albums by The Source magazine.
The group stayed with Jive for one more album, 1995's 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 label, Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings: 1999's Focus, and 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 (De La Soul, Gravediggaz, Handsome Boy Modeling School). 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. 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.
Outro
Souls of Mischief Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our Souls are in tact
Our Stoney is lonely
And Womack, well, he ain't coming back
You know
When a war is waged
The rage of a mother's loss can turn a zero into a hero
Thank you for tuning in
This is your host Ali Shaheed signing off once again
And you've been listening to K-NOW
These lyrics are the final lines of the song Outro by Souls of Mischief. The first line, "Our Souls are in tact," is a nod to their group name and represents that they remain strong and united. The following line, "Our Stoney is lonely," refers to their friend Stoney Jackson, who was originally part of the group but left before they recorded their first album. The line "And Womack, well, he ain't coming back" is a bit more complicated. Bobby Womack was a legendary soul singer and songwriter who passed away in 2014. The line could be a tribute to him, referencing how his music and influence will live on but also acknowledging the finality of death.
The next two lines introduce the idea of a war and how a mother's loss can be a catalyst for someone to become a hero. This could be interpreted in a few ways, but it could be suggesting that the group has faced obstacles and challenges throughout their career, and they've persevered through it all. The final lines of the song see the host Ali Shaheed signing off, thanking the listeners for tuning in to K-NOW, which is presumably a fictional radio station.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah
Acknowledgement and agreement to the following statements.
Our Souls are in tact
Our group's morale and motivation are intact or not weakened.
Our Stoney is lonely
Our member named Stoney is feeling isolated or alone.
And Womack, well, he ain't coming back
Our member named Womack has left and will not return.
You know
A transition to a new idea or topic.
When a war is waged
During a conflict or struggle.
The rage of a mother's loss can turn a zero into a hero
The emotions experienced from losing a loved one can motivate and empower a person who was previously seen as insignificant or unimportant.
But in this case, I'll let you decide
The artist is leaving the interpretation or significance of the previous statement up to the listener.
Thank you for tuning in
An expression of gratitude for the listeners who have been engaged in the broadcast.
This is your host Ali Shaheed signing off once again
The artist/host, named Ali Shaheed, is concluding the broadcast.
And you've been listening to K-NOW
A reminder of the name of the radio station or broadcast channel.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ADAM CARTER, OPIO LINDSEY, TAJAI MASSEY, ALI SHAHEED JONES-MUHAMMAD, DAMANI THOMPSON, ADRIAN YOUNGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind