Montezuma's Revenge

Ever since their aptly titled breakout single "93 'Til Infinity," Oakland's Souls of Mischief (and their larger collective Hieroglyphics) have been steadily putting out quality hip-hop, touring the globe, and expanding their diverse business empire. It's been almost a decade since they released a proper Souls album, but without a doubt, it was worth the wait. Montezuma's Revenge has everything we've come to love from Phesto, Opio, A-Plus, and Tajai, specifically, a dazzling display of lyrical superiority, tight songwriting, action-packed interplay, and funk-heavy beats. On the production side of things, Domino sounds sharp as usual, but legendary maestro Prince Paul also joins the fun, proving that he hasn't lost a step since the old Stetsasonic and early De La Soul days. They pull off the nearly impossible task of updating a sound without going overboard, still sounding familiar without being redundant. Great music abounds here, don't miss the Cali cookout jam "Home Game," travelogue rap "Tour Stories," word-association gem "Poets," and the ferocious banger "For Real Y'all."