And that’s something evident anytime they step onstage. Since February, Souls of Mischief has been on a massive global trek and, as of September, performed more than 100 shows all over the world in celebration of 93’ Til Infinity’s anniversary. With the exception of a custom tour jacket being stolen in London, they’ve escaped relatively unscathed.
“I feel relieved to have been able to experience a run like this with minimal sickness, no injuries and very little drama,” Tajai notes. “It’s a blessing to be able to have this type of impact after three decades. To see both those who’ve been listening to our work for all that time and people who weren’t even alive when the album dropped enjoy our performances equally is an awesome feeling, both of nostalgia and hope for the future. To experience this with your best friends on earth is a feeling unlike any other.”
On September 17, Souls of Mischief performed at the historic Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado alongside Atmosphere, Danny Brown, Large Professor, Mr. Dibbs and Living Legends’ The Grouch and Eligh. Armed with the swagger of the seasoned vets they are, Tajai, Phesto, Opio and A-Plus sailed through their set, which included ’93 Til Infinity tracks like “Make Your Mind Up” and, of course, the titular track. The sold-out crowd came in all colors, genders and ages, a testament to their longevity and mass appeal.
“I really think seeing generations of fans in the crowd is the best feeling because it really brings the ‘infinity’ concept into the most literal realm of human understanding, in that we see that this song will continue to bring people joy long after we are gone from this planet,” Tajai says. “Also, for the crowd to see us in our best form—as our skills and performance ability has only increased over the year—is exhilarating for both us and the crowd.”
Souls of Mischief released five additional studio albums following their seismic debut, including 1995’s No Man’s Land and 2014’s There Is Only Now. But it was truly 93 Til’ Infinity that defined not just an era but also Souls of Mischief’s entire career.
“I owe so much to ’93 Til Infinity,’ it’s hard to really enumerate the changes,” Tajai admits. “It paid for my college tuition. It’s paying for my kids' college tuition now. So just that—the creation of generational wealth and access through education is such a huge thing. At this point, we’ve been famous longer than unknown, so the song has affected every aspect of our adult lives.
“But I’m proud that we made a classic album—not just a hit single—and that the album has frozen time and space in their most genuine forms so that people can be transported to that era every time they listen to it, even if they did not live through that era.”
Souls of Mischief’s success transcends music; anyone seen rocking the famous Hieroglyphics logo is automatically a friend who belongs to the same secret club. When it was created, there was no telling it would become such a unifying insignia of solidarity—but it did. Tajai concludes, “I can only hope that it’s regarded as a symbol of quality and that the immediate feeling when you see the logo is that there are some good times and good music attached to it.”