Some may remember the first time that O'Shea "Ice Cube" Jackson's cousin showed up on a skit on one of Ice Cube's projects. He returned the favor by appearing on Del's debut album on the very last track "Ya Lil' Crumbsnatchers". That was, for the most part, the last we'd see of Ice Cube and the first we'd see of Del's own crew of homeboys: the Hieros.
After appearing on the b-side of a Del single on the classic track "Burnt", four members of the Hieroglyphics formed the group Souls of Mischief and released the stunning "'93 Til Infinity" album that shocked and awakened the entire hip-hop nation into realizing that the West coast had more to offer than gangsters with drugs and guns. They flexed lyrical virtuoso throughout and created a steadfastly loyal following that soon took interest in any album stamped with the Hieroglyphics distinctive seal: from Casual's "Fear Itself" to Del's "No Need for Alarm" to Extra Prolific's "Like It Should Be".
Unfortunately, the same Jive Records who signed these artists on the strength of the Souls' debut showed little faith in artists who sold 50,000 - 200,000 albums despite the fact that on any independent label those numbers would be fabulous. One by one the Hieroglyphics found themselves without record deals and right back at square one.
Two years and several unreleased solo albums in the making; the Hieroglyphics now stand ready to return triumphant. During the interim their fans pledged support via an excellent website at www.hieroglyphics.com and in fact broke down traditional barriers between artists and those who enjoy their music. Strong sales of Hiero tapes through the site only further convinced the group to push ahead towards their goal of reclaiming a stake in hip-hop music.
Company Flow and J-Live may be getting all the hype as hip-hop's best independent artists, but leave no doubt that the Hieroglyphics crew can represent as well as any of dem and then some. Visit their website or borrow an album from your local hip-hop head and you'll see what you've been missing out on. Hieroglyphics are now better on their own than in their major label heyday and are ready to shock the world with an album that may be too innovative for traditional media outlets.
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