MP3: Souls of Mischief & Adrian Younge – “There Is Only Now” (ft. Snoop Dogg)

For First Time Ever, Souls of Mischief Teams Up With Snoop Dogg for Lead Single From There Is Only Now, Available Now via iTunes and 7″ Single

06.24.2014

The Song:

Earlier this month, SPIN announced that prolific Oakland hip-hop group Souls of Mischief joined forces with multi-instrumentalist producer Adrian Younge for a collaborative concept album, There Is Only Now, which will be releasing via Adrian’s newly launched label, Linear Labs, on August 26. Premiering via Complex, the first single and title song, “There Is Only Now” features Snoop Dogg trading verses with the Hieroglyphics quartet for the very first time. The song is now available for sale both digitally and as a 7″ single with the accompanying b-side, “All You Got Is Your Word.”

Taking inspiration from a real-life nearly fatal incident involving the group at the peak of their seminal hit “93 ‘Til Infinity,” in 1994, the concept album of There Is Only Now begins with Souls members A-Plus, Opio, Phesto, and Tajai fearing for their lives as a masked gunman takes aim. What unravels throughout the 19-track masterpiece is a dramatic tale full of love, loss, and revenge, as fictional characters collide with a non-fictional event that nearly destroyed the group near the start of their career. On this title song (track #8,) listeners are introduced to a love interest between two characters, Stoney and his girlfriend Miriam. “Can’t nobody tell them nothin’, their love is unstoppable,” claims A-Plus, rapping bar-for-bar with Opio, who quickly adds “overcome any obstacle, together they will always grow.” Enter Snoop Dogg, who shares his perspective on young love, while also hinting at the development of a precarious love triangle, rapping “the homie Stoney in love with his girl, and so is his big homie/ now what a pity, a foot note to the cut throat/ it’s rare, see I was told all in love is unfair.”

Recorded solely on 2” analogue tape using only live instrumentation, Adrian Younge and his band Venice Dawn offer break-beat drums, flurrying keys, and warm bass as the back drop for the Cali-bred MC’s. In addition to Snoop, the album includes features from Busta Rhymes, William Hart of the Delfonics, and Scarub of the Living Legends crew and narration by Ali Shaheed Muhammad who takes on the character of a radio DJ for the fictional radio station K-NOW, as he narrates parts of the story. “There Is Only Now” is currently available on 7″ single, with the accompanying b-side “All You Got Is Your Word.” With all iTunes pre-orders, purchasers will receive a free download of digital versions of “There Is Only Now” and “All You Got Is Your Word.”

Listen to “There is Only Now”: https://soundcloud.com/linearlabs/soulsofmischiefsnoop/

Check out the Complex premiere: http://www.complex.com/music/2014/06/listen-to-souls-of-mischief-and-adrian-younges-there-is-only-now-f-snoop-dogg

iTunes pre-order link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/id890335149

“There Is Only Now” (ft. Snoop Dogg) b/w “All You Got Is Your Word” 7″: http://www.linearlabsmusic.com/album.php?id=17270

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For more information/interviews for Souls of Mischief and Adrian Younge, contact Michelle or Rory.

Souls of Mischief Background:

Starting with their landmark debut ’93 ‘til Infinity, Oakland’s four-person rap group Souls of Mischief has blazed the trail for hip hop’s evolution. Members Tajai, A-Plus, Phesto, and Opio have left their mark sonically, lyrically, and stylistically on Kanye West, Just Blaze, Big Sean, Big K.R.I.T., P. Diddy, Vampire Weekend, John Mayer, and many more who have cited them as cultural icons and influencers. Souls is also credited as having pioneered the independent label movement when they started Hieroglyphic Imperium Records in 1997 following their departure with JIVE Records, creating the infrastructure blueprint for other succesful independent hip hop labels. Co-founders of the Hiero label also include emcees Del Tha Funky Homosapien, Casual, Pep Love, and producer Domino. Souls’ also forged hip-hop’s relationship with the skate, surf, and snowboard communities after iconic skate brands included their music in their VHS videotapes in the mid-90’s. The group’s creative output and legacy as a whole continues to thrive, and they show no sign of stopping. In 2013, Souls celebrated the 20 year anniversary of ’93 til Infinity, prepped a documentary film, embarked on a 50-city “Still Infinity Tour,” and released a joint 20th anniversary limited edition tee shirt capsule collection with Ecko Unlimited. They are now prepping for the August 26th release of their sixth studio album, There Is Only Now, a cinematic collaborative effort with renowned producer Adrian Younge on Adrian’s newly launched Linear Labs record label.

Adrian Younge Background:

Adrian Younge is the next generation of soul music. A self-taught musician and recording engineer who has dedicated his life to the study of classic soul music, Younge finds himself at the center of a new soul renaissance with a vision for pushing the boundaries of the music itself. Younge has recently completed Souls of Mischief’s There Is Only Now, and is currently working on follow ups to Ghostface Killah’s Twelve Reasons To Die and Venice Dawn’s Something About April. A new project with A Tribe Called Quest alumni Ali Shaheed Muhammed, The Midnight Hour: One Night in Harlem, 1971 sees the duo creating music that ATCQ would have sampled had these records existed decades ago. New collaborations with Bilal, Raphael Saadiq, Common, No ID, and DJ Premier are also in the works for future release. With Lyor Cohen coming on in a management position and having recently inked a deal with Sony/ATV Publishing, Younge is poised for the big leagues. Both parties have been instrumental in forging relationships with today’s top artists with the sole goal of making good music, confident his sound is the next big thing.