Oakland hip-hop group Souls of Mischief will perform Thursday at the Farm House Collective, bringing their “backpack rap” sound to the converted motel venue at 8 p.m.
The show comes three months after the Riverside venue opened in the renovated 1953 Farm House Motel on University Avenue.
For many fans, the performance connects back to 1993, when the group’s debut single, “93 ’til Infinity,” eschewed California’s dominant gangsta rap scene and focused on lyrical ability and wit.
The track landed during hip-hop’s golden age, when groups like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and the Oakland-based Hieroglyphics collective—which includes Souls of Mischief—showed the genre could be thoughtful and complex without being aggressive.
In the early 1990s, California hip-hop was dominated by gangsta rap. In 1992, the Beastie Boys released Check Your Head, creating an unexpected bridge between hip-hop and skateboarding culture. For me, a 15-year-old at Riverside Poly High School whose musical world revolved around punk rock and hardcore, the Beastie Boys made it acceptable to explore hip-hop without betraying my roots.
In 1993 came two crucial albums from the Hieroglyphics collective: Del the Funky Homosapien’s No Need for Alarm and Souls of Mischief’s 93 ’til Infinity. Both offered something different from the hard-edged rap dominating airwaves. These were intelligent, creative artists who weren’t trying to be street or commercial. They were just four friends from Oakland making music about the simple pleasure of being young and creative.
The group—A-Plus, Tajai, Opio and Phesto—helped define “backpack rap,” hip-hop for listeners who valued lyrical skill over street credibility. Their jazz-influenced sound and laid-back delivery clicked with skateboard culture.
93 ’til Infinity reached the pop charts and introduced millions to alternative West Coast hip-hop, but Souls of Mischief never again matched that commercial peak. Instead, they built a devoted underground following that has sustained them for three decades.
The Farm House Collective, converted from a roadside motel into a community space with local food vendors and retail alongside live music, books acts that focus on artistic integrity. Previous shows included the Allah-Lahs and Wand.
The group remains respected in hip-hop circles, able to pack venues and draw both casual fans who remember the hit and serious listeners who appreciate their consistent work over the decades.
Three decades later, 93 ’til Infinity still sounds fresh, bringing together fans who discovered it through different scenes but found the same authentic voice.
More information: To purchase tickets and for more upcoming events visit farmhousecollective.com.
California Baptist University opens ticket sales earlier than ever for its popular performing arts lineup, encouraging Riverside families to secure seats now for a season of musicals, plays, and a beloved holiday tradition.
