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93 'til Infinity

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93 'til Infinity
Studio album by
Souls of Mischief
ReleasedSeptember 28, 1993 (1993-09-28)
Recorded1992–1993
StudioHyde Street (San Francisco)
GenreAlternative hip hop
Length54:38
LabelJive
Producer
Souls of Mischief chronology
93 'til Infinity
(1993) 		No Man's Land
(1995)
Singles from 93 'til Infinity
  1. "93 'til Infinity"
    Released: 1993
  2. "That's When Ya Lost"
    Released: May 10, 1993
  3. "Never No More"
    Released: 1994

93 'til Infinity is the debut studio album by American hip-hop group Souls of Mischief. It was released on September 28, 1993,[1][2][3] on the Jive label.

Composition

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The sound of 93 'til Infinity is characteristic of the distinct style explored by the collective, including a rhyme scheme based on internal rhyme and beats centered around a live bass and obscure jazz and funk samples. According to AllMusic author Steve Huey, "Although the title cut is an underappreciated classic, 93 'til Infinity makes its greatest impression through its stunning consistency, not individual highlights."[4]

Release

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93 'til Infinity met commercial success with its title track and lead single, which reached No. 72 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also featured singles "That's When Ya Lost" and "Never No More" which reached the Hot Rap Singles but never charted on the Billboard Hot 100.

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Christgau's Consumer GuideA−[5]
RapReviews9.5/10[6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[7]
The Source[8]

93 'til Infinity was critically acclaimed for its subject matter, production, and rapping, though it was not as popular as other West Coast hip hop albums at the time of its release. The St. Petersburg Times noted that "the new school diversity and relaxed swagger is highlighted by the Souls' raw and effortless verbal flow."[9] The Washington Post praised "the distant trumpet shouts and fuzzy drum brushes in 'Never No More' and the combination of record-scratches and Ramsey Lewis keyboard samples on 'Make Your Mind Up'."[10] Suzann Vogel of Philadelphia Weekly wrote:

At the pinnacle of the G-funked gangsta era, Souls of Mischief took the low road of emotional complexity. Hailing from Oakland, Calif., the foursome's distinctive lyrical mapping, infectious beats and subtle melodies on their debut rerouted gun-toting wannabes back to the underground and vaulted record-label Hieroglyphics to indie legend. MCs Tajai, Opio, Phesto and A-Plus exhibited a surprising charisma between them while undoing ghetto esteem. Their world of boredom, girls, weed, books, lounging and, of course, violence was a more easily understood reality for those caught between Pete Rock's tragedy, De La Soul's hippie aesthetics and Tupac's marginalizing glamour. Follow-up releases by Souls fell pathetically flat of achieving 'Til Infinity's harmony, and MCs have since broached personal topics of greater depth. Still, the genre-altering release possesses one undeniable truth: Reality's never sounded so good.[citation needed]

Steve Huey of AllMusic also positively reviewed 93 'til Infinity, calling it "the best single album to come out of Oakland's Hieroglyphics camp," as well as saying how Souls of Mischief "completely redefined the art of lyrical technique for the West Coast" and that it's "one of the most slept-on records of the '90s".[4]

In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums.[11]

Legacy and influence

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Over the years, the title track "93 'til Infinity" has been referenced and sampled by numerous artists, including Consequence and Kanye West in their 2004 song "03 'Til Infinity",[12] J. Cole in 2009's "Til' Infinity",[13] Freddie Gibbs in 2009's "How We Do",[14] Big K.R.I.T in 2010's "Somedayz",[15] and Joey Badass in 2013's "95 Til Infinity".[16]

Track listing

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No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Let 'em Know"Domino4:15
2."Live and Let Live"Domino5:20
3."That's When Ya Lost"Del the Funky Homosapien3:35
4."A Name I Call Myself"Del the Funky Homosapien4:11
5."Disseshowedo"Domino, Jay Biz2:59
6."What a Way to Go Out"A-Plus3:59
7."Never No More"A-Plus3:41
8."93 'til Infinity"A-Plus4:46
9."Limitations"Jay Biz3:21
10."Anything Can Happen"A-Plus3:02
11."Make Your Mind Up"Del the Funky Homosapien3:51
12."Batting Practice"Casual4:04
13."Tell Me Who Profits"Domino4:02
14."Outro"Domino2:04
Total length:53:10

Charts

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Weekly charts

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Year Album Peak
position
Billboard 200[17] Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums[18]
1993 93 'til Infinity 85 17

Singles

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Year Song Peak
position
Billboard Hot 100[19] Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks[20] Hot Rap Singles[21] Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales[21]
1993 "93 'Til Infinity" 72 65 11 20
"That's When Ya Lost" — — 24 —
1994 "Never No More" — — 46 15
"—" denotes that a recording did not chart.

Credits

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Souls of Mischief:

Additional personnel:

References

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  1. ^ Auerbach, Evan (September 25, 2013). "The Choice Is Yours: 10 Great Rap Release Dates Of The 1990s". NPR. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  2. ^ Drake, David (June 18, 2013). "Great Days In Rap Album Release History". Complex. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  3. ^ Williams, Jaelani Turner (August 2, 2023). "Watch Souls of Mischief Deliver New Bars Over Classic "'93 'til Infinity" On Red Bull Spiral". Okayplayer. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Huey, Steve. "93 'Til Infinity – Souls of Mischief". AllMusic. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
  5. ^ Christgau, Robert (2000). "Souls of Mischief: '93 'til Infinity". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-24560-2. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  6. ^ Simelane, Vukile (January 4, 2005). "Souls of Mischief :: '93 Til Infinity :: Jive/Zomba". RapReviews. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
  7. ^ Sarig, Roni (2004). "Souls of Mischief". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 760–61. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  8. ^ Johnson, Brett (June 1993). "Record Report: Souls of Mischief – '93 'til Infinity". The Source. No. 45. p. 69.
  9. ^ "Sound Bites". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. 17 Dec 1993. p. 16.
  10. ^ Griffin, Gil (Jan 12, 1994). "Tribe, Souls: New School's Top Students". The Washington Post. p. D7.
  11. ^ "100 Best Albums: The Top Hip-Hop LP's of All Time". The Source. No. 100. New York. January 1998. p. 28.
  12. ^ Batey, Angus (November 25, 2013). "20 Years On: Souls Of Mischief's 93 'Til Infinity Revisited". The Quietus. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  13. ^ Threadcraft, Torry (May 12, 2021). "Did J. Cole Taint His L.A. Leakers Freestyle With This Terrible Bill Cosby Line?". Okayplayer. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  14. ^ Davies, Sam (June 20, 2023). "How Souls Of Mischief's '93 'til Infinity' inspired a new future for hip-hop". DJ Magazine. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  15. ^ Breihan, Tom (August 25, 2010). "Video: Big K.R.I.T.: "Somedayz"". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  16. ^ Drake, David (June 28, 2013). "Video: Joey Bada$$ "95 Til Infinity"". Complex. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  17. ^ "Souls of Mischief - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  18. ^ "Souls of Mischief - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  19. ^ "Souls of Mischief - Chart history". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 5, 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  20. ^ "Souls of Mischief - Chart history". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 18, 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  21. ^ a b "Souls of Mischief – Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
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