Disco de Hieroglyphics: “Full Circle”

The Hieroglyphics crew have been a major force in the West Coast hip-hop underground scene since the early 90's. They are somewhat of a West Coast version of the Wu-Tang Clan, most obviously in size but in a few other aspects as well. First off their style before them there weren't many other rapper on the West Coast that weren't all about bustin' caps and pimpin', they brought a fresh jazzy original sound that was heavy on the lyrical tip that has since influenced many on the alternative & underground west coast rap crowd. But like the Wu tehy have had their set backs and pit falls. Instead of releasing a group album and then solo joints they opted to go the other route releasing their individual albums and the releasing their first crew album in `98. Like the Wu-Tang all of their debut albums carried with them artistic and sometimes commercial success but after that they had some slight creative short comings and more commercial ones after leaving their major labels. Also they had several talented members leave their ranks such as Saafir who went on to join Hobo Junction and the group Extra Prolific who was headed by Snoupe who left because of musical differences. The Hieroglyphics crew is a 9 man strong group consisting of Domino, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Pep Love, Jay Biz (not featured on album), Casual, & Souls Of Mischief (A-Plus, Opio, Phesto & Tajai) coming with individual styles, intricate rhymes, and dope self contained production coming from Domino, Casual, A-Plus, Opio although there is one outside production by some kat named Space Boy Boogie (who?). Although some odd sampled Del production would have been great the beats on this disc for the most part are top notch, sounding great in your car or you headphones, they are underground but the production is polished and totally accessible even for the most mainstream of heads. The rhymes through out are dope as hell, mostly dealing with battling but I it's hard to find better lyrics than these on this disc for me Pep Love & Opio really shine through, although like others might comment there isn't nearly enough Del on this bizzatch. So now I'm going to touch on some songs that stood out to me...

Prelude (Pep Love) ~ The album opener has a some shouting over with vocal samples of all the members and other things, then it goes into a short verse by Pep Love basically stating where Hiero is from and where they are going, a nice key board laced beat featuring Amp Fiddler on the keys produced by Domino.

Powers That Be (Opio, Pep Love, Del, Tajai) ~ This is a low tempo beat produced by Domino again. It's made up of deep drums & short synth sounding horn snaps and what sounds like some guitar strumming in the back. The lyrics attack whack rappers, mysterious powers that be and has an alright hook. I like this track because it pairs Ope, Pep & Del on the track my three fav's as well as Tajai who comes correct too. Although they all drop dope verses Opio drops the best one ripping the track wide open including my favourite ish part on the album with his opening lines:

"/they say I'm like Bruce Willis unbreakable, diehard/

Although I love hearing Del and his lyrics are still pretty strong his flow is lazy (think Tha Doggfather era Snoop) which is sad from one of the best rappers ever.

Classic (Pep Love, Tajai & Del) ~ Now things really get interesting, with a koolass beat by Domino based around a classical violin and flute loop with some distant horns as well. This is the first beat on the album that really jumps right out to make this track the first real glimpses into Hiero's greatness. Pep Love really holds this album together and he's the opening MC on the track, he makes one of the best showings on the album here as well as his best in my opinion, Next comes Del on the hook which is somewhat of a repeated verse rather than a hook because it's so long. Del sounds surprisingly energized, which is welcomed making the song stick out as well, and Tajai drops one of his best verses on the album as well getting me geared up for his solo album. This joint really shows what the crew can do when they rally around superb production.

Chicago (Souls Of Mischief) ~ Great Souls song. High energy beat based around a fluid string arrangement courtesy of A-Plus. It's a short track clocking under three minutes, all MC's come good with Ope & A-Plus doing it the best for me around the concept of a show in Chicago, it's basically a life on the road song.

Halo (Opio, Phesto, A-Plus, Tajai, Casual & Phesto) ~ My favourite track on the album. A nice beat primarily based around a flutelike groove that gives it an island feel then some stings and electric guitar to flesh it out brought to you by Opio. All the rapper on this joint step up with some really thoughtful yet raw lyrics that are battle but cover some wide range. Once again Del rises to the occasion dropping a especially bombass verse although short, gets me thinking that on his first track he might just been sleepy or too high.

Maggie May (A-Plus, Opio, Del & Phesto) ~ This is a good kid took a wrong turn type message track. It's produced by A-Plus and has a nice laidback vibe, with clopish percussion and distant trumpet that give it a spooky vibe. I think the girl in the story is a metaphors for Hip-Hop but I'm not 100% sure, either way all the MC's drop thoughtful & heartfelt lyrics about this girl in view points from different times in her life..

This album is a great addition to the Hiero legend and will be a great addition to anyone's hip hop collection. It wasn't with out it's problem's Jingle Jangle was horribly whack on beat & hook but the rest of the album is all fantastic even though it could have used more Del and maybe a nice production from Tha Funkee Homosapien. Also Jay Biz was absent from this release for some reason that I do not know his production & cuts would have been a welcomed addition. If This album had a couple of more cuts like Classic & Halo this would have been worthy of a five star rating but just dopeness doesn't gain this essential classic status. 4 stars worth every penny check it out!

Expectations were high. The Hiero crew pondered and pondered: how could we live up to the mass anticipation? Could Domino produce a beat that could live up to their masterwork's, "3d Eye Vision", power? Could A+ really prove that he is as good at lyrical flows as he was at school (kid got straight 4.0 GPAs)? Was Del still `The Mastermind' that could flummox with tracks like "At the Helm"? Pep Love's solo efforts were greeted with moderate success - is he really better when working with his crew?

Lots of questions, lots of contemplation..."The Full Circle" comes out. Fans rush to the stores, teeth clenched, sweaty palms - I myself stood in line, grasping the CD, after having seen the Hieros live in Boston the night before. And guess what? The album rocks.

First of all, "The Full Circle" does not contain any unnecessary interludes. It starts off with a two-minute introduction, that serves as a distinct premonition of the album's overall balancing act of subtlety and experimentation. Hieroglyphics have also ventured into new territories with astonishing success - the beats essentially sound more complex than in "3d Eyes Vision", which altogether depended on the lyrical content, yet they sustain the vital accessibility that make Hieroglyphics one of the most agreeably genial underground hip-hop acts, along the likes of Blackalicious and J5. Goapele makes feature appearances on songs "Make Your Move", and the hallucinatory "Full Circle", which, in a weird way, is reminiscent of Eminem's hit collaboration with Dido "Stan", and thus displays the inclusive sense of the album - slightly commercialized.

"Fantasy Island" is a wonderful blend of sweeping melody, restrained beats and lines that establish the unrelenting personalities of the crew: "sipping brew in a peer", "God knows my mottos, I follow universal laws", "I bring back game, when I'm on the mike I be tha king that reigns". The song demonstrates Hieroglyphics' strive to be real in a world of illusion, where everything is fake. A+ astonishes with a reggae-ish "Powers That Be" ("They say I'm like Bruce Willis, Unbreakable, Die Hard, true sickness - put this mike on the tripod") where the theme of illusion is apparent once again - Hiero's basically making fun of societal popularity endeavors. Del returns in full form on this track, spitting rhymes like "hate to diss you hoe, but you fictional". Other highlights include the prompt "Classic", mesmerizing with its simplicity and rousing tune, the trippy "100,000 Indi" with Abstract Rude making a guest appearance, and the touching "Maggie May" that demonstrates Hieros' capability to relate with serious subject matters like death without sounding cheezy.

"The Full Circle" in general belongs to A+ and Pep Love, who truly substantiate their prolific status. Their rhymes are complex, unusual, and what I like to call `punny' - they're not hilarious, but the puns are witty, sometimes even allegorical. There is bound to be future deliberation over a novel approach, come the time for Hieroglyphics to release their third addition to underground hip-hop. A+, Pep Love, Opio, Del, Phesto, Domino and Casual will gather around the table and ponder. I'll tell you this much, "Full Circle" will be REALLY hard to beat!

HIGHLIGHTS: "Fantasy Island", "Powers That Be", "Shift Shape", "Classic", "100,000 Indi".

I just bought this cd ealier today after hearing the 5 sample cuts here on Amazon. MAN! You can't truly appreciate what it will sound like till you hear it in-person on a nice system. There is not 1 wack track on this album, not 1. I don't dig jingle-jangle much, but it still isn't bad. There are so many great cuts on this cd. I love the overall sound. As for not enough bangers, UM, ya right. This cd has tons of bass heavy songs with lots of original bass lines. This is 1 of the best cd's I have bought lately and 1 of the best I own overall. I put it up there with Shadows on The Sun, and ya know that joint is HOT. Enjoy this, this is real hip-hop!

If I could give this CD anything above 5 stars I would. This CD is that good. I have been A true Hieroglyphics fan since 98 and they just keep getting better. I had the honor of seeing a show of theirs at the Roseland Theatre in Portland and let me tell you, they put on the best live show I have ever seen. The best track on this CD is "Classic" but dont get me wrong there are plenty of other tracks that are right up there with it. For example: "Halo, Fantasy Island, Chicago, Powers That Be, Shift Shape." If your still listening to that played out 50 Cent album, do yuorself and the rest of your block a favor, give this CD a play and trust me, once you do your going to make at least 3 copies. One for your car, one for your room, and one for you home system.

Hip hop has always been one of my favorite types of music, but as many people think and have expressed, a lot of modern hip hop has lost the soul it used to have. Sure, most of it may be fine for clubbing, but what happened to content AND skill, it seems like its become an either/or situation. Either you've got integrity, or you've got skill, choose. And then along comes Hieroglyphics, proving that skill and integrity can work together.

Full Circle is the perfect example of what hip hop can really be. This album is like a sampler tray of the Hiero crew. Everyone on the CD is incredible, as well as most of the songs, but there were a few specific songs that stood out to me.

The song that first caught my attention was track 2, Fantasy Island. That's the purpose of the song, to catch your attention. The melody and beat are the first things you notice, a creative, addictive sound loop with a head nodding beat. Then the lyrics. The flow on this song is near perfect. Everyone keeps perfect time with their usual genius wordplay. OK, now that your hooked, get ready for the REAL talent of Hiero, uncontained hip hop genius. The next outstanding song is track 4, Make Your Move. The song puts you in a sort of enchanted/sombre space. Del definitely stands out on this song with a strong flow and message of perserverance.

Track 6, Classic. What more is there to say? The title is self explanatory. This is without a doubt the best rap song I've ever heard, ever. Both Pep Love and Tajai give their best appearances on the album over a classical melody sound loop. The production on this song was genius, and the lyrics nothing short of stunning.

Tajai: "We put in the work, to make your body jerk, we won't shirk the duty, of makin you shake your gluteus maximus, yeah that's wussup, the music is movin, you need to be catchin up."

Every song from here on is outstanding, I really can't criticize any of them, but Track 10 and Track 13 are the best of the rest. Love Flowin' (track 10) is another example of Hieroglyphics' unrivaled lyrical talent. They show their full lyrical potential here, all of them.

Maggie May is the last GREAT song on the album, but it is a GREAT song. This song focuses on the life of a girl-gone-wrong named Maggie May. Some people say that like Common's old school joint "I Used To Love Her", Maggie May is a metaphor for hip hop. I really don't know, it's possible, but either way, the song's melody is penetrating, the perfect background for the most effecting song on the album. The powerful lyrics seem to bore into your head and stay there, especially the ending, which is simply haunting. You have to give Hieroglyphics their props for this one. It really shows their integrity, which is why I admire them so much.

Whether you're a hip hop fan or not, this CD is more than worth your time. There's a little here for everyone. The CD offers plenty of head nodding songs and dance joints, while communicating a messages that should be put out there more often. I'm not a bleeding heart, but that doesn't mean that I think all hip hop should focus on drugs, sex and murder. Yeah, that's a part of life, a big part of a lot of people's life, but it's not something you should brag about. These things ruin people's lives, but no one focuses on that side of the story, all today's hip hop artist's talk about are how many people they've killed, how many blunts they've smoked and how many women they've slept with. That's fine in moderate measure, but the fact that it's become such a big part of hip hop these days is sad. Hieroglyphics embodies the real soul of hip hop. They prove that they're hard but they don't flaunt it, and whether you care about message or not, there's enough raw lyrical and musical talent here to equal any other hip hop artist on the market.