Oakland's Hieroglyphics is known worldwide as both a rap crew and a style movement that has been in the game for two decades and counting. Time has marked it as essentially a Bay Area supergroup of MCs as well, spawning the lasting careers of members like Souls of Mischief and Del Tha Funky Homosapien.
It's hard to believe that Hieroglyphics as a whole has only released two albums to date, and it has been a decade since the last one (Full Circle) came out. But the third, which is called The Kitchen, is set to drop on July 16. It's led by the single "Gun Fever," which was written before the Trayvon Martin murder and Newtown school shootings but is rendered even more potent by those recent tragedies.
Their topics might be hard hitting but there's always an intent to provoke thought and uplift people. To that end, the collective will also host the second version of their free all-ages event Hiero Day, billed as "a celebration of all that is good in Oakland," at Linden Street Brewery on September 2.
