Freestyle Fellowship

Freestyle Fellowship is an American hip-hop group from Los Angeles, California. It consists of Aceyalone, Myka 9, and Self Jupiter.^[1] The group was a prominent part of the Good Life Cafe collective and are part of the Project Blowed collective.^[2]

Freestyle Fellowship
Origin	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Hip-hop
Years active	1991–1993 1998–present
Labels	Project Blowed Decon 4th & B'way Island Sun Music Beats & Rhymes Ground Control Whig Music
Members	Aceyalone Myka 9 Self Jupiter
Past members	J. Sumbi M.D. Himself P.E.A.C.E.

History

While in high school in the late 1980s, Aceyalone, Myka 9, and Self Jupiter formed the short-lived MC Aces, a precursor to Freestyle Fellowship, at the Good Life Cafe in Los Angeles, California.^[3] Subsequently, former high school friend P.E.A.C.E. was added to form Freestyle Fellowship.^[3]

Freestyle Fellowship released the debut studio album, To Whom It May Concern..., in 1991.^[4] In 1993, the group released the second studio album, Innercity Griots.^[5]

Freestyle Fellowship went on hiatus due to the incarceration of Self Jupiter.^[6] In 1998, the group reunited to record the Shockadoom EP, which would be released in 2002.^[7] The group released Temptations in 2001,^[8] and The Promise in 2011.^[9]

Style and influences

According to Los Angeles Times, Freestyle Fellowship incorporates "jazz rhythms into its raps, which have the improvisational ebb and flow and the random explosiveness of a jazz solo."^[10] In a 1993 interview with Los Angeles Times, the group's member Myka 9 said, "What we are is liberators, liberating rap from its R&B/funk structures--that 4/4 (time) prison."^[10]

The group has been described by LA Weekly as "the astral jazz-cracked geniuses of sherm-strafed South Central, rapping with caged bird cadences about sleeping on park benches, biblical books, and gangsta rap carpetbaggers."^[11]

Discography

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)