Hieroglyphics

Based in Oakland, California, the hip-hop collective Hieroglyphics brings together under one banner Del the Funky Homosapien, the group Souls of Mischief, Casual, Pep Love, producer Domino, and DJ Toure. Formed in the early 1990s, Hieroglyphics developed on the fringes of the gangsta movement widely associated with the West Coast and gravitated toward an alternative rap built on soul and jazz loops, a pronounced boom-bap sound, and meticulous work on internal rhymes and flow patterns. After early momentum from Del’s solo projects and the impact of Souls of Mischief, Hieroglyphics founded its own independent label, Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings, in 1997 to control the release of its output. The collective released its first group album, 3rd Eye Vision, in 1998, followed by Full Circle in 2003 and The Kitchen in 2013, while also issuing mixtapes and compilations that chart the group’s evolution. Hieroglyphics tracks rest on a group-driven dynamic with rapid vocal handoffs, blending abstract imagery, pop-culture references, and stories rooted in the urban life of the San Francisco Bay, accompanied by a distinctive visual identity—notably the "third eye" logo that identifies the Hieroglyphics collective on the independent hip-hop scene.