The Nonce
| Company type | Hip-hop duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Defunct | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs |
The Nonce was a hip-hop duo originating from Los Angeles, active between 1992 and 1999. Affiliated with the Project Blowed collective and frequent collaborators with Aceyalone, they earned acclaim for their smooth, jazz-infused beats combined with relaxed, thoughtful lyrics that honored the mid-1980s old school emcees.
1990–1995
Following their high school graduation in 1990, The Nonce began working on their initial album, which remained unreleased due to artistic disagreements until it was rediscovered and finally released in 2017 under the title 1990. In 1992, they secured a deal with Wild West Records and debuted with the single "The Picnic Song". Their notable single "Mixtapes" was released in 1994 after experiencing delays caused by conflicts with their label.
The group’s full-length album, World Ultimate, was launched in 1995 through Rick Rubin's American Recordings in partnership with Wild West Records. A special Japanese edition was issued in 2005 to celebrate its tenth anniversary. Although plans for a vinyl reissue were announced by 2008, these did not come to fruition.
The Sight of Things and unreleased works
After World Ultimate, The Nonce put out the EP The Sight of Things in 1998. Later, in 2005, two compilations titled Advanced Regression and The Right State of Mind were released, featuring tracks that had previously not been made public.
Sach’s solo endeavors
Nouka Basetype, known professionally as Sach, embarked on his solo journey in 1998 with the cassette-only release Seven Days To Engineer. He continued with albums such as Suckas Hate Me (2002) under Mary Joy and Sach 5th Ave (2005). In 2018, Sach published a book merging poetry with visual art called Rhyme Book Bibliomancy. Additionally, he has contributed production work for various Los Angeles underground artists including Global Phlowtations, Ganjah K, Medusa, Figures of Speech, Studious Steve, and Freestyle Fellowship.
Passing of Yusef
Yusef "Afloat" Muhammad was discovered deceased near Freeway 110 in Los Angeles on May 21, 2000. His death occurred under unclear circumstances at the age of 28.
Albums
- World Ultimate (1995)
- World Ultimate (reissued edition) (2005)
- 1990 (2018) (recorded originally in 1990)
EPs
- The Sight of Things (1998) Wild West Records/Fluid Recordings
Singles
- The Picnic Song (1992) Wild West/American Recordings/Warner Bros. Records
- Mix Tapes (Promo) (1993) Wild West/American Recordings/Warner Bros. Records
- Mix Tapes / Keep it On (1994) Wild West/American Recordings/Warner Bros. Records
- Mix Tapes (The Remixes) (1994) Wild West/American Recordings/Warner Bros. Records
- From the Ground Up (1994) Wild West/American Recordings/Warner Bros. Records
- Bus Stops (Where the Honeys is At...) (1995) Wild West/American Recordings/Warner Bros. Records
- Live & Direct/ADR Most Requested (1997) Wild West/American Recordings/Warner Bros. Records
- Turnin' it Out (1999) Wild West/American Recordings/Warner Bros. Records
- Haiku Busho Sach San/The Only (2006) Fluid Records
Compilations
- Advanced Regression (2005)
- The Right State of Mind (2005)
- Advanced State of Regression (2006)
- The Only Mixtape – Mixed By Bachir (2010)