Freestyle Fellowship

Freestyle Fellowship
Background information
Origin	Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres	Hip hop, freestyle rap, jazz rap
Years active	1991–1993 1998–present
Labels	Project Blowed, Decon, 4th & B'way, Beats & Rhymes, Ground Control, Whig Music
Associated acts	Project Blowed, Haiku D'Etat, DJ Kiilu, JMD, Mathmattiks, The Mighty O-Roc, Spoon
Members	Aceyalone Myka 9 P.E.A.C.E. Self Jupiter
Past members	J. Sumbi M.D. Himself

Freestyle Fellowship is a hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. It consists of Aceyalone, Myka 9, P.E.A.C.E., and Self Jupiter.^[1] They are part of an underground hip hop collective Project Blowed.^[2]

History

Freestyle Fellowship was formed at the Good Life Cafe in Los Angeles, California during the early 1990s. In an interview, Myka 9 stated that he knew and grew up with Aceyalone and Self Jupiter since elementary school, and he met P.E.A.C.E. in 10th grade. Before Freestyle Fellowship was formed, Aceyalone, Spoon (of Iodine) and Myka 9 had been in a group called the MC Aces in high school.^[3]

Freestyle Fellowship released the first album, To Whom It May Concern..., in 1991.^[4] Their second album, Innercity Griots, was released in 1993.^[5]

Freestyle Fellowship went on hiatus due to the incarceration of Self Jupiter.^[6] After his release, the group reunited to record the Shockadoom EP in 1998; it was released on Whig Music in 2002.^[7] Their third album, Temptations, was released on Ground Control in 2001.^[8] They released the fourth album, The Promise, on Decon in 2011.^[9]

Style and influences

Freestyle Fellowship's vocal techniques focusing on the method of freestyle rap and their successful infusion of hip hop and jazz established the group as forerunners in the subgenre of jazz rap and placed them amongst prominent West Coast underground hip hop acts of the early 1990s such as Hieroglyphics and The Pharcyde.^[10]

Discography

Studio albums

• To Whom It May Concern... (1991)
• Innercity Griots (1993)
• Temptations (2001)
• The Promise (2011)
• The Masters (TBA)^[11]

Remix albums

• To Whom It May Concern... Version 2.0 (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)
• "Temptations" b/w "Ghetto Youth" (2001)
• "Sex in the City" (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" on Project Blowed (1994)
• "Can You Find the Level of Difficulty in This? (Hive Remix)" on Defcon 4 (2000)
• "Ummm" on We Came from Beyond (2001)
• "Crazy" on Constant Elevation (2002)

References

1. Serwer, Jesse (October 16, 2012). "35. De La Soul "Transmitting Live From Mars" (1989) / Freestyle Fellowship "Sunshine Men" (1991)". Complex.
2. Weiss, Jeff (December 15, 2011). "It's Your Anniversary: Underground hip-hop Project Blowed is 17". Los Angeles Times.
3. "Ring of the Fellowship". LA Weekly. February 14, 2002.
4. Cowie, Del F. (September 1999). "Freestyle Fellowship - To Whom It May Concern". Exclaim!.
5. Fox, Marisa (July 23, 1993). "Innercity Griots Review". Entertainment Weekly.
6. Weiss, Jeff (June 18, 2010). "Knowledge of self: Self Jupiter talks Freestyle Fellowship reunion, returning to school, and the West Coast underground". Los Angeles Times.
7. Chennault, Sam (July 14, 2002). "Freestyle Fellowship: Shockadoom". Pitchfork Media.
8. Haywood, Brad (February 12, 2002). "Freestyle Fellowship: Temptations". Pitchfork Media.
9. Thill, Scott (October 19, 2011). "Freestyle Fellowship's Brain-Hop Delivers on Promise". Wired.
10. "Freestyle Fellowship". Allmusic.
11. "Freestyle Fellowship on Twitter: "Our new LP The Masters hoping to get features from @TalibKweli @macklemore @chancetherapper @equipto @SnoopDogg @LuckyovLegends @LASymphony"". Twitter. 2014-05-16. Retrieved 2016-02-09.

External links

• Freestyle Fellowship discography at Discogs