Freestyle Fellowship
| Company type | Hip-hop ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California , United States |
| Products | Studio albums, remix albums, mixtapes, EPs, singles |
Freestyle Fellowship is a hip-hop ensemble originating from Los Angeles, California, consisting of members Aceyalone, Myka 9, and Self Jupiter. This group played an influential role within the Good Life Cafe and Project Blowed communities.
History
During the late 1980s, Aceyalone, Myka 9, and Self Jupiter came together to form MC Aces at the Good Life Cafe. They later invited their former high school associate P.E.A.C.E. to join, which led to the creation of Freestyle Fellowship.
Their first album, To Whom It May Concern..., debuted in 1991, followed by the release of Innercity Griots in 1993. The group's activities were interrupted due to Self Jupiter's imprisonment, but they reunited in 1998 to produce the Shockadoom EP, which was eventually released in 2002. Additional projects include Temptations (2001) and The Promise (2011).
Style and influences
As noted by the Los Angeles Times, Freestyle Fellowship blends jazz rhythms into their lyrical delivery, embodying the spontaneous and improvisational qualities characteristic of jazz solos. In a 1993 interview, Myka 9 explained their style as an effort to "free rap from its R&B/funk frameworks—that 4/4 (time) prison."
The group has been described by LA Weekly as "astral jazz-cracked geniuses of South Central," delivering verses with "caged bird cadences" that explore themes such as sleeping on park benches, biblical texts, and critiques of gangsta rap opportunists.
Studio albums
- To Whom It May Concern... (1991)
- Innercity Griots (1993)
- Temptations (2001)
- The Promise (2011)
Remix albums
- Version 2.0: To Whom It May Concern... Remixed by J. Sumbi (2001)
Mixtapes
- Power Plant (2011)
EPs
- Shockadoom (2002)
Singles
- "Bullies of the Block" (1992)
- "Hot Potato" (1993)
- "Can You Find the Level of Difficulty in This?" (1999)
- "Sex in the City" (2001)
- "Temptations" b/w "Ghetto Youth" (2002)
Guest appearances
- Nobody - "Planets Ain't Aligned" from Soulmates (2000)
- Abstract Rude & Tribe Unique - "Heavyweights Round 4" from P.A.I.N.T. (2001)
Compilation appearances
- "Hot" from Project Blowed (1994)
- "Can You Find the Level of Difficulty in This? (Hive Remix)" from Defcon 4 (2000)
- "Ummm" from We Came from Beyond (2001)
- "Crazy" from Constant Elevation (2002)