Three Eyes and Open Ears

The legendary Hieroglyphics roll into town

It’s your world, your future, you control it. Whatever you do early on is how you mould it.” Maybe you didn’t expect such words of wisdom to come from a hip-hop song, but Hieroglyphics aren’t your average hip-hop outfit. While the collective of rappers and producers (including, among others, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Opio and Pep Love) has been on the scene since the early ’90s, it was 1998’s groundbreaking album, Third Eye Vision, that really put Hiero on the map. Ten years on, they’re all still making music (Del raps with Gorillaz, a few of them make up the Souls of Mischief, and Opio’s just released a solo album) and members of the crew are coming together to tour under the distinctive three-eyed Hieroglyphics logo.

On the road to jointly promote the Hieroglyphics clothing line (new Hiero jeans just out), Opio’s new album and to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Third Eye Vision, Hieroglyphics are in full party mode for this Pacific Northwest tour.

Opio gives me the lowdown as he gears up for the tour. “We’re giving people all the angles,” he says. “We’re gonna hit up the old Hiero shit—we’ve got to—and I got some new songs I’m gonna do.”

Opio’s latest, Vulture’s Wisdom, is reminiscent of the Hieroglyphics sound, but with a new vibe, courtesy of the album’s San Francisco producer, Architect.

“I’ve always been a fan of his music,” says Opio. “He’s got a dope-ass vibe.”

Their work together evolved into a much larger—and much more prolific—collaboration than expected. Opio says Vultures is volume one of three, as they ended up with way more material than they’d originally intended.

“We had a whole vision,” he explains. “Kids is always saying, ‘This is whack, that’s whack’—the negative attitude, you know what I’m saying? I’ve never thought that; I didn’t have a closed mind. [Vulture’s Wisdom] is like a metaphor for how we’re seeing things. Over the years, we got a perspective on what hip hop really is.” He cites positivity and an open mind to all kinds of music and styles. “I’m an underground, independent artist, and the underground thing is a whole other scene.”

Opio recommends checking Hiero out on YouTube before the show for visual perspective, but really, the key is to open your ears. To borrow another Hiero lyrirc: “Keep your ear to it, really listen,” he stresses, implying there’s another level to the music that can’t be experienced with just a cursory listen. “Life is a blast when you know what you’re doin’, best to know what you’re doin’ before your life gets ruined. Life is a thrill when your skill is developed, if you ain’t got a skill or trade, then shut the hell up.”

With lyrics like this flying out of the speakers, you know you’ve got to keep your ears open.

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Hieroglyphics
(with Blue Scholars, Musab, Tanya Morgan and Knobody)
9pm Sunday, Sept 28
Element, 919 Douglas
Tickets $20 • 250-383-7137