Full Circle

Even if you've followed the Hiero's decade-plus career, it sometimes helps to have a scorecard to parse out each member. On their latest family album, Full Circle, it's Pep Love who puts in the best work--his flow bobbing and weaving with a boxer's grace. In contrast to Casual's thunderous presence, Pep strikes like lightning and the two complement each other well on the thoughtful "Make Your Move." Souls' member Opio also stands out, especially on "Heatish" where he sprints off with outrageous lines like, "they know my skills/fire swept through your dialect/like the Oakland Hills." No song on Full Circle seems to offer the same crew combinations twice and the Hiero's longevity manifests in their enviable chemistry with one another. Though the disc offers few new surprises it still packs in a satisfying, 16-track serving of Hiero's quick-witted, quick-spitted lyricism and funk-fried beats. --Oliver Wang