The Official DiS Hip-Hop Listening Club

doing this on my phone so hopefully that image is the right size. anyway, maybe a less obscure one this week than some of the others, but it’s one of those that sort sits on the cross section of being kind of revered but also kind of slept on. enjoy!

Seems like a good choice from my POV! I know of Casual through Hieroglyphics and Del, but I’ve never heard this album, or any other solo stuff. Looking forward to checking it out

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I fucking love this album.

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Love this as well. Re-listening today and realized how much he was influenced by his bud Del the Funkee. this alb is pretty front to back classic. Only crit i have is some of the beats get a little samey, think over half of them use the same break but thats a product of its time.

Chained Minds beat is prob my fav.

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This is my favourite Hiero album. No Need For Alarm a close second. It was a grower though - I was a little disappointed at first as it didn’t really have the stand out cuts that the Souls of Mischief album had. And that’s still probably true - it’s an album I have to listen to start to finish. Love the way the tracks flow together - Get Off It into That’s How It Is into the Saafir skit is especially pleasing.

I love it’s slighter darker sound compared to the Souls of Mischief album. Lose In The End and Me-O-Mi-O are probably my favourite tracks - both Domino beats. Love those samples.

But yeah, great album. Big fan of Heiro. Think I first heard them when 93 'til Infinity came out and they were playing it in Slam City Skates. Skateboarders all seemed to really like them - think it was their whole aesthetic. Always on skate video soundtracks.

Also love how they embraced the web early on too. I remember buying a few unreleased things from their webstore back in the late 90s, including a Del album and Focus by Souls of Mischief on tape!

Also just read that he was 17 when this came out! Jesus.

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The Making of Fear Itself

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ha, was just about to link that as well. hadn’t realised he was that young until I read that article

I just stumbled across it now looking for the production credits and sample sources. Interesting stuff. His age is pretty mad. I’m only 3 years younger, but you hear this album and his whole sound is just so ‘mature’ for want of a better word. These guys sounded like grown men!

Brilliant album. Top 20 material for me.

did you ever listen to any of his other stuff? I love this album but never explored beyond it, got it in my head that everything else he did was rubbish but I don’t know where that came from so it’s probably nonsense

This might be the best first impression I’ve had of a record in this thread :ok_hand:
Not really dug into the lyrics yet, but the production is right up my street and I’m enjoying the ‘feel’ of his flow.

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Meanwhile… is pretty good. I think I checked out a few after that into the mid 00’s but just wasn’t really into it. To be honest, I pretty much gave up on Hieroglyphics after 3rd Eye Vision, barring reissues and the odd track here and there.

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Back after a trip, looking forward to investigating Goats and Odd Squad (have heard the latter a couple of times but years ago).

LOVE this Casual though… I really love No Need for Alarm, …My Brother George… and to a lesser extent 3rd Eye Vision, but for whatever reason never felt to explore much farther. The thread delivers another heavy hitter, going to be giving this one some serious plays in my car

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at moments some of the style reminds me of Freestyle Fellowship & Aceyalone too, particularly Me-O-Mi-O, did hiero & FF ever interact much?

Hmm, maybe - not that I know of. Know what you mean though - have a similar sort of vibe.

This album prompted me to listen to Saafir’s Boxcar Sessions again for the first time in a while. His rapping style was pretty ‘out there’ but some great production.

FF were very influential but i havent heard this connection before. there’s def a jazzy lean to the vocals of both of these groups (hiero/ff). lots of weird inflections and swerves in cadence. could turn a seemingly mundane track into a standout ie Lose In The End, or Thats How it Is

Ni&&as try to flow… but they soundin’ like me… a year ago… ssshittttt, old, kaput, I got loot…

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I’ve got really behind on this but catching up now and this Goats album is fucking brilliant.

Could do without the skits though

And this Casual album is funky af. Great couple of picks.

found casual lyrics dull, suppose he was young. like the jazzy bounce of the music, though

I’ve just had a chance to play the record through yesterday and today. I really like the production, but I think Del stands out a whole lot more on the mic than Casual, and both have a similar style. Still enjoying it though