Haiku D’etat

Haiku D’Etat was even more a makeshift hip-hop trend, or even a short term force of character, when compared to a genuine rap group; although “supergroup” is obviously a good enough beginning, so far as explanations go, because of this wonderful if entirely as well short-lived task. An explosive one-off, Haiku D’Etat found fruition due to the teaming up of three of the very most gifted West Coastline MCs ever to trade tongue-twisting similes and prolonged metaphors: Mikah 9 as well as the famous Aceyalone from the fabled and far lamented Freestyle Fellowship, and Abstract Rude of fellow Angelino mavericks Abstract Tribe Exclusive. Matching their excellent microphone skills to some lush bed of live instrumentation, the trio documented a sole, virtually undistributed self-titled recording in 1999 (reissued another year on small indie label Pure HIPHOP, Inc.) that performed to rapturous evaluations (including an area on Robert Christgau’s “Dean’s List” for the Town Voice’s famous year-end “Pazz & Jop” poll) but alongside nil in product sales. As worth being called an especially melodious poetry outing — using its penchant for labyrinthine wordplay and bohemian effortlessness — like a rap recording, its three makers returned with their personal single and group tasks immediately after its launch, departing Haiku D’Etat as you of these albums destined to look undeservedly neglected but deservedly revered.