Hieroglyphics Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
After reaching the charts and critics lists all during the early '90s as solo artists (and groups), then spending the rest of the decade building an organization with staying power, the eight-man-strong collective making up Hieroglyphics -- hip-hop heroes Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Casual, Pep Love, Souls of Mischief, and Damian "Domino" Siguenza -- returned in 2003 with the best record of their career. Full Circle is their second album as Hieroglyphics, after a freewheeling 1998 debut that saw the group delivering on all the promise of early-'90s classics like Del's I Wish My Brother George Was Here and Souls of Mischief's '93 'Til Infinity. Anyone with even a grounding in West Coast rap knows that together they're as great a team of rappers as Freestyle Fellowship or Jurassic 5, supremely able to flow with different styles and avoid the rough edges. What impresses about Full Circle is the breadth of productions and material; Hieroglyphics excel whether they're floating an in-the-groove sample-driven joint ("Classic"), a schizoid, surreal psychedelic rap ("Heatish"), or even the organic R&B jam ("Make Your Move"), often with Detroit keyboard wonder Amp Fiddler and bassist Merlo Podlewski. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Consisting of Del tha Funkee Homosapien, A-Plus, Opio, Tajai, Phesto, Casual, Domino, Pep Love, and Jaybiz, Hieroglyphics has an all-star lineup of underground talent. One might expect Hieroglyphics to have a gangsta rap or West Coast rap sound since Del tha Funkee Homosapien is related to the infamous Ice Cube; however, 3rd Eye Vision has a traditional underground rap feel reminiscent of albums by Common and Black Star. The 22-track album features strong, clever lyrics accompanied by creative, catchy background beats. Fortunately, Hieroglyphics manages to avoid the common error of over-sampling beats, which detracts from the lyrics. The hip-hop group also amazingly uses its large size as an advantage with memorable choruses, unique background voices and raps, and great interplay between lyricists. This synergy is future illustrated by the variety of songwriters and tracks like "You Never Know" and "Miles to the Sun" that are a collaboration by six of the group members. The album's standout track is "You Never Know," which was made into a video and single. ~ John Hinrichsen, All Music Guide
