Freestyle Fellowship is what got me into underground hip hop at a young age; I still remember the first time I heard Cornbread. Made up of Aceyalone, Myka 9, P.E.A.C.E., and Self Jupiter, they came together out of the Good Life Café and Project Blowed in South Central, LA. They came up in the late 80’s and early 90’s when gangster rap and NWA ruled. They were a stark contrast to that genre of rap, labeled as conscious and backpacker. Even when someone doesn’t particularly like the music they make, they can’t deny their influence on rap. They coined the form of rapping known as the “chop” which has been copied all over the world. Known for their jazz influences and lightning quick style of rapping, their ’93 album Innercity Griots is widely regarded as a classic, influential rap album.

The group released the self-distributed, underground classic To Whom It May Concern, followed by Innercity Griots, then Temptations, and finally Shockadoom, which was recorded before Temptations but released after. The group broke up for a decade and then reunited in 2011 to release the Promise. Each of the four members have enjoyed varying degrees of success, with Aceyalone and Myka 9 being the most successful.

They have a vast amount of material but here is a taste of their many standout tracks. Enjoy:

Off Innercity Griots:

Off Shockadoom:

Off the Promise:

Get the CDs here: http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?artist=Freestyle+Fellowship

or digitally here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/freestyle-fellowship/id5335367